Response of coconuts to fertilizer and advice to Sri Lankan growers. an aggregative approach

Abstract

Aggregative approach appears to be an useful alternative in modelling fertilizer response under non-experimental conditions. The results obtained using this approach seem to support some of the earlier findings on economically optimal rates of application. Response of palms to fertilizer under non-experimental conditions appear to be encouraging. For moderate rainfall conditions the profit maximising quantitiy of fertilizer appeared to be markedly stable under the market conditions which prevailed during 1956 to 1981. The simple estimation procedure developed here can be extended to measure profitability under different rainfall conditions if held data is available for coconut growing areas giving the nut production from unfertilized coconut lands under different rainfall conditions. Once this information is available definite statements on profit maximising quantity of fertilizer and the profitability aspect of fertilizer use in coconut production can be made in advisory pamphletes,