Andaman Orange Dwarf – A promising dwarf coconut cultivar

Coconut palm is the predominantly grown crop in the Islands in plantations and in home gardens. They are popularly known as ‘Kalpavriksha’ as all parts of the palm are useful to the mankind. The fruits provide nutritious food, edible aromatic oil, sweet water and milk for consumption and several industrial uses. Andaman Orange Dwarf is a very attractive dwarf cultivar with thin stem, closely arranged leaf scars over the stem, short and erect leaves with orange petiole colour, very attractive bright orange-coloured fruits, high number of female flowers per bunch, very good taste of tender coconut water, higher tender water quantity (300 to 400 ml per nut), high yielding (80 to 150 fruits per palm per year). It is predominantly grown in home gardens and also preferred in landscapes as ornamental. As often the fruit fetches good price owing to the demand in the market, keeping few trees of this promising cultivar in home gardens ensure good additional income and provide delicious tender coconuts to the family. The seedlings of this cultivar are early splitting, vigorous and the palms are early flowering (about 36 to 40 months after planting) with regular bunch production over the years. The cultivar has not by any major pests under field conditions but observed to be susceptible to spiraling whitefly and rhinoceros beetles when compared to other dwarf cultivars and varieties. The palms give better performance with summer irrigation or else the bunch production may get affected.

The climate and soil in the whole of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is highly suitable for growing coconut palms. Owing to the market demand for the attractive bright orange colour of fruits and tender coconut yield, the cultivar could be planted for tender coconut purpose in plantations and in home gardens.

Contact person with Name, Designation e-mail and phone no: Dr. B. Augustine Jerard, Principal Scientist, augustinejerard.b@icar.gov.in, 9447064463