Chandra Sankara (Dwarf × Tall hybrid)
A COD × West Coast Tall hybrid from CPCRI. It bears early and gives 116 nuts a year, but it is drought-susceptible and needs summer irrigation. TNAU says it is markedly better than West Coast Tall in root (wilt) affected areas.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Coconut
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Kharif
- Starts bearing
- Bears in 3–4 years (TNAU)
- Expected yield
- 116 nuts per palm per year (range 100–150)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Susceptible to drought, so irrigate in summer; markedly better than West Coast Tall in root (wilt) affected areas (TNAU)
- Release
- Released by ICAR-CPCRI. CPCRI gives 1985 for Kerala and Karnataka; TNAU gives 1991 for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Chandra Sankara is a Dwarf × Tall coconut hybrid, Chowghat Orange Dwarf (COD) as the mother and West Coast Tall (WCT) as the father, from ICAR-CPCRI. CPCRI says it was released in 1985 for Kerala and Karnataka, while TNAU says 1991 for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It bears early, in 3 to 4 years per TNAU, and gives 116 nuts per palm per year (range 100 to 150) with 160 to 230 g of copra per nut. CPCRI says it is susceptible to drought, so it needs irrigation in the summer months. TNAU says it is markedly better than West Coast Tall in root (wilt) affected areas, and that the seedlings can be spotted in the nursery by their vigorous growth and bronze-coloured petioles.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Chandra Sankara if you can irrigate through the dry months and want 116 nuts a year from an early-bearing hybrid, or if your plot is in a root (wilt) area where TNAU says it does markedly better than West Coast Tall. If you cannot irrigate in summer, Kera Sankara (108 nuts) or West Coast Tall (80 nuts) is the safer palm. Buy certified hybrid seedlings, not nuts from a neighbour's palm.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timePlant seedlings in Tamil Nadu in June–July or December–January, in Kerala in May with the pre-monsoon rain (September in low-lying areas), and in Karnataka in May–June (TNAU)
- IrrigationFor the first two years, give 45 litres per seedling once in 4 days in the dry months. Summer irrigation raises nut yield (TNAU)
- HarvestingBears in 3–4 years (TNAU). Mature nuts are cut every 30–45 days; seed nuts of hybrids should be sown within 10–15 days of harvest
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Deep, well-drained red sandy loam, laterite or alluvial soil, at least 1.5 m deep (1.2 m is the minimum); avoid shallow, hard-rock or waterlogged ground (TNAU)
- pH
- 5.2–8.6
Climate
- Temperature
- 20–32°C; a mean annual temperature of 27°C is best
- Rainfall
- 1000 mm if well spread through the year, up to 3000 mm with good drainage
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Bears early, in 3 to 4 years per TNAU, years ahead of a West Coast Tall seedling.
- The highest nut count among the CPCRI hybrids here: 116 a year, with a range of 100 to 150.
- TNAU says it is markedly better than West Coast Tall in root (wilt) affected areas.
- Seedlings are easy to spot in the nursery: vigorous growth with bronze-coloured petioles.
Things to consider
- CPCRI says it is susceptible to drought and needs irrigation in summer. It fits a rainfed homestead planting less well than West Coast Tall.
- It is a hybrid, so seed nuts from it do not give the same palm. Buy certified hybrid seedlings each time.
- CPCRI and TNAU disagree on the release year (1985 against 1991) and on the states. Treat the year as unsettled and go by the states your KVK lists.
- TNAU recommends it for ideal situations with good management. It is not a low-input palm.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Kerala
- Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu
Put a litre number on the summer water before you buy
CPCRI's one warning about Chandra Sankara is that it is susceptible to drought and needs irrigation in summer. It does not give a number, so put one on it.
TNAU's schedule for adult palms in western Tamil Nadu under normal conditions is drip irrigation of 65 litres a day from February to May. February to May is 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 = 120 days, so that is about 7,800 litres per palm. For 100 palms, 780,000 litres, or 780 cubic metres, in the dry months alone.
If a well, a pond or a borewell cannot deliver that through the dry months, Chandra Sankara is the wrong palm for the plot, however good the nut count looks. In that case West Coast Tall, which TNAU says is somewhat tolerant to moisture stress, is the safer choice. The 65 litres is TNAU's figure for one region, so ask your KVK what applies in your district.
Where the planting material comes from
This is a hybrid, so seed kept from your own harvest will not breed true. The next crop comes up uneven in height, maturity and yield. Buy fresh certified seed every season and keep the bag tag until harvest.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Coconut variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandra Sankara (Dwarf × Tall hybrid)this page | The highest-yielding CPCRI hybrid here, for farms that can irrigate in summer | Bears in 3–4 years (TNAU) | 116 nuts per palm per year (range 100–150) | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| Chowghat Orange Dwarf (COD) | Tender-nut water: an early-flowering orange dwarf for sheltered, irrigated plots | Flowers in 3–4 years | 63–65 nuts per palm per year | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| East Coast Tall | The standard east-coast tall palm, for copra where the soil is deep and well-drained | Bears from year 6–8 (TNAU) | About 70 nuts per palm per year (TNAU) | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal |
| Ganga Bondam Dwarf | A mother parent for hybrids such as Keraganga, rather than a palm to plant pure | Bears in 4–5 years | High (tender) | Kerala, Karnataka |
| Kera Sankara | An early-bearing tall × dwarf hybrid with heavy nuts, for rainfed or irrigated planting | Bears by the 4th year | 108 nuts per palm per year (range 70–130) | Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra |
| Malayan Dwarf | A parent palm for hybrids, not a variety to plant on its own without local advice | Bears in 4–5 years | High (tender) | Kerala |
| West Coast Tall | The long-lived, all-soil tall palm of the west coast, for copra and oil | Bears from year 6–7 (TNAU); a tall palm lives 80–90 years | About 80 nuts per palm per year on average (TNAU); 74–90 under normal management | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka |
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 Coconut is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Coconut plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Coconut variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Coconut into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Coconut in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Coconut rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Coconut seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chandra Sankara a cross of?
Chowghat Orange Dwarf as the seed/female parent, crossed with West Coast Tall as the pollen/male parent — a Tall × Dwarf hybrid released by ICAR-CPCRI in 1985 for Kerala and Karnataka.
Does Chandra Sankara need irrigation?
Yes, more than a pure tall variety. CPCRI says it is susceptible to drought and needs irrigation through the summer months. Plan the water before you choose it over the more drought-hardy West Coast Tall.
How much water does a Chandra Sankara palm need in summer?
CPCRI gives no litre figure for it, but says it needs irrigation. For adult palms in western Tamil Nadu, TNAU gives drip irrigation of 65 litres a day from February to May under normal conditions. Over those 120 days that is about 7,800 litres a palm.
How early does Chandra Sankara bear?
TNAU says 3 to 4 years. CPCRI says it comes to bearing early compared with tall palms. West Coast Tall bears in 6 to 7 years.
How do I recognise Chandra Sankara seedlings in the nursery?
TNAU says the seedlings show vigorous growth with bronze-coloured petioles. If a nursery cannot show you that, ask where the seed nuts came from.
Is Chandra Sankara good in root (wilt) areas?
TNAU says it is markedly superior to West Coast Tall in root (wilt) affected areas, and prefers it there. CPCRI also lists a separate hybrid, Kalpa Sankara, and varieties such as Kalpa Raksha and Kalpa Sree for those tracts, so compare before you decide.
Sourced from: Varieties & Hybrids Developed — ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Coconut varieties — TNAU Agritech Portal, Expert System for Coconut, Planting seasons and climate — TNAU Agritech Portal, Expert System for Coconut, Main field cultivation practices — TNAU Agritech Portal, Expert System for Coconut, Irrigation management — TNAU Agritech Portal, Expert System for Coconut, Harvest and post harvest — TNAU Agritech Portal, Expert System for Coconut. editorial policy.