SALT – An Effective and Cheap Fertilizer for High Coconut Productivity

SALT (Sodium Chloride)The use of sodium chloride (NaCl) orcommon salt asfertilizeris a practicalmeansof increasingcoconutproduction.Salt is the cheapestand bestsource ofchlorinetoincreasecopra yield (Table 1).Chlorine deficiency in coconut iswidespread in inland areas. A PCAsurvey conducted nationwide showed thatat least 40 coconut-producing provincesare severely chlorine deficient.Advantages• Accelerates crop growth anddevelopment• Increases copra weight and number ofnuts• Minimizes leaf spot damage• Environment-friendly under judiciouspracticeFrom 1991 to 1997 farmers in thePhilippines had fertilized more than170,000 ha of coconut (approximately 18M trees) with salt. This had resulted in anaverage relative yield increase of 125%over unfertilized coconuts. Recently, itwas considered in Indonesia to be ageneral and ideal fertilizer for coconut(applied in about 2 M ha).Table 1.NaClRate(kg/tree)Annual yield and production cost of NaClfertilization on coconutAve.Copra Yield(kg/ha)GrossIncome(P)FertCost(P)LaborCost(P)InterestOnCapital*TotalCost(P)0 850 10,000 0 1,590 191 17811.0 2,000 24,000 319 2,220 305 28441.5 2,500 30,000 479 2,340 338 31572.0 2,750 33,000 638 2,500 377 3515*Assumed that capital is borrowed to defrayexpenses for fertilizer and labor in applying thefertilizer at 12% interest rates.ApplicationSalt may be applied in three ways:• Broadcast (in flat to slightly slopingareas)• Broadcast followed by fork-in at 2-3inches depth of soil (preferably whensalt is combined with nitrogenousfertilizers)• Holing (for hilly-sloping areasdistributed in 8-10 inches with 3-5inches depth around the base of thetree).In broadcast application, the fertilizer isplaced uniformly over a weeded areaaround the base of the palm (1 m radiusdepending on the age of the palm).At nursery stage (6-8 months), seedlingsare applied with 60-70 g NaCl perseedling (the first half at the start of therainy season and the rest, 6 months afteror before the end of the rainyseason; split application). This increasesthe plant’s girth and fresh weight,indicating that chlorine nutrition is apositive factor in improving normalconditions of the seedlings in the nursery.Generally, bearing palms are fertilizedannually in areas with almost uniformrainfall distribution (Table 2). In areaswith distinct wet and dry seasons withuneven rainfall distribution, and thosewith sandy soils, fertilizers are bestapplied every six months. In a long-termstudy of salt application, 1.5 kgNaCl/tree/year is considered to be mosteffective and economical to increasecopra weight/nut and copra yield (per treeor per hectare). Split application is doneat the pre-bearing stage (one to fouryears) of palms. This practice helpsreduce loss of fertilizer nutrients throughleaching and run-off and make fertilizeruse more effective.Table 2. Recommended maintenance NaClrates for different ages/stages ofgrowth of coconut palms.Age/Stage of palmsRate of NaCl/Tree/ yearNursery50 gField planting100 gSix months after planting150 gOne year after planting500 gTwo years after planting750 gThree years after planting1.10 kgFour years after planting1.30 kgFive years and above1.50 kg

ECONOMIC RETURNSNet profits from coconut farming dependmuch on the fertilizer cost, yield, andcopra price.Table 3. Summary of partial budget fordetermining profitability of 0 kgNaCl vs 1-2 kg per tree per yearNaCl RateComparisonAddedGrossIncomeTotalLosses(Expenses)AdditionalProfit/NetIncome (P)0 vs 1.0 13,800 2,844 10,9560 vs 1.5 19,800 3,157 16,6430 vs 2.0 22,800 3,515 19,285Technology Guide Sheet No. 5Series of 2000(Sodium Chloride)The use of salt as fertilizer at a rate of 1-2kg salt/tree is estimated to give the addedbenefits of P10,000 – P19,000 (Table 3)per ha per year at P12/kg copra.The importance of this technology shouldnot be overlooked, much less ignored. Tomaximize output and obtain optimumreturns, the coconut tree must be cared for,freed from diseases and fertilized.For more information, call, write, or visitDr. Severino S. MagatScientist IV and ManagerAgricultural Research Management DepartmentPhilippine Coconut AuthorityElliptical Road Diliman, Quezon City 1101Tel. 426 13 98/920 04 15Fax 920 04 15/456 98 91E-mails: cbcarpio@mozcom.comsevmagat@ mozcom.comMr. Rogaciano Z. MargateScientist III and Chief, Agronomy and Soil DivisionDavao Research CenterPhilippine Coconut AuthorityBago Oshiro, Tugbok District, Davao City 8000Tel. (082) 293 0119E-mail: pca-drc@interasia.com.phAn Effective and CheapFertilizer for High CoconutProductivityPHILIPPINE COCONUT AUTHORITYResearch Development and Extension Branch