Many farmers say we are planted areca nut but it is not yet started yield still it reached to 5-6 years. Here one farmer, Mr Deepak says without much care, it is possible to get Sustainable yield in 5th year.
If you nourished well, even local varieties also start flowering in 4th year, and give stable yield in 5th year onwards. In his farm located at Tandige, Soraba taluk, Shivamogga dist. Karnataka, he planted around 1500 areca nut plants in one plot now it is in the age of 5, another plot he planted same number of plants 4 years back it is also started flowering and little bit yield. In his old plantation also he got yield in 5th year. He says suitable mixed crop and providing micro climate condition you can get good growth of plants and get early yield. In areca nut cultivation initial nourishment is very important. It decides the overall yield of its life span.
Clymate and crop:
- Arecanut requires around 30-35 degree temperature.
- If exceeds we have to minimize this by selecting suitable mixed crops.
- In areca garden we have to maintain the maximum temperature of 350C.
- Profitable intercrops like Ginger, Banana, pineapple, Cardamom helpful to maintain the required temperature.
- From these the soil fertility will also increase.
- He planted pineapple as intercrop in first year.
- After getting one crop he removed it and planted Banana.
- Next he selected Ginger as intercrop.
- These crops gave him good income and also it increased the soil fertility.
Basics of arecanut cultivation:
- Before planting areca nut like monocot plants, we have to learn the nature of its growth.
- Areca nut palms does not have tap roots.
- Only by surface feeding roots it will take food.
- Roots are emerging from the stems and they spread on the top layer of soil.
- If there is favorable condition they spread upto 2 meter to get food.
- The nutrients available on top soil is the main source of food for the roots.
- So we have to encourage the root development by providing loose and moist soil.
- Intercrops will help to increase the soil fertility and soil texture improvement.
- If we grow ginger we will supply nutrients to the crop.
- Ginger crop will not use all nutrients provided to it.
- Some residual quantity manures helps to main crop like areca nut.
- In pineapple, banana same thing will happen.
- These inter crops loosen the soil and provide micro climate in soil surface.
- Micro organisms in the soil is very important in all crop cultivation.
- Most of the micro organisms will survive in moist soil and rich organic matters.
- In olden days we are using green leaf and other organic matters to soil conditioning.
- But now it is costly thing. Without organic matter agriculture will not sustain.
- So we have to add organic matter by cultivating inter crops.
- See an example of banana crop, In Banana we are getting only maximum 50 Kg crop. Remaining waste will be added to soil and it helps to improve the organic compound in soil.
- Like that all the inter crops.
- After growth of tree we will get some crop residues as organic matter.
Menuring methods:
- He is using chemical fertilizers and organic also.
- Jeevamruta a mixture of cow dung, urine, jaggary, pulse powder and other ingredients helps to improve the soil microbial activity.
- He is having a filtering unit of Jeevamruta and feed by drip system.
- Along with this he is using once or twice bio NPK liquids to release if any nutrients bonded because of compatibility.
- In his areca nut palm we can see average of 4 bunches weigh around 20 kg fresh nuts.
- His expectation is 3-4 kg red supari from this.
He says it is not enough the recommended fertilizer dosage for areca nut for getting good and continues yield. Plant will adjust upto a kg of Nutrients. If we provide this regularly in split doses it will definitely give high yield. There are some controversies in traditional manures and water soluble manures. He is tried both. But he says there is no much difference in yield. If you want you can give it in hungry season (Summer season) in limited quantity.
- The breed selected is Keladi Kyasanur belt, a local area nut variety. It is famous variety of this region.
So many new farmers are entering to areca cultivation. Areas also adding. We encourage them but don’t neglect the climate factor and initial nourishment. If you fail in these two factors you will loose whole crop.
