Organic coconut with double productivity

Green coconut land

Hoai Nhon town is the "coconut land" of Binh Dinh province, with nearly 3,000 hectares, accounting for about 32% of the province's coconut area. Of which, over 2,920 hectares of coconut have been harvested with a total output of 31,519.6 tonnes per year.

However, coconuts in Hoai Nhon are primarily perennial and old coconut gardens, mainly grown scattered in households. The management and prevention of harmful objects and the level of investment in fertilizing and caring for coconut gardens have not been focused on by gardeners. Therefore, coconut yield is low, only 25-30 fruits/tree/year. That leads to the low income of coconut growers unstable sources of raw materials for production and processing facilities.

In 2021, Binh Dinh province's Agricultural Extension Center and Hoai Nhon Town's Agricultural Service Center coordinated and implemented the model of "Intensification of organic coconut farming."

Through the model,  technical solutions have transferred, improved skills, and levels of intensive farming of coconut farms in the direction of the organic business to increase productivity and quality of coconut products improve sustainable income for people. It is also a way to contribute to crop restructuring in agriculture, in line with the cultivation level to adapt to climate changes.

"Farmers know how to apply technical solutions to intensive farming for coconut gardens; Step by step forming groups of coconut cultivation, building a chain of links between coconut farmers and business and processing establishments for stable coconut consumption;

Also, improving coconut trees' productivity and economic efficiency contributes to increasing income for farmers to promote the economic potential of existing coconut orchards.

The district also develops new coconut planting areas, focusing on converted barefoot, with suitable soil for coconut trees, so that coconut trees in Hoai Nhon town become one of the leading fruit trees in the upcoming time", said Mrs. Truong Thi Thuy Uc, Director of Hoai Nhon Town Agricultural Service Center.

Productivity doubles

The "Intensification of organic coconut farming" model is implemented in Phung Du 1 Quarter, Hoai Hao Ward (Hoai Nhon Town), with 500 coconut trees in the business stage for 20 - 40-years-old. The model is partially funded by the Binh Dinh Agricultural Extension Center from the agricultural extension fund in 2021.

Participating in the model, farmers were instructed to fertilize organic coco peat with 30 kilograms per plant each year and apply rice husk ash 30 kilograms. The fertilization is done at the beginning of the rainy season. The coconut tree is periodically watered during the drought, arranged for intercropping with short-term plants such as grass for livestock, lemongrass, ornamental plants.

Farmers participate in implementing integrated pest control management in coconut gardens, cultivating gourds to make drainage ditches when there is heavy rain. The coconut garden owners are instructed by technical staff to clean the weeds around the base, clean the dried leaves on the coconut tops, and clean the leaves around the coconut tops.

Through the model, households have grasped the method of synchronous application of technical solutions, fertilizing according to the "4 right" (right time, right type, right amount, right way) for coconut trees.

The results showed that the coconut trees in the model grew and developed well. The average number of green leaves reached 33 leaves/tree, which was higher than the coconut trees outside the model of 3 leaves/tree and had a durable green color around the root.

The results show that the coconut trees in the model have a higher number of fruiting chambers and a higher rate of fruit set than those outside the model. The yield of coconut fruit in the model-averaged 65 fruits/tree/year, higher than that of the non-coconut model of 30 fruits/tree/year, showing that the yield of coconut trees in the model increased thanks to the investment in fertilizer significantly.

"Due to nutritional support, proper fertilization, and watering, coconut trees have good resistance and resistance to harmful pests and diseases. The subjects of coconut beetle coconut leaf spot disease in the model are about 12-15% lower than the coconut outside the model. The phenomenon of fruit cracking and young fruit drop is less than that of the coconut garden outside the model", Mrs. Truong Thi Thuy Uc, Director of the Agricultural Service Center of Hoai Town Nhon, said.

According to Mrs.Uc, coconuts in Hoai Nhon are mainly scattered in gardens by farmers, on excess land, with a planting density of about 160 trees per hectare. When investing in intensive farming for coconut gardens, the cost increased by VND 38.4 million per hectare compared to the coconut outside the model, but the profit increased by VND 9.6 million per hectare. In the long term, the yield of coconut trees invested in organic farming will continue to be higher in the following years.

"Through the model, farmers in the area have known to invest in caring for coconut trees with organic fertilizers that do not pollute the environment, helping coconut gardens recover nutrition, increase longevity, increase resistance. The percentage of harmful pests and diseases is low, the use of pesticides is limited, and the yield and fruit quality are higher, increasing the income for farmers.

From the effectiveness of the model, many farmers in the region have come to visit, learn and apply, proving the ability to replicate the model very well," said Mrs. Truong Thi Thuy Uc.