How to irrigate Coconut palm - Organic Coconut farming

How to irrigate Coconut palm:

• Coconut palm requires large quantities of water for its normal growth and timely production.

• In normal conditions and in absence of rains every palm needs about 16-18 litre water daily.

• Regular irrigation helps to increase the fruit set, improve size and copra content.

• However, stagnation of water and ill drained conditions should be strictly avoided.

• Coconut palm responds to summer irrigation.

• Production of female flowers and setting % increases considerably due to irrigation.

• Since spadix initiation to ripening of nuts takes nearly 42 months, the full benefit of irrigation can be felt only after 3 years.

• Burying the Coconut husk or coir dust is one of the most effective ways of conserving soil moisture.

• These husks coir dusts can act as sponge and absorb and retain moisture about 6-10 times respectively to their own weight and slowly relative to the coconut trees during dry periods.

• As the husk or dust breaks down slowly, their effect will last for 4-6 years and 8-10 years respectively.

• On decomposition they also add potash to the soil.

• These husks or dusts can be added in pits / trenches taken in between the trees but in all the cases depth should be 0.6m and 1.8m away from the bole.

• Husks / dusts can be added in alternate layers with soil.

• Each palm requires 55 to 120 litres of water every day.

• Since availability of irrigation water is scanty, for judicious utilization of this resource, adoption of drip irrigation system is most ideal.

• Drip irrigation is known to save about 30 – 40% water with 38% - 40% increase in yield compared to basin irrigation system apart from conserving soil and reducing the competition from weeds for water and nutrients.