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ndex Intercropping of spices in coconut garden - success story from Maharashtra 04 R.G. Khandekar, H.P. Maheswarappa and P. B. Sanapa Virgin Coconut Oil gaining popularity as a functional food R. Jnanadevan 06 Quality Virgin Coconut Oil – doing the right thing at the right time 09 Deepthi Nair S Present status and future strategies for coconut cultivation in West Bengal 13 Dipak Kumar Ghosh, Apurba Bandyopadhyay, H.P.Maheswarappa & Jilu V. Sajan Suryashoba upholding the goodness of coconut 17 Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Crude Coconut Shell Oil 19 Bruce Fife Use good quality planting material for potential yield 20 Jayashree A News 28 Monthly Operations 32 Market Review 34 Theme article Intercropping of spices in coconut garden - A success story from Maharashtra R.G. Khandekar*, H.P. Maheswarappa** and P. B. Sanapa*** *AICRP Palms, Regional Coconut Research Station, Bhatye **AICRP on Spices, Department of Horticulture, Dapoli ***Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri- 415712 oconut is a major horticultural crop in the Konkan Cregion of Maharashtra, where the agro-climatic conditions are very much congenial for its cultivation. Government of Maharashtra has launched an ambitious Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) for fruit crop cultivation in 1990, which led to the Coconut gardens offer excellent expansion of the area under coconut cultivation to opportunities to exploit the interspace 22,750 ha (2015-2016), with productivity of 9,775 potential for maximizing returns per nuts/ha. In Maharashtra 95 per cent area under unit area. Coconut based cropping coconut is concentrated in Konkan region and most of the orchards are situated near the seashore, of which systems involving cultivation of the majority are sole coconut orchards. In the state, compatible crops in the interspaces coconut farmers are facing problems like fragmented of coconut and integration with holdings, scattered production, homestead nature of other enterprises like dairying offer cultivation, lack of skilled manpower, incidence of pest considerable scope for increasing and diseases, lack of adoption of scientific cultivation production and productivity per unit practices, lack of appropriate mechanization for area, time and inputs by more efficient harvesting and small scale processing and lack of utilization of resources like sunlight, awareness about improved technologies. soil, water and labour. Coconut gardens offer excellent opportunities to exploit the interspace potential for maximizing returns per unit area. Coconut based cropping systems involving cultivation of compatible crops in the interspaces of coconut and integration with other enterprises like dairying offer considerable scope 4 Indian Coconut Journal May 2018 Success Story for increasing production and productivity per unit area, time and inputs by more efficient utilization of resources like sunlight, soil, water and labour. Under such a cropping system, all the management practices and component production systems should be able to maintain high productivity, profitability and sustainability of the existing coconut palms to maximize economic yield of the farm. Sustainability is the main objective of farming system, where the production process is optimized through efficient utilization of the inputs in safeguarding the environment. Spices are important crops that can be grown as intercrop in coconut gardens in the West Coast The farmer with a bumber yield of nutmeg region of Maharashtra state. Studies conducted by Regional Coconut Research Station, Bhatye, planting coconut, seedlings were purchased from the Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, nursery of All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Dapoli and other research institutions of the country Palms, Regional Coconut Research Station, Bhatye, have unambiguously proved the technical feasibility Ratnagiri. and economic viability of intercropping of spices Intercrops such as black pepper (Panniyur-1) compared to the monocropping of coconut. Many was planted during 2008, the nutmeg (430 plants - farmers also have adopted the technology and var. Swad, Sugandha and Shreemanti) and Kokum realized the profitability and sustainability in the (140 plants - Konkan Amruta) was planted all along coconut garden. The successful experience of a the border during 2008. For all the crops the farmer farmer in intercropping of spices in coconut garden is adopted recommended package with regard to presented below. nutrient management and water management. For Mr. Deepak Gopal Sawant is a 62 year old supplying the required nutrients, he applies organic farmer who owns five acres of land in Burodi village manures viz. FYM/ poultry manure/goat manures who is from Dapoli tahsil of Ratnagiri district of along with the major and micronutrients. Irrigation Maharashtra has adopted the intercropping system is being given by adopting micro-sprinkler system. in the farm. The farmer has a diploma in Agriculture The recyclable biomass from the crops is being Science from Dr. B.S. Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, recycled in the garden itself in the form of mulching Dapoli. After completion of his education, he joined and converting it into vermicompost. Since his land the service as Agriculture Assistant in the same is undulating type, he has also adopted soil and University and retired from the service. During the water harvesting measures, wherein the rain water is period of his service, he had planted Banavari variety conserved within the garden. in his five acres land during 2002 with the help of The coconut is being harvested for tender nut his family members, by adopting standard package purpose and sold at farm gate itself. On an average of practices as recommended by the University. For he harvest 90 to 100 tender nuts. The yield from nutmeg is around 500 to 600 fruits per tree, along with 750 g to 1.0 kg mace per tree. The black pepper yield range from 1.5 kg to 2.0 kg/ vine and kokum yield about 200-225 kg fruit/ tree. The economic benefit (average of 2 yrs) of the system indicates that, the variable cost of production involved to maintain one ha of the system was around Rs. 2,20,000/- to Rs. 2,30,000/- per year. Average net return realized from all the crops was to the tune of Rs. 5.75 lakhs to 6.55 lakhs/ha per year depending upon the market price of the crop. Thus from his experience it was realized that, cropping system with spices in coconut is highly Visit of Project Coordinator along with profitable and remunerative over a period of time in scientists to the farm the Konkan region of Maharashtra. g Indian Coconut Journal 5 May 2018 By Product Virgin Coconut Oil gaining popularity as a functional food R. Jnanadevan, Deputy Director, CDB, Kochi -11 irgin Coconut Oil (VCO) produced by using to the increased awareness and knowledge on the Vcoconut meat and coconut milk is gaining proven health benefits of this product. As per the data popularity as a healthy and nutritive food. The VCO available with Coconut Development Board (2016- contains biologically active components reported to 17) around 18,000 tonnes of VCO is produced in enhance the health and wellness. Hence it has got India. Out of which only 500 tonnes is exported and enough popularity as a functional food and the public the remaining is consumed in the domestic market. awareness is also increasing. It has a wider use It is expected that VCO will experience a dramatic as nutraceutical and cosmoceutical product. Those growth in the market in future. who get a chance to taste this healthy oil realizes its effect in increasing the general well being. Several How VCO differs from ordinary coconut people have started to include VCO in their regular oil? diet. There are reports from their experience that Virgin Coconut Oil is rapidly gaining popularity VCO helps to increase the general well being. Over throughout the world in comparison with ordinary the last ten years the export of VCO has experienced coconut oil. It is in fact different from ordinary coconut a fast growth among the value added products oil mainly in its physical form of source, method of from coconut. Philippines is the major player in extraction and its subsequent benefits. The main export market. In India also the demand for VCO for difference lies in the process of its extraction. Words domestic consumption and export is increasing due like virgin and extra virgin used with this product is 6 Indian Coconut Journal May 2018 By Product confusing the people. The word extra virgin is simply fatty acids (MCFA) with carbon chain length of 8-12 a marketing term, and it is not different from virgin carbon atoms. Medium chain standard fatty acids coconut oil. One of the major differences between (MCFA) get easily digested in the human body and regular coconut oil and virgin coconut oil is the release energy. Hence these fatty acids are good for method of extraction. Regular coconut oil is made health. These fatty acids are immediately converted from copra, which is the dried coconut kernel. The into energy rather than being stored in human body copra is pressed and then the oil is extracted to as fat. A comparison of common fats and oils are make it suitable for consumption, whereas VCO is shown below. extracted from fresh coconut kernel by mechanical means, without the use of heat, without undergoing chemical refining. VCO differs from regular coconut oil in its appearance. It is as clear as water but regular coconut oil is yellowish. It has a very good taste and smell as it is derived from fresh coconut. This preserves all the natural goodness including high content of Vitamin E and nutrients which are otherwise lost from ordinary coconut oil during process of extraction. Virgin coconut oil has a very good taste and smell since it is derived from fresh coconuts and is subjected to very low heat and sunlight. Furthermore, virgin coconut oil is very effective as a moisturizing agent.

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