Soil Fertility Status and Fertilizer Recommendation for Coconut in

Dr. Ananda Tennakoon Head Soils & Plant Nutrition Division Coconut Research Institute Lunuwila Sri Lanka Coconut growing areas in Sri Lanka

Total Extent under coconut - 416,253 ha (0.41 M ha)

N W P Coconut Triangle ( & ) 248,405 ha (0.25 M ha) 75% of Total Extent Part of WP & SP ( & ) Ì In addition to coconut triangle the suitable other areas for coconut is also mapped recently

Ì i.e. Southern Region – 0.16M ha

Ì 25% of total extent COCONUT TRIANGLE SOUTHERN REGION COCONUT GROWING AREAS IN SRI LANKA But the suitable lands for coconut

Potential

Coconut Triangle 0.58 M ha Southern Region 0.23 M ha TOTAL 0.81 M ha Coconut Triangle - 70 soil series Southern Region - 42 soil series

Red Yellow Latosols Red Yellow Podsols Reddish Brown Earth Regosols GREAT SOIL Alluvial GROUP OF Non Calcic Brown Earth Bog & Half Bog Soils Reddish Brown Lateritic Soils Solodized Solonetz Immature Brown Soils Essential Elements for Coconut Macro Nutrients – 9

CFrom Air O

H From Water

N P K From Soil Ca Mg S Micro Nutrients

Fe Mn Mo Cu From Soil Zn Cl CO B Coconut Soil Fertility Status Assessment of Nutrient Status

MC

IN LARGELY AVAILABLE SOIL SERIES (20) IN COCONUT TRIANGLE CS Soil Sampling Procedure

Manure Circle

0 – 30 cm 1.5 m CS

0 – 30 cm Soil Series Great Soil Group Wilattawa Red Yellow Podzolic Andigama Red Yellow Podzolic Soils Weliketiya Sandy Regosols Gambura Red Yellow Latosols Sandy Regosols Sudu Latosols & Regosols Wariyapola Non Calcic Brown Soils Ambakelle Alluvial Soil Maho Non Calcic Brown Soils Red Yellow Podzolic Contd …… Contd ……

Soil Series Great Soil Group Sandy Regosols Rathupasa Latosols & Regosols Madampe Latosols & Regosols Thambarawa Non Calcic Brown Soil Warakapola Red Yellow Podzolic Boralu Red Yellow Podzolic Katunayaka Latosols & Regosols Pallama Red Yellow Podzolic Kurunegala Red Yellow Podzolic Melsiripura Reddish Brown Earth Total N (%) Mainly 2 Groups MC

Group N Level (%) Soil Series

Group 1 0.03 – 0.09 Wilattawa, Andigama, Weliketiya, Gambura, Kuliyapitiya, Sudu, Wariyapola, Ambakelle, Maho Group 2 0.10 – 0.20 Kuliyapitiya, Negombo, Rathupasa, Madampe, Thambarawa, Warakapola, Boralu, Katunayaka, Pallama, Kurunegala, Melsiripura CS

Group N Level (%) Soil Series Group 1 0.03 – 0.09 Wilatawa, Andigama, Weliketiya, Gambura, Kalpitiya, Negombo, Kuliyapitiya, Rathupasa, Madampe, Sudu, Wariyapola, Ambakele, Thambarawa, Maho, Katunayaka, Pallama, Kurunegala, Melsiripura

Group 2 0.10 – 0.15 Warakapola, Boralu Available P (mg/kg) Mainly 2 Groups MC Group Av. P level Soil Series (mg/kg) Group 1 0 – 25 Wilattawa, Andigama, Weliketiya, Gambura, Kalpitiya, Negombo, Sudu, Wariyapola, Thambarawa, Maho, Warakapola Group 2 26 – 50 Kuliyapitiya, Rathupasa, Madampe, Ambakele, Boralu, Katunayaka, Pallama, Kurunegala, Melsiripura CS

Group Av. P level Soil Series (mg/kg) Group 1 0 – 10 Wilattawa, Andigama, Weliketiya, Gambura, Kalpitiya, Negombo, Kuliyapitiya, Rathupasa, Madampe, Sudu, Wariyapola, Ambakele, Thambarawa, Maho, Warakapola, Boralu, Katunayaka, Pallama, Kurunegala, Melsiripura Exchangeable K (mg/kg) Mainly 3 Groups MC Group Exch. K (mg/kg) Soil series Group 1 0 - 50 Andigama, Weliketiya, Kalpitiya, Negombo, sudu, Ambakelle, Katunayaka, Pallama Group 2 51 - 100 Gambura, Kuliyapitiya, Rathupasa, Madampe, Thambarawa, Maho, Boralu Group 3 101 – 150 Wariyapola, Warakapola, Kurunegala, Melsiripura CS

Group Exch. K (mg/kg) Soil series Group 1 0 – 25 Andigama, Weliketiya, Kalpitiya, Negombo, sudu, Ambakelle, Katunayaka, Pallama Group 2 26 - 50 Gambura, Kuliyapitiya, Rathupasa, Madampe, Thambarawa, Maho, Boralu Group 3 51 - 75 Wariyapola, Warakapola, Kurunegala, Melsiripura Exchangeable Mg (mg/kg) Mainly 3 Groups MC Group Exch. Mg (mg/kg) Soil Series

Group 1 0 – 75 Gambura, Kalpitiya, Negombo, Sudu, Ambakelle, Katunayaka, Pallama

Group 2 76 – 150 Wilattawa, Andigama, Weliketiya, Kuliyapitiya, Thambarawa, Maho, Boralu, Kurunegala Group 3 151 – 225 Madampe, Rathupasa, Warakapola, Melsiripura CS

Group Exch. Mg (mg/kg) Soil Series

Group 1 0 – 75 Wilattawa, Andigama, Gambura, Kalpitiya, Negombo, Kuliyapitiya, Sudu, Wariyapola, Ambakelle, Thambarawa, Katunayaka, Pallama, Kurunegala Group 2 76 – 150 Weliketiya, Rathupasa, Madampe, Maho, Warakapola, Boralu, Melsiripura Many Researchers in CRI Worked on nutrient status of coconut growing soils in the past

Shanmuganathan & Loganathan 1976 Jeganathan 1984 Jayasekera 1990 Fernandopulle 1995 Somasiri & Liyanage 1996 Tennakoon & Fernando 1998 Somasiri, Peiris, Wijebandara & Bandara 1999 Tennakoon 2000 Giritharan, Somasiri & Perera 2001/2002 They concluded that better measure of nutrient values with leaf values rather than soil values (r = 0.891 to 0.917) S U F F ICI EN CY RA N GES O F M A J O R N U T R IEN T S

2. 5

2. 1 2 1. 9 ) f a e 1. 5 h l t 1. 5 4 1 ( r e 1. 2 lo w e r t t a uppe r y m 1 dr n i % 0. 6 0. 5 0. 35 0. 3 0. 25 0. 2 0. 110. 13 0. 16 0 NP K Mg Cl S Nu t rie n t s Fertilizer Recommendation Fertilizer Recommendation

• Removal of nutrients • Order of nutrient requirement • Economically benefit • Crop variety Annual removal of nutrients from a coconut palm Production level – 7900 nuts/ha/yr (50 nuts palm/yr) kg Macronutrients

REMOVAL OF NUTRIENTS

0.8

1 0.7 ALL OTHER PARTS 0.6 g 0.5 K 0.5 NUTS 0.4 0 0.3 NPKMg 0.2 Nutrients 0.1

0 NPKMg Micronutrients - g/palm/yr

Parts of the Fe Mn Cu Zn B palm

Nuts 3.0 0.6 0.69 1.01 0.94

Other parts 4.2 3.3 0.13 1.77 0.69

Total 7.2 3.9 0.82 2.78 1.63 Order of Nutrient Requirements for Coconut

• Adult (Bearing) Palms

K > Mg > N > P

• Young Palms

N > P > K > Mg Effect of NPK for nut yield

Number of nuts palm/ year

Location Soil status Time after Fertilizer Fertilizer not Planting applied applied (years)

Ratmalagara Fertile soil 17 105 48 Estate, Madampe Lechchami Unfertile soil 15 62 30 Estate, Walahapitiya Effect of NPK for Young Palms

Bearing palms %

Location Soil status Time after Fertilizer Fertilizer not Planting applied applied (years)

Poththukulama Fertile soil 5 75 30 Estate, Pallama

Ratmalagara Fertile soil 8 90 50 Estate, Madampe Effect of NPK & Mg for nut yield Palm status Treatment Nut yield/palm/yr in 7th year after planting a) i. Yellowing leaves NPK only 20 ii. Yellowing leaves NPK + Mg 46 b) i. Healthy leaves NPK only 46 ii. Healthy leaves NPK + Mg 62 Straight Inorganic Mixtures Young Palms YPM-W YPM-D Organic

Straight

Inorganic Mixtures APM - W Adult Palms APM – D Organic DFR Adult Coconut Palms Inorganic Fertilizer (a) Straight Fertilizers Wet & Intermediate Zones Urea 800 g Eppawela Rock Phosphate (ERP) 900 g Muriate of potash 1600 g Dolomite 1000 g

Dry Zone

Imported Rock Phosphate (IRP) 600 g Adult Palms Inorganic Fertilizer b) Mixtures APM -W APM -D Urea 8 pbw 8 pbw Eppawela Rock Phosphate 9 pbw -- Imported Rock Phosphate -- 6 pbw Muriate of Potash 16 pbw 16 pbw Composition

N%-P2O5%-K2O% 11-8-29 12-6-32

Rate of Application (kg/palm/yr)

APM-W APM-D Dolomite

3.3 3.0 1.0 Young Palms -Inorganic Fertilizers a). Straight Fertilizers- Rate – g/palm/6 months Age Fertilizer type 6 m 1 – 1 ½ yrs 2 – 2 ½ yrs Wet & Intermediate Zones Urea 150 180 240 ERP 340 405 540 MOP 150 180 240 Dolomite 500 500 500 Dry Zone IRP 225 270 360

Contd ……. Contd ……. Young Palms -Inorganic Fertilizers a). Straight Fertilizers Rate – g/palm/6 months Age Fertilizer type 3-3 ½ yrs 4 yrs upto bearing stage Wet & Intermediate Zones Urea 300 360 ERP 675 810 MOP 300 360 Dolomite 500 500 Dry Zone IRP 450 540 Young Palms -Inorganic Fertilizers b) Mixtures YPM – W YPM - D

Urea 2.0 pbw 2.0 pbw Eppawela Rock Phosphate 4.5 pbw -- Imported Rock Phosphate -- 3.0 pbw Muriate of Potash 2.0 pbw 2.0 pbw Composition

N % P2O5 % K2O% 11-16-14 13-12-17 Rate of Application for Young Palms

g/palm/6 months Age of Seedlings YPM – W YPM – D Dolomite (WZ & IZ) (DZ) 6 months 640 525 500 1 – 1 ½ yrs 765 630 500 2 - 2 ½ yrs 1020 840 500 3 – 3 ½ yrs 1275 1050 500 4 yrs up to bearing 1530 1260 500 Adult Coconut Palm - Organic Manure Soil type Organic ERP/IRP MOP Dolomite manure Cattle manure (moisture – 20 -30%) Gravel 20 kg - 1250 g - Cabook or Sandy Loam or 30 kg - 1000 g - Clayey Goat manure (moisture – 20 -25%) Gravel 25 kg - 800 g - Cabook or Sandy Loam or 20 kg - 650 g - Clayey Contd …. Contd …. Adult Coconut Palm - Organic Manure Soil type Organic ERP/IRP MOP Dolomite manure Poultry manure (moisture – 20 -30%) Gravel 30 kg - 750g - Cabook or Sandy Loam or 20 kg - 650 g - Clayey Gliricidia (moisture – 60 -70%) Gravel 350 g - 1000 g 500 g Cabook or Sandy Loam or 20 kg - 850 g 500 g Clayey Young Coconut Palm - Organic Manure Source Time after Transplanting

6 m 1 yr 2 yrs 3 yrs 4 yrs & upto bearing (every year) Cattle Manure 5 kg 12 kg 16 kg 20 kg 25 kg (Moisture 20-30%) Supplemented with IRP/ERP 125 g 300 g 400 g 500 g 625 g MOP 30 g 200 g 250 g 325 g 400 g Dolomite 250 g 250 g 250 g 250 g 250 g Goat Manure 3 kg 7 kg 9 kg 11 kg 13 kg (Moisture 20-25%) Supplemented with IRP/ERP 125 g 300 g 400 g 500 g 625 g MOP 50 g 120 g 150 g 190 g 225 g Dolomite 250 g 250 g 250 g 250 g 250 g Contd …. Contd …. Young Coconut Palm - Organic Manure Source Time after Transplanting

6 m 1 yr 2 yrs 3 yrs 4 yrs & upto bearing (every year) Poultry Manure 5 kg 12 kg 15 kg 20 kg 23 kg (Moisture 20-30%) Supplemented with Dolomite 250 g 250 g 250 g 250 g 250 g

Gliricidia 5 kg 12 kg 16 kg 20 kg 25 kg (Moisture 60-70%) Supplemented with IRP/ERP 175 g 425 g 550 g 700 g 875g MOP 60 g 150 g 200 g 250 g 300 g Dolomite 250 g 250 g 250 g 250 g 250 g