Coco tree mat to be tested

The new product has been developed taking into consideration the soil conditions in Kerala, where an excess of water in soil and erosion of the top soil result in poor development of coconut saplings.

July 10, 2012 12:49 pm | Updated 01:06 pm IST - KOCHI

Koch: Coco Tree Mat in use at a farm. Photo : Special Arrangement

Koch: Coco Tree Mat in use at a farm. Photo : Special Arrangement

Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) will conduct further studies on coco tree mat, developed to take care of coconut saplings.

The new product, developed by Coirfed, has been handed over to CPCRI for further studies, said a press release here.

Multipurpose tool

The new product has been developed taking into consideration the soil conditions in Kerala, where an excess of water in soil and erosion of the top soil result in poor development of coconut saplings.

The mat has a circumference of 48 mm and depth of 12 mm. If it is spread before planting the saplings, it helps retain the moisture in the soil and also prevent the growth of weeds around the saplings.

It is estimated that between 60,000 and 75,000 coconut saplings are planted in the State annually.

However, a lot of them are lost because of lack of proper care. CPCRI has accepted the product and has expressed its willingness to experiment with it at its farms.

The experimentation period is six months and its results are expected to help the coir sector as well as coconut farmers.

Chairman S. L. Saji Kumar said in the press release that Coirfed planned to sell Coco Tree Mat as medium for growing various plants and preparing them in suitable coir pith with bio fertilizers.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.