Effects of thinning of coconut stand on the performance of coconuts and the underplanted cocoa on coastal clay soils in Peninsular Malaysia
Planting of cocoa under coconuts on fertile coastal clay soils has become a common practice in Peninsular Malaysia. However, the author's experience with coconut/cocoa cropping systems was that in the younger and more dense coconut areas, the underplanted cocoa attained a yield plateau at lower levels than in less dense areas and, in some cases, was etiolated. Of concern in particular were areas where mixed stands of dwarf and hybrid coconut materials were planted at conventional dwarf density of 257 palms per hectare. The hybrid palms were characteristically more vigorous and had larger canopies than the dwarf materials (Vanialingam, Khoo & Chew, 1977). Fremond (1971) suggested that light competition among the palms was possibly pronounced and a limitation to coconut yield. Hence a trial was laid out to observe the effects of systematic thinning on the yield of coconut palms. As cocoa was underplanted in the areas, the effects of coconut thinning on the cocos were also monitored. Subsequently a further trial was laid out with a wide range of coconut thinning treatments. Results from these two trials are reported.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Subjects: | CARACTERISTICAS DEL RODAL, RENDIMIENTO DE CULTIVOS, CULTIVO INTERCALADO, SISTEMAS DE CULTIVO, APLICACION DE ABONOS, |
| Online Access: | http://orton.catie.ac.cr/repdoc/A5505i/A5505i.pdf |
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| Summary: | Planting of cocoa under coconuts on fertile coastal clay soils has become a common practice in Peninsular Malaysia. However, the author's experience with coconut/cocoa cropping systems was that in the younger and more dense coconut areas, the underplanted cocoa attained a yield plateau at lower levels than in less dense areas and, in some cases, was etiolated. Of concern in particular were areas where mixed stands of dwarf and hybrid coconut materials were planted at conventional dwarf density of 257 palms per hectare. The hybrid palms were characteristically more vigorous and had larger canopies than the dwarf materials (Vanialingam, Khoo & Chew, 1977). Fremond (1971) suggested that light competition among the palms was possibly pronounced and a limitation to coconut yield. Hence a trial was laid out to observe the effects of systematic thinning on the yield of coconut palms. As cocoa was underplanted in the areas, the effects of coconut thinning on the cocos were also monitored. Subsequently a further trial was laid out with a wide range of coconut thinning treatments. Results from these two trials are reported. |
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