Sustainable Cultivation of Coconut Palms: Soil Fertility Status of Traditional Palm Groves of South India

Abstract

Achieving sustainability in the productivity of crops has become essential in fulfilling the global sustainable developmental goals (SDG), which is impossible without continuous monitoring of the soil fertility status of traditional fields of specific crops worldwide. Palms and palm products, primarily Coconut palm, remain crucial to the world's sustainable rural, urban, and industrial development, especially in the tropics. Accordingly, the current study focuses on the soil fertility status of one of the most intensively Coconut-cultivated regions of South India, Kerala, concerning palm varieties, soil types, health conditions, and agroclimatic zones in two seasons. The data generated is valid globally for better comparison of the soil fertility issues of palm groves worldwide. Comparative account of soil fertility parameters such as soil pH, field water content (FWC), total organic carbon (TOC), soil available nitrogen (SAN), soil available phosphorus (SAP), and soil available potassium (SAK) of palm groves under 14 various soil series are discussed. The soil pH of most Coconut fields remains below seven; nitrogen and potassium are deficient in most fields, whereas carbon and phosphorus are high. The findings suggest the significance of continuous monitoring of NPK nutrient regimes and soil pH and carbon content in the fields for ensuring the sustainability of Coconut production and soil health maintenance in palm fields. Overall, the investigation stands as a model for monitoring crop fields worldwide to ensure food security and safety sustainability, especially in wet tropics, to overcome the climate crisis, and to achieve the targets of SDG 30.