Performance of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) hybrids for yield and quality in the Utkal plain region of Odisha state, India

Abstract

Cocos nucifera L. is a perennial oil yielding crop with a long productive life span (>60 years); thus, identifying a suitable high yielding hybrid to a particular agro-climatic region plays a prime role in achieving sustainable coconut yield. In this context, an evaluation trial with varietal cross combinations involving Tall × Dwarf (six crosses) and Dwarf × Tall (two crosses) was conducted at All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Palms, Bhubaneshwar Centre, Odisha, for 15 years. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications maintaining six palms per replication. Observations on yield and yield attributing characters during 2018 to 2020 revealed the superior performance of ECT × GBGD (99.1 nuts), which was followed by ECT × MYD (86.9 nuts) over the local check (ECT) by recording higher nut yield. Copra output per palm was significantly the highest under ECT × GBGD (20.6 kg palm-1), followed by LCT × COD (18.6 kg palm-1). Hybrids possessed a higher quantity of organoleptically ‘good’ tender nut water (270.3 to 354.1 mL) with TSS of 5.8 to 6.9 °Brix, 25.4 to 34.0 ppm of sodium and 2065.9 to 2885.0 ppm of potassium.

Performance of coconut hybrids and varieties in the East coast of Andhra Pradesh

“…Whereas, VHC-2 (ECT x MYD) (9.49 m) recorded the maximum height of the palm up to the crown, whereas, VHC -1 (9.26 m) and Chandra Laksha (9.18 m) recorded height on par with tall varieties like Kera Chandra (Double Century) (9.28 m) and Chandra Kalpa (9.14 m) under evaluation. The results are similar to the findings of (Ramanandam et al 2017), (Sahoo et al 2021) the dwarf parent used for the development of these hybrids might be having robust and vigorous growth. This is in coincidence with the earlier reports on robustness in dwarf varieties of coconut (Rethinam et al 2005).…”

Fruit morphological characteristics at different maturity stages of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) improved hybrids (PB113+, PB121+) and their parent males (RIT+, WAT+)

“…This difference in mass can be explained by the type of hybridization, as these hybrids are derived from the Tall × Tall cross, unlike our hybrids derived from the Dwarf × Tall cross. In India, the hybrid coconuts studied were larger in length (21.9 -24.2 cm) and width (13.5 -16.2 cm) compared to our studied hybrids (Sahoo et al, 2021). The Ghanaian coconut shell masses (250 -340 g) studied were well above our value (Obeng et al, 2020).…”