RSUP mission report, 7 to 14 August 2003

A gradual improvement has been seen in the plantation as regards soil cleanness in the plots, followed in the more or less long term by a degree of improvement in coconut yields. Whilst fern control is effective, the burning of coconut waste in the windrowed interrow is usually only partly carried out, due to the difficulty in getting coconut husks to burn. Consideration should be given to removing whole nuts from the plots, husking on the canal bank and then sending the husks to incineration units, for future recycling of the ash at the foot of coconut palms. In terms of mineral nutrition, coconut husk ash is proving to be an excellent fertilizer for immature coconut palms. In order to check mineral nutrition, we propose that CIRAD take charge of leaf and soil analyses in the Montpellier laboratory, with total agronomy consultancy cost (including leaf analyses) remaining at less than 5% of the total savings made on mineral fertilization