CARI Surya - A promising coconut cultivar

The variety was developed through selection from exotic accession IND 112 introduced by ICAR-CPCRI from French Polynesiain as Hari Papua Orange Dwarf and conserved at World Coconut Germplasm Centre at Sipighat farm, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair. It is a dualpurpose variety suitable for tender nut as well as for ornamental purpose. The palms of this variety take about 3-4 years for first flowering. It is recommended by Group Meeting of All India Coordinated Research Projects on Palms during 2013 for cultivation in coconut growing tracts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands ecosystems. The palms are dwarf with slender stem, shorter drooping leaves, stem has no bole at the base. The palms are cross pollinated unlike other dwarf varieties. The fruits are Orange (red-yellow), small-size and oval shape, average fruit weight of over 410 g with copra content of over 70 g having oil content of about 62.5%. The palms take about 40 months for first flowering after planting. The tender nut water content is 154ml. Unlike, most other dwarf varieties, this variety performs well under rainfed conditions also. It recorded an average of 107 nuts per palm per year under rainfed conditions with copra yield of about 7.49 kg per palm per year. The potential yield was estimated to be over 161 nuts per palm per year with copra yield of over 11.27 kg per palm per year.

Benefit:Owing to the compact canopy it could be planted at closer spacing of 6 x 6 m also. The variety has not recorded any major pests under field conditions. The variety has attractive cluster bearing bunches and hence preferred for planting in house compounds and for ornamental planting also.

Scientific team : M.A. Suryanarayana, M. Sankaran, V. Damodaran, D.R. Singh, S. Dam Roy, T. Damodaran, R.P.Medhi, E.V.V. BhaskarRao, P.K. Khosy, B.C. Viraktamath, Joshi Joseph, S. ChanderRao, R. Dhanapal, B. Augustine Jerard, P.M. Kumaran, M.J. Rathnambal, R.V. Nair, P.M. Jacob, V. Arunachalam, S.K. Rizal, K.V.K. Nampoodhiri and George V. Thomas