Coconut - Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Postharvest Physiology, Processing and Packaging - page 154

powder, and aseptically processed coconut milk is mainly
for the export markets.

diversity in fruit color (green, yellow, orange) and shape
(round, elongated), flower pattern, thickness of husk, size
and thickness of flesh, and water content. These varietal
differences could lead to variations in copra yield and nut
characteristics which are important for different end users.
The endemic coconut germplasm of Sri Lanka consists
mainly of three varieties, namely, Typica (tall palm), Nana
(dwarf palm), and Aurantica ('King' coconut palm). These
varieties are generally distinguishable based on their mor-
phological characters as well as the breeding habits (Liyan-
age, 1958; Fernando, 1999). Despite their major character-
istic differences, there are other minor variations within
each variety that lead them to be classified further into
different forms of coconut. As such, there exist 14 dif-
ferent forms of coconut within the three major varieties
of Sri Lanka. The salient characters of these 14 forms
of coconut are summarized in Table 9.2. Variety Typica,
representing tall palms, constitutes eight different forms,
namely, 'Kamandala,' 'Bodiri,' 'Gonthembily,' 'Ranthem-
bily,' 'Deekiri,' 'Porapol,' 'Nawasi,' and 'San Ramon.' The
growth rate of the Typica is generally slow, and they may
take 6-8 years before they start bearing fruit. They may
grow to a height of 20-30 m and have an average life span
of 60-70 years. Under average management conditions,
typically, a tree produces about 40 nuts/palm annually, with
a copra yield of around 200 gram/nut. As palms belonging
to Typica are resistant to pests, diseases, and dry weather,
they are adaptable to most of the agroecological regions of
the country (Liyanage, 1958).
The Nana variety, representing palms with short stature,
has four different forms, namely, green dwarf, yellow
dwarf, red dwarf, and brown dwarf. Although dwarf palms
may perform well on fertile soils with well-distributed rain-
fall, they are normally susceptible to soil water deficit as
well as pest and diseases (Liyanage, 1958). These palms
are mostly of the self-pollinating type and are often used
for the cross-breeding with tall varieties. Apart from their
use as sources of breeding material, dwarf palms are also
used as ornamental trees in home gardening (Foale, 1987).
The short stature, attractive bright colors, and early bear-
ing are some of the important ornamental characteristics
of dwarf palms. Possessing short leaves of narrow leaflets
and exhibiting a high harvest index are other fascinating
traits of this variety (Batugal and Bourdeix, 2005). Palms
of this variety usually grow 8-11 m in height and have a
life span of about 20 years. As they may begin to reach the
bearing in the third year, bunches hang very close to the
ground, about 1 m. Under average management conditions,
they may produce about 100 nuts/palm annually, but nuts
are usually smaller in size. Coconuts from the Nana variety

CULTIVATION OF COCONUT
Coconut can adapt to wider-ranging farming and climatic
conditions. It can grow under different soil types such as
loamy, laterite (rich in iron and aluminum), coastal sandy,
alluvial, clayey, reclaimed soils of the marshy low lands,
and so on. The ideal soil conditions for better growth and
performance of the palm are proper drainage, good water-
holding capacity, and availability of water table within
3 m and absence of rock or any hard substratum within
2 m of the surface. Generally, shallow soils with underlying
hard rock, and low-lying areas subject to water stagnation
should be avoided for coconut cultivation (Mahindapala and
Pinto, 1991).
Tropical climate is ideal for the growth of coconut palm
as it may require plenty of sunshine. Highly elevated lands
and hilly areas might not be suitable for coconut cultivation
as palms might not grow well under colder climate. Gener-
ally, an average annual temperature of 27 ◦ C and a moderate
relative humidity (RH) of about 80-90% is required for bet-
ter yield, while prolonged dry weather might cause a decline
due to a water deficit in the soil (Mahindapala and Pinto,
1991; Somasiri et al., 1994). For coconut-growing soils,
proper supply of moisture either through well-distributed
rainfall or irrigation is vitally important. An average annual
rainfall of at least 1500 mm spread throughout the year
would suffice to meet the moisture requirement for better
growth of the palms (Liyanage, 1999).
Coconut, being a seed-propagated crop, grows slowly
and requires a long period of pre-fruit-bearing life. Prior to
planting, it has to be kept under nursery care for more than
6 months. The bearing age of coconut usually varies be-
tween 3 and 5 years, depending on the variety, soil fertility,
and climatic conditions. The annual yield of coconut palms
may also vary according to the number of inflorescences
developed, which is dependent on the number of leaves
produced annually. The interval between the openings of
two successive leaves is influenced by the genetic makeup
of the palm and seasonal conditions (Thampan, 1981;
Ohler, 1999).

VARIETIES AND HYBRID CROSSES
There is large variation within coconut, from the wild types
to all the different cultivars found around the world. Ba-
sically, most of the varieties of coconut fall into either
tall category (tall palms) or dwarf category (short palms).
Apart from the height difference, there is a great deal of