It appears that domesticated coconut cultivation started in a region known as the Sunda Shelf. Twenty thousand years ago this was part of continental Asia. Before domestication the wild-type coconut had a natural coastal range with in the tropics approx. 23° Latitude, North and South of the equator all around the Indian ocean and halfway across the Pacific.
Ancestors of the polynesians took the introgressed - domestic - type eastwards into the Pacific and also westwards to Madagascar, but it was not until the 16th century that coconut completed its global circumnavigation when Europeans took the introgressed - domestic - type to the Pacific coast of America and to the Atlantic coasts of America, Africa and to Caribbean. Light and warmth play a key role in the growth and productivity of the coconut palm, which is abundant in these regions. Coconut evolution continues today, when plant breeders like our's carry out controlled cross - pollinations and selection programmes.
Growth of Coconut Palm
Understanding the coconut palm well will show you that good and excellent productivity is not that difficult. Giving the right management is not difficult. Understanding why, will help greatly. Warmth and light are the key sources of energy for conversion into oil and carbohydrates. And do you know which seed or nut has the highest percentage of oil in it? The Coconut Oil in the copra of most Talls is between 63 to 65%. However the Laccadive Micro copra is 75% oil. This is a fantastic achievement by the coconut palm. It is quite unbelievable to think of any organic product with such a high level of oil. Oil has the highest calorific value of any of the Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen compounds. Sugars, Carbohydrates and Oils fall into this category. One gram of oil contains more than 8 calories of energy, compared to about 4 calories for sugar and 2 calories for Starches and Carbohydrates. Through photosynthesis the palm converts light and heat energy into oil. So it is quite simple to understand that if you cut the light you will cut production.
If you grow more than the optimum number of palms per hectare, production per palm will fall inversely proportionate to the number of palms. 525 palms per ha. will probably yield less than 10 nuts per palm per annum compared to one third the number of palms [175 palms per ha. is optimum] yielding 250 plus nuts each. With the former you spend three times more annually than the latter, and income with the latter is 8 times more than that of the former! One does not need to be a rocket scientist to understand this.
