BAR TODAY || Official Quarterly Publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research

The Philippine Coconut Research and Development Foundation (PCRDF) has selected this year's three best research papers on coconut. The selection was announced at the annual convention of the Federation of Crop Science Society of the Philippines (FCSSP) last May in General Santos.

A member of the FCSSP, the PCRDF sponsored the coconut session of the annual meet.

The Best Paper Award went to Biological Studies of the Coconut Mealybug in Palawan authored by Mateo Sipagan of PCA Albay Research Center.

Second place went to Leaf Pruning Technique in Bearing Coconut Palms (CLP): Its Effect on Underplanting Young Coconuts for Pith or 'Ubod' Production jointly authored by Gerardo Padrones, Millicent Secretaria and Severino Magat of the PCA Davao Research Center, Bago Oshiro Davao City.

The third best paper was Up-take and Metabolism 0/2.4 Coconut Inflorescence and Calii of O. D Orense and R. Hornung. The winners received monetary prizes and certificates.

Researchers on crop science present their outstanding research papers during the Federation's annual conventions, which are also when agricultural societies get together.

Leaf Pruning Technique in Bearing Coconut Palms (CLP): Its Effect on Underplanting Young Coconuts for Pith or 'Ubod' Production
by Gerardo Padrones, Severino Magat and Millicent Secretaria
(Awarded Second Best Research Paper on Coconut by the Federation of Crop Science Society of the Philippines)

The feasibility and viability of producing coconut pith or ubod from young coconuts planted either in a single or double plants per hill under pruned (CLP maintaining 18 younger leaves of upper crown) or non-pruned bearing palms was studied at 1he Philippine Coconut Authority-Davao Research Center. Bago Oshiro Davao City. Results showed that the number of leaves produced by young coconut was significantly affected by leaf pruning with higher number of leaves produced under pruned coconut than those under non-pruned coconut. On the other hand, nut and copra production of bearing palms was not significantly affected by leaf pruning.

Significantly, bigger girth and more number of leaves were produced from single planting (SP) of young coconut per hill than double planting (DP) scheme. Consequently, longer and heavier fresh weight of ubod (average of 6.8 kg/palm; range 3.3-10.7 kg) was obtained from single planting than that from double planting scheme (average of 5.9 kg/palm; range 2.8-9.4 kg) on the first year of ubod harvest. However, on a per ha basis, yield of ubod from single planting was lower than double planting mainly due to the number of plants per hill. The total ubod yields for single and double planting were 4.9 t and 8.9 t/ha.

Under the Davao growing condition, cost and return analysis of ubod production in single plant per hill scheme indicated a total net income of P68, 624 per ha in 4 years with a return on investment (ROI) of 163%. In double planting scheme, average ubod yield valued at P129, 030 or an average of P32, 258/year/ha with an ROI of 180%. Considering copra plus ubod production from these two planting schemes, the cumulative net incomes and ROI obtained were P180, 736; P242, 389.6 and 202%; 203% for single and double planting respectively.

Based on the results of this study with modest fertilizer application of ammonium sulfate plus common salt (NaCl), underplanting of one or two young coconuts per hill at 3x3 m distance between spacer of bearing coconut palms harvested at three years from field-planting is more profitable and viable production scheme to increase farm productivity even without leaf pruning of old plants. The farm income with this coconut-based production is increased by 160% to 210% compared to coconut monocropping.