VARIATION IN SEEDLING CHARACTERS OF THREE DIFFERENT COCONUT CULTIVARS AND THEIR USE IN IDENTIFICATION IN THE NURSERY

Abstract

There is no standard guide for the identification of seedlings of different cultivars at thenursery. Diagnostic traits are necessary to detect illegitimates amongst hybrid coconut seedlingsand for sorting out the types, in the case of accidental mixing during transport. Requests fora guideto the identification of planting material have been made by overseas buyers. Several metric traitsof 3eedlings of three different Coconut (Cocos nucifera L) cultivars were studied in order toidentify those of value in distinguishing between these types in the nursery. Seedlings of Dwarf,Tall and the hybrid, Dwarf x Tall were used.Although serveral traits studied were found to be useful discriminators, some were of greatervalue, the most useful being the time taken for sprouting. Rate of leaf production, length and widthof leaves and time to first leaf splitting were important indicators when used in combination. Thebest stage of differentiation amongst the cultivar seedlings was at 6 months from laying.The hybrids resembled the Tails more closely than theDwarf so that chances of misclassify ingthe former two were greater than confusing them with the Dwarf types. A practical guide to aididentification was devised along with the recommendation that any seedling sprouting before the6th week could safely be discarded as an illegitimate among the hybrids under standard nurserymanagement practices.