Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.)

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), the perennial tree crop, has a productive lifespan of six to seven decades. During its life cycle, soil plays a crucial role in sustaining its productivity, by providing the necessary physico-chemical and biological soil quality attributes for its sustenance. Soil health is the foundation for sustainable coconut production. The various soil health attributes need to be assessed and understood for designing the suitable location-specific management practices for sustainable production. In this regard, the constraints for production are to be assessed and monitored. Soil pollution as well as climate change also aggravate the already existing soil fertility constraints hindering the palm productivity. Technological options to improve the productivity while maintaining soil health, viz. efficient organic recycling techniques, integrated nutrient management, conservation agriculture, cropping system, cover cropping, and production of location-specific beneficial microbial consortia and nutrient application based on soil test, were reported. The fertility management strategies encompassing both the integrated nutrient management and organic management depending on the socioeconomic as well the ecological scenario need to be utilized for realizing the optimum production potential. Being ‘Kalpa Vriksha’ for human kind, residue recycling through composting techniques is of utmost importance. Approaches such as DRIS, digitization of soil fertility map at micro level, leaf analysis-based nutrition, and conservation agricultural practices are to be given focus in this regard. Microbial solubilizers for particular nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and silicon are to be identified for formulating location-specific soil health management strategies in coconut-based cropping system.