The Coconut Development Board is all set for hybridisation at its farm situated near Udumalpet, to come out with pest resistant varieties.
The attack by pests such as red palm weevil and rhinoceros beetle has been one of the biggest factors that reduce the yield.
“We plan to come out with ‘dwarf X tall’ variety by hybridisation of tall varieties such as Chittur Tall and West Coast Tall with dwarf varieties such as Malaysian orange, Malaysian green, Malaysian yellow and Chavakkad orange,” R. Deepthi, manager at the Board’s farm said.
The Board has started planting 6,000 mother saplings of the said dwarf and tall varieties in the farm.
According to Ms. Deepthi, the hybrid varieties will be able to give nuts meant for tender coconut, raw coconut and copra.
Once the hybrid varieties are developed, it would be sold at subsidised rates to farmers. “We plan to give away at Rs. 150 per seedling,” she said.
In another significant step, the first set of 15,000 dwarf coconut saplings produced at the Board’s farm is ready for sale.
