Vol. 11, Special Issue 1 (2022)

Author(s):
A Nithya Devi, M Tamil Selvan and T Sumathi

Abstract:
India is the largest consumer and importer of palm oil in the world, consuming around 18 per cent of total world consumption. Thanjavur District is the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu and paddy is the main crop raised in nearly 60% of the cropped area. Since there were many risks associated with conventional cropping pattern, the farmers are in search for a farming practice that could provide them stable income and less labour requirement. Tenera hybrids play a pivotal role in oil palm productivity. A field experiment was conducted in the Cauvery Delta Region of Tamil Nadu to study the productivity of ten Tenera hybrids and to select the suitable oil palm hybrid. Ten hybrid combinations viz., 49 x 66 (NRCOP 11), 25 x 214 (NRCOP 12), 25 x 66 (NRCOP 13), 68 x 36 (NRCOP 14), 21 x 214 (NRCOP 15), 131 x 66 (NRCOP 16), 350 x 66 (NRCOP 17), 107 x 214 (NRCOP 18), 61 x 66 (NRCOP 19) and 28 x 68 (NRCOP 20) were planted in Randomized Block Design with three replications (six palms/replication) in the farmer’s holding located in Peraiyur Village, Thiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu during 2006. Regular biometric and yield parameters were recorded. Significant differences were observed for palm height (m), palm girth (m), number of leaves/palm/year, number of female and male inflorescence and fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield among the hybrids. Among the 10 hybrids evaluated, hybrid NRCOP 14 recorded highest palm height (5.59 m) and highest girth (3.05 m). Lowest palm height (4.48 m) was recorded in hybrid NRCOP 16. Number of leaves produced per year (25.8) was highest in NRCOP 20 and female inflorescence (11.20) was highest in NRCOP 17. Data on yield attributes of oil palm revealed that the highest bunch weight of 220.50 kg/palm and per ha yield of 31.53 tonnes was recorded in hybrid NRCOP 17 for the period of 2017 - 18. Pooled data for 2010-18 indicated that the hybrid combination NRCOP-17 recorded higher FFB yield and have better prospects for adaptation under CDZ of Tamil Nadu.