Profitability of fertilising young coconut. results of three long-term field experiments

Abstract

Two long term field experiments on newly cleared lands carried out in the intermediate rainfall zone of Sri Lanka showed that profits of the order of Rs. 3560 to 7120/ha/yr could be obtained during the initial bearing period from systematic NPK fertilizer application to young palm. Total income from the fertilized palms during carried out on underpalned young palms in the same rainfall zone are Rs. 315 to 3950/ha/yr and Rs. 1580 to 7900/ha/yr respectively. Breakeven point of net present value of investment in the early years and the returns fall on the 6th and 9th year in the new plantation and 15 th year in the underplanted land. To the underplanted experiment, palms which had not recieved fertilizers for the initials 17 years, had notrecovered, even after continued fertilization subsequently for 10 years.