Breeding of Fruit and Plantation Crops 2 + 1

Introduction

Arecanut: Areca catechu
Family: Arecaceae

• India is the largest producer of arecanut in the world. The country earns about Rs. 45 million annually by exporting arecanut in different forms. The current production is about 5.59 lakh tonnes from an area of 3.97 lakh hectares. Compared with 1960-61 figures, it is seen that the area has increased by two and a half times and production by three and a half times. The productivity increased from 845 kg/ha to 1243kg/ha. Karnataka, Kerala, Assam and Tamil Nadu are the important states producing arecanut.




• Areca palm, a monocot, belongs to Family: Arecaceae (Syn: Palmae). Areca was a monospecific genus. The genus expanded rapidly from its monospecific status and at present contains about 76 species. Areca catechu is the only cultivated species used as a masticatory, though nuts of Areca triandra also can be chewed. The A.triandra has ornamental value due to suckering habit and heavy bunches of red nuts. The A. concinna is another suckering palm with scarlet red fruits. In Sri Lanka, its fruits are occasionally chewed.

Research Centres working on arecanut

• CPCRI Regional Station, Vittal. Karnataka
• CPCRI Research Centre, Mohitnagar (W.B)
• CPCRI Research Centre, Kahikuchi (Assam)

Cultivars of Areca catechu

• Four botanical varieties of Areca catechu were reported, namely Areca catechu var. communis, A.catechu var.silvatica, A.catechu var. batanensis and A.catechu var. longicarpa based on the size and shape of fruits and kernel. A new cultivar A.catechu var.deliciosa with sweet kernel has been reported from Karnataka. The somatic chromosome number of A. catechu is 2n = 32.

Germplasm and Varieties

• Arecanut is one of the very few examples, wherein crop improvement work combined with improved input tech¬nologies contributed to revolutionize production and pro¬ductivity. Evolving high-yielding and improved varieties of arecanut has been successful through the introduction of indigenous and exotic types and selection of mother palms, seed nuts and seedlings. In recent years, hybridization and exploitation of dwarfing genes for breeding dwarf and high-yielding varieties have been initiated.
• Germplasm repository at CPCRI regional station, Vittal, Karnataka, consists of 164 accessions. This includes 23 exotic introductions from Fiji, Mauritius, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Australia, represent¬ing 6 species of Areca and 141 indigenous types obtained from different parts of India.
• Screening of germplasm accessions led to the release of several high-yielding varieties, like the following:
Mangala (VTL-3)

• An introduction from Peking China released for cultivation during the year 1972.


Features

• A semi tall variety with good chewing and marketing quality,
• Early bearing with high percentage of fruit set and high yield,
• Quicker stabilization of production, Yield : 3.0 kg chali/palm/year
• Nuts are medium size with oval or egg shape.
Recommendation

• For Coastal Karnataka and Kerala. (up to an altitude of 800m). Mangala variety suffers if planted in heavily shaded old plantation.
• Sumangala (VTL-11): It is an introduction from Indonesia. Palm is tall with partially drooping habit. Under ideal conditions, it flowers in 4-5 years. The nuts are deep yellow to orange in colour and oblong to round in shape. It gives an average yield of 17.25 kg ripe nuts/palm/year at 10th year.
• Sree Mangala (VTL-17): An introduction from Singapore, its habit, flowering and fruit characters are similar to Sumangala. It gives an average yield of 15.63 kg/palm/year.
• Swarnamangala (VTL-12) : Selection from Saigon.Regular bearer, consistent yielder with homogenous population .Trees are semi tall to tall, stem sturdy with shorter internodes having partially drooping crown with well placed bunches. Average number of bunches/palm/year - 3.90. Orange to deep yellow color oblong to round and bold ripe nuts. Bears from the 4th year with a potential yield (kg chali/palm/year) - 6.28 and average yield (kg chali/palm/year) - 3.88 with high recovery of chali (26.52%) from fresh nuts. Recommended regions/areas for cultivation- Irrigated areas of Karnataka and Kerala
• General recommendation for production of genetically superior planting material is Inter se mating between typical palms to produce true to type planting materials
• Mohitnagar: This is an indigenous cultivar from West Bengal. The important feature of this variety is its greater uniformity. The bunches are well-spaced and nuts are loosely arranged on the spikes which help in uniform development and enable efficient plant-protection meas¬ures. Early stabilization of yield and high annual yield potential of 3.7 kg chali/palm (15.8 kg ripe nuts) are its characteristics.
• Calicut 17: Recommended for Andaman and Nicobar Islands, this is tall with longer internodes and crown. The striking feature of this variety is its consistent and high yield potential (18.89 kg ripe nuts/palm/year with a chali yield of 4.34 kg/ palm) having well-placed bunches with round and bold nuts.
• SAS1 (Sirsi Arecanut Selection- I): Recommended for the hill zone of Karnataka. It is tall with compact canopy. It is a regular-bearer. Nuts are round and even sized and closely arranged on compact bunches. It is suitable for both tender and ripe nut processing. It has high curing percentage, yielding 4.60 kg chali/palm/year.Besides, there are several cultivars designated by their name of the place where they are grown.Thirthahalli Grown in Malnad area of Karnataka preferred for tender nut processing.Hirehalli Dwarf A dwarf mutant with closely spaced internodes from Karnataka South Kanara Largely grown in South Kanara dis¬trict of Karnataka and Kasargod of Kerala.
  
• Palms are regular-bearing with large-sized nuts. Yields about 7 kg ripe nuts/palm/year giving 1.5 kg chali per year.Sreevardhan It is grown in coastal Maharashtra, Nuts are oval with marble white kernel and tastier endosperm which are rated as the best quality. Yield is comparable to South Kanara. The other important varieties grown in different States are Hirehalli Local (Karnataka), Mettupalayam (Tamil Nadu) and Kahikuchi (Assam).