Mohitnagar
A CPCRI selection from a local accession at Mohitnagar, West Bengal, recommended for North Bengal, Karnataka and Kerala. Its main points are uniformity, loosely arranged nuts and early settling of yield. It gave 23% more than Mangala and 84% more than South Kanara Local.
Quick facts
- Type
- Seedling (selected seed nut)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- First flowers 48 months after planting (CPCRI)
- Seed rate
- One nursery seedling a pit, not seed in the field. About 1,370 palms a hectare at 2.7 x 2.7 m, or about 920 at 3.3 x 3.3 m in a mixed garden (DASD).
- Expected yield
- 3.67 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,030 kg/ha); potential 5.50 kg
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Climate
- Arecanut can be grown up to about 1,000 m above sea level (DASD).
- Disease resistance
- No major disease or pest seen in CPCRI trials; relatively tolerant to water-limited conditions
- Release
- Selected from the indigenous accession VTL-60 (Mohitnagar, West Bengal); recommended for release as a national variety by the All India Coordinated Research Project on Palms group meeting in 1991
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Mohitnagar is a tall arecanut selection from ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), chosen from VTL-60, an indigenous accession from Mohitnagar in West Bengal. It was recommended for release as a national variety by the All India Coordinated Research Project on Palms group meeting in 1991, for the areca-growing areas of Karnataka, Kerala and North Bengal. The palm is tall with a medium-thick stem and long internodes, and the population is homogeneous. Bunches sit well on the stem and the oval to round nuts are loosely arranged on the spikes. The trial mean is 3.67 kg dry kernel a palm a year (5,030 kg a hectare) with a potential of 5.50 kg, and CPCRI puts it 23% above Mangala and 84% above South Kanara Local. Flower initiation is at 48 months, yield settles early, and CPCRI lists it as relatively tolerant to water-limited conditions.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Mohitnagar in North Bengal first. CPCRI selected it from a local accession at Mohitnagar and recommended it for North Bengal, Karnataka and Kerala. Its trial mean is 3.67 kg dry kernel a palm (5,030 kg a hectare), behind only Swarnamangala (3.88 kg) and Kahikuchi (3.70 kg) among the releases here, and CPCRI found it more uniform than the others and quicker to settle than Sumangala and Sreemangala. Do not choose it for the earliest flowering: flower initiation is at 48 months, later than Mangala's 36 to 40. We found no trial of Mohitnagar in Assam, so we have removed Assam from its states.
Sowing & cultivation
- Seed rateOne nursery seedling a pit, not seed in the field. About 1,370 palms a hectare at 2.7 x 2.7 m, or about 920 at 3.3 x 3.3 m in a mixed garden (DASD).
- Spacing2.7 x 2.7 m; 3.3 x 3.3 m when arecanut is grown as a mixed crop (DASD).
- IrrigationDry season: hose irrigation once in 4 to 7 days at 175 litres a palm, or drip at 20 litres a palm a day (DASD).
- Fertilizer100 g N, 40 g P2O5 and 140 g K2O a palm a year, with 12 kg green leaf, compost or FYM, in 2 equal splits in April to May and September to October. Give 1/3 of the dose in the first year, 2/3 in the second year and all of it from the third year (DASD).
- HarvestingFlower initiation 48 months after planting.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Trial mean of 3.67 kg dry kernel a palm, 23% above Mangala and 84% above South Kanara Local
- A more uniform population than the other releases, with loosely arranged nuts on the spikes
- Yield settles earlier than in Sumangala and Sreemangala, and it is relatively tolerant to water-limited conditions
Things to consider
- Flowers 48 months after planting, later than Mangala (36 to 40) and Sumangala (42 to 46)
- We found no trial in Assam, so Assam is no longer listed for this variety
- Raised from seed nuts, so uniformity depends on the mother palms the nursery used
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- West Bengal
- Karnataka
- Kerala
Uniformity is Mohitnagar's selling point: protect it when you buy
CPCRI notes that the main feature of Mohitnagar is its greater uniformity. It is a homogeneous population, with well-placed bunches and loosely arranged nuts on the spikes. Arecanut is grown from seed nuts, not cuttings, so that uniformity is only as good as the mother palms the nuts came from.
CPCRI's advice for seed production is inter se mating and selection of seedlings, which in plain words means taking seed nuts from the best palms of the variety and then keeping only the strong, true-to-type seedlings. For a 12-month seedling CPCRI gives a typical collar girth of 4.56 cm and height of 122 cm, with 6 leaves and a light green petiole. A tall, thin seedling with fewer leaves is not what you want.
So ask the nursery two questions: which palms did the seed nuts come from, and how many seedlings were thrown out before sale? The ICAR-CPCRI research centre at Mohitnagar, West Bengal, is named as a collaborating centre for the variety, and it is a sensible place to ask.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Arecanut (Supari) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahikuchi | Assam and Meghalaya farmers who want the variety both CPCRI and the Assam package recommend | First flowers 50–52 months after planting; bearing by the 5th year (CPCRI, AAU) | 3.70 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,073 kg/ha); potential 5.30 kg | Assam, Meghalaya |
| Mangala | Farmers who want the earliest flowering and can irrigate, in an open garden | First flowers 36–40 months after planting (CPCRI) | 2.90 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,700–3,900 kg/ha); potential 4.50 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Mohitnagarthis page | North Bengal farmers, and anyone who wants uniform palms that settle into steady yield early | First flowers 48 months after planting (CPCRI) | 3.67 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,030 kg/ha); potential 5.50 kg | West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala |
| Sreemangala | Farmers who sell dried chali and want bold, round nuts | First flowers 44–48 months after planting (CPCRI) | 3.18 kg dry kernel/palm/year (4,240–4,500 kg/ha); potential 5.40 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Sumangala | Farmers who want a well-tested tall palm that copes better with dry spells | First flowers 42–46 months after planting, under irrigation (CPCRI) | 3.28 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,900–4,350 kg/ha); potential 5.60 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Swarnamangala | Farmers who can irrigate and want the best average yield and recovery among CPCRI's tall releases | First flowers about 46 months after planting, under irrigation (CPCRI) | 3.88 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,320 kg/ha); potential 5.50 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| VTLAH-1 | Farmers who want a short, easy-to-harvest palm, can irrigate and accept a lower yield per palm | First flowers 45 months after planting (CPCRI) | 2.54 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,100–3,400 kg/ha); potential 3.20 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Arecanut (Supari) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Arecanut (Supari) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Arecanut (Supari) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Arecanut (Supari) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Arecanut (Supari) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Arecanut (Supari) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Frequently asked questions
How much more does Mohitnagar yield than Mangala and South Kanara Local?
The CPCRI leaflet puts Mohitnagar 23% above Mangala and 84% above South Kanara Local. In kilos, the variety compilation gives a mean of 3.67 kg dry kernel a palm a year (5,030 kg a hectare) and a potential of 5.50 kg (7,540 kg a hectare).
Why does CPCRI say the nuts are loosely arranged, and does it matter?
The CPCRI leaflet says the bunches are well placed and the nuts sit loosely on the spikes. It says this helps the nuts develop evenly and makes plant protection easier. In a spray round, loose nuts should be easier to cover, but CPCRI gives no spray trial, so treat it as a plausible help and not a guarantee.
Is Mohitnagar a hybrid or a local type?
It is a local type, selected from the indigenous accession VTL-60 from Mohitnagar in West Bengal. It was recommended for release as a national variety by the All India Coordinated Research Project on Palms group meeting in 1991. Because it is raised from seed nuts, plants differ a little, which is why CPCRI advises selecting seedlings.
Does Mohitnagar need irrigation?
CPCRI calls Mohitnagar relatively tolerant to water-limited conditions. That is a relative statement. The Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development still gives dry-season irrigation for arecanut (hose once in 4 to 7 days, 175 litres a palm, or drip at 20 litres a palm a day). In North Bengal, check the dry months of your own site.
When does Mohitnagar flower?
CPCRI records flower initiation at 48 months after planting. It also records early stabilisation of yield, which means the yield settles sooner than in Sumangala and Sreemangala once flowering has started. So the wait is longer than for Mangala, but the crop levels out faster than for the other tall types.
Sourced from: Improved varieties of coconut, arecanut and cocoa — ICAR-CPCRI (variety records, yields, flowering), Arecanut varieties — ICAR-CPCRI Regional Station, Vittal, extension leaflet (1999), Calendar for arecanut — Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, Technical Bulletin 67 (spacing, fertiliser, irrigation). editorial policy.