Plantation Crops

Tapping

The extraction of sap from the inflorescence is called tapping which is the most important use of this palm. Tapping varies with the age and sex of the palm.
Edible products of palmyra : Neera, Toddy, Sugar, Jaggary, Candy, Vinegar etc
Commercial products of palmyra : Wood, leaves, roots, Fibre, fruit pulp, fruit fibre etc.
Male palms : Only Neera is obtained
Female palms : Neera, Fruits, and tubers from palmyra seeds can be obtained.
It yields 30 to 50 per cent more sap than male palms.
Age at first tapping : 10 to 12 years after planting if properly managed otherwise it is about 15 years.
Economical life /Yielding age : The trees continue to yield for 30 to 40 years.
The spadices of palmyrah, on tapping yield a delicious sugary sap, known as the sweet toddy .
Neera on fermentation gives toddy Palmyrah is extensively tapped for the sweet sap which is fermented into country liquor (toddy) or boiled into raw sugar. Trees of both sexes are tapped though the female palms are yielding 35 to 50 per cent more sap than male palms .
Tapping: = Extraction of sap from the inflorescence is called tapping.
Method of tapping: It varies with sex of the palm and age of inflorescence.
Male palm: The sheath covering the young inflorescence (two weeks old) is removed and allowed to dry for three days. The end is cut every time and pot is tied to the inflorescence. Thus in case male palms the flowering shoots are tapped.

A. Male palms: Tapping period = short period ( Dec- Feb)
 Aripanai Method: In male palm sheath of young inflorescence ( using 2 weeks old inflorescence) is removed and allowed to dry for three days. The end is cut every time and pot is tied to the inflorescence. It is practiced for 1 to 1 ½ months.
 Vellupanai : ( Using comparatively old inflorescence of one month )Here also male palms are selected but inflorescences are of one month old. Each male spike ( bearing sessile flowers) is pretreated by pressing and stroking ( pettu/hodeta). Three to 6 such spikes are brought together, wrapped with aplmyrah leaves and fitted to a pot.

Female palm: The tissues of young female inflorescence are softened by hitting the main axis of the inflorescence with iron rod and the fork is used to press the regions from which the fruits develop. Thus in case of female palms the fruiting branches are tapped when the drupes are still very small.

B. Female palms: Tapped for longer period, i.e., April - December . It gives 30 to 50 per cent more sap yield.
Thattipalai : Young female inflorescence is tapped in this method. The tappers soften the tissues by hitting the inflorescence main axis with the iron rod and fork is used to press the region from which fruit develop.
Kaivetty:: When female inflorescence is about 2 to 3 months old. Here the inflorescences are matured and will be having fruits. In this method fruits are sliced as the tapping progress.

Yield
Fruit yield == only in female palms == 50 to 200 fruits in 6 to 12 bunches per tree per year