In this article we will discuss about the history and cultivation of coconut.
History of Coconut:
De Candolle argues in favour of an American as well as those of an Asiatic origin for coconut tree (Cocos nucifera Linn.) and concludes that it most probably belongs to the Indian Archipelago. According to him its introduction into India, Sri Lanka and China does not date further back than three thousand years, but the transport by sea to the coasts of America and Africa took place perhaps in a more remote epoch.
A tall palm; cultivated chiefly in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The coconut has been called a Kalpavriksha because it provides a large range of useful products, among which ripe coconut, copra, coconut oil and coir are important.
The value of this tree has been recognized from very ancient times. Indeed, the region from South Kanara to Cape Comoren in is known as ‘Kerala’, meaning the land of the coconut. In Malayalam or Sanskrit “Kcralam” means land of coconut.
The Kerala state in Malayalam is known as “Keralam”. In these parts, the coconut plays a vital part in the life and economy of the people. The coconut is mainly grown for nuts which it yields almost at monthly interval all through its life of about eighty years.
Cultivation of Coconut:
Of the varieties of coconuts grown in India, the West Coast variety is the one that is extensively cultivated. It is a long-lived, hardy, multipurpose palm, yielding a large number of medium-sized nuts in almost every leaf axil.
This variety has been cultivated from very ancient times and may be considered as indigenous to the county. Among other varieties are the Dwarf, New Guinea, Cochin-China, Java, Siam, Laccadive ordinary and Laccadive small. The New Guinea variety yields about 65 nuts a year, the Cochin-China about 90, the Java about 95, the Laccadive ordinary about 127 and the Laccadive small 160.
The primary requirements for the successful cultivation of coconut are a tropical climate, abundant rainfall and a well-drained soil. Seashores, river banks and hill-slopes afford ideal situations. In India, the principal areas of cultivation are Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Orissa; 85 per cent of the total output comes from Kerala State.
Uses, The tender nuts are in demand for their liquid which provides a very refreshing and delicious drink. It is said to have laxative and diuretic properties. The soft kernel inside the tender nut is also scraped and eaten. The mature nuts are used mainly to make copra (dried meat or kernel) and for edible purposes as fresh kernel in food preparations.
The copra is crushed to obtain coconut oil which is in great demand for edible purposes. It is used as an adjunct for milk-fat, as a filler and thickener for milk and as an ingredient of artificial milk for infants.
The cake left after the extraction of oil is largely used to feed cattle and poultry. It is occasionally used as food by poor people. The coconut cake helps to increase the milk content when fed to cows and the butter made from such milk has a firmer texture and better flavour than when other cakes are used.
The coconut inflorescences (spadices) are tapped to extract the juice which is converted into sweet or fermented toddy. Vinegar, jaggery, sugar or arrack (alcohol) are also made from the juice.
Shell of coconut is used for handicrafts; mesocarp (fibre) is used for coir manufacturing. The Kerala State is second to Philippines in the production of coir materials. The dry woven leaves are used for thatching the house and for temporary sheds and pandals in Southern States especially in Kerala.