Nutritional management of yellowing affected areca palms (<i>Areca catechu</i> L.) in the Oxisols of central Kerala, India
Keywords:
Kernel yield, Organic manure, Chlorophyll content, Yellowing indexAbstract
Arecanut (Areca catechu L.) plantations in Kerala and the neighbouring states are affected by yellowing caused by soil ill-health and malnutrition. An experiment was conducted in the irrigated garden lands (farmer’s fields) at Kannara, Thrissur, Kerala from 2004 to 2006 to study the impact of applying S, Mg, Si, Zn, B, and varying levels of Ca, K, and organic manure on soil and plant nutrient status, yellowing index, and yield of yellowing affected areca palms. Prevailing farmers’ practices and recommended practices were taken as controls. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with five replications. Yield variations manifested either as differences in dry kernel weight of individual nuts or number of nuts palm–1, or both. Higher rates of K improved yield and yield attributes in the presence of S. Application of 150 g lime, 10 kg farm yard manure, chemical fertilizers at 100-40-250 g N, P2O5, K2O, and 60 g magnesium sulphate palm–1 year–1 (to supply at least 100 g S) resulted in significantly high foliar Mg and chlorophyll contents, kernel yield (3.99 kg palm–1), and lowest yellowing index (84% reduction in yellowing index), implying that it is the best method for managing yellowing affected areca palms in the irrigated garden lands of central Kerala.Downloads
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