Nutrition and fertilization management of embryo cultured Makapuno Tall (ECMAKT) seedlings

Abstract

A two-year nursery study on ECMAKT coconut seedlings was conducted at the Philippine Coconut Authority - Albay Research Center, Guinobatan, Albay to know the effects of applying different rates of complete fertilizer (14-14-14 fortified with micronutrients) and a foliar fertilizer on the vegetative growth and leaf nutrient status of ECMAKT seedlings.
 
 The application of complete NPK fertilizer (14-14-14) at 6-9 g/seedling significantly produced taller seedlings with bigger girth size and more number of living fronds from 2 to 12 months from initial fertilization. The applied rates of complete fertilizer (6-9 g 14-14-14/seedling) on ECMAKT seedlings indicates that the levels of nutrient application (fertilization) is significantly much lower than that of the average rates used in growing ordinary seednuts (seedlings attached to unhusked nuts) in the nursery. The application of foliar fertilizer was ineffective even over the unfertilized ECMAKT seedlings.
 
 The better growth of ECMAKT seedlings in terms of their girth, plant height and total living fronds produced were significantly associated with higher levels of leaf K, Cl, and Mn, and lower leaf Na, but with likely adequate leaf P, Mg, S, B, Zn, Cu and Fe based from leaf number 3 (12 month old ECMAKT seedling).
 
 The study clearly indicates the necessity of applying inorganic fertilizer i.e. complete fertilizer (14-14-14 fortified with micronutrients) at the moderate rates of 6-9 g/seedling during the nursery stage for proper nutrition and fertilization management to ensure healthy and good quality ECMAKT planting material.

Crop nutrition and fertilizer management of embryo-cultured seedlings of Makapuno and Laguna Tall coconuts with special reference to their response to different levels of NaCl and chicken manure

“…In contrast, the latter are commonly smaller and more fragile since these are initially germinated under controlled laboratory conditions where nutrition and growing conditions are artificial. Earlier experiments on the application of different rates of organic NPK "complete" solid fertilizer and a foliar fertilizer on embryo cultured (EC) Makapuno seedlings, strongly indicated that levels of nutrient application was much lower (6-9 g NPK/seedling) than the average rates commonly used in ordinarily raised seedlings in the nursery stage (250-300 g NPK/seedling) (Areza-Ubaldo et al, 2005).…”