Campbell Bay Tall - A promising coconut cultivar

It is a cultivar of Car Nicobar Island having talll growth habit. Generally, the palms are morphologically similar to Andaman Ordinary Tall but with differences in nut characteristics. An accession collected and evaluated at World Coconut Germplasm Centre, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair has shown that the palms of this cultivar are robust, high yielding with higher copra content. The palms of this variety take about 5-7 years for first flowering. The kernel is thick and recorded higher milk recovery under VCO production process. The fruits are green red, husk thickness is thin (2 .06cm), dehusked fruits are oblong, good tender nut water quantity (365 ml per fruit), average fruit weight over 1369.50g with average copra content of about 183g. The oil content is about 64.5%. Under the natural habitat of rainfed conditions in Car Nicobar, the palms exhibited large bole, stout stem, good fruit setting with estimated fruit yield of over 140 nuts per palm per year, regular production of bunches and dense crown. Careful mother palm selection followed by seedling selection is important to establish good plantation of Campbell Bay Tall considering the variability observed in the natural and conserved population

Benefit:There are no major pests recorded in this population. The cultivar has good tender nut water quantity (about 365ml per fruit) hence used for tender coconut purpose, copra making, processed coconut kernel products and VCO production

Source : Interested persons may contact: Dr. B Augustine Jerard, Principal Scientist, Email : agustinejerard.b@icar.gov.in, Phone : 9447064463 (source: Division of Horticultural & Forestry, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair)