Chandra Sankara (Dwarf × Tall hybrid)
From ICAR-CPCRI Kasaragod — bears years earlier than a tall-variety seedling, at the cost of a shorter palm life and fresh seed nuts needed for the next planting rather than saved seed.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Coconut
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- Bearing from year 3–4 (seedling)
- Expected yield
- 100–120 nuts/palm/year at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 1985 by ICAR-CPCRI for Kerala and Karnataka.
About this variety
Chandra Sankara is a Tall × Dwarf coconut hybrid bred by ICAR-CPCRI, crossing Chowghat Orange Dwarf (COD, seed parent) with West Coast Tall (WCT, pollen parent) and released in 1985 for cultivation in Kerala and Karnataka, per a directly-fetched CPCRI page listing the institute's released varieties and hybrids. It bears earlier than a pure tall seedling, yields an average 116 nuts/palm/year (a range of 100–150 depending on management) with 160–230 g copra per nut, and — per the same directly-fetched CPCRI source — needs irrigation through the dry summer because it is more drought-susceptible than its West Coast Tall parent. A separate, WebSearch-corroborated agronomy summary (not directly fetched) reports a wider yield range of 110–210 nuts/palm/year and about 66% oil content; both figures are reported here rather than picking one over CPCRI's own numbers.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Bearing from year 3–4 (seedling)
Expected yield
100–120 nuts/palm/year at full bearing
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Shorter productive palm life than West Coast Tall — plan replanting on a shorter cycle
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Bears years earlier than a pure tall seedling, per CPCRI's own listing — a real head start on income compared with West Coast Tall.
- Heavy-yielding relative to tall cultivars — CPCRI's own figure is 116 nuts/palm/year average, with WebSearch-corroborated agronomy sources reporting up to 110–210 nuts/palm/year.
Things to consider
- Needs irrigation through the dry summer — per CPCRI's own page, it is more drought-susceptible than its West Coast Tall parent, so it fits a rainfed homestead planting less well than WCT itself.
- This record's own diseaseResistance field notes a shorter productive palm life than West Coast Tall; no source found this pass gives an exact figure for Chandra Sankara specifically, but this is consistent with the well-established general pattern for Tall × Dwarf coconut hybrids, which typically sit between a Dwarf's shorter productive life and a Tall's much longer one — a reasonable general-agronomy read, not a Chandra-Sankara-specific citation.
- CPCRI's own page recommends it for Kerala and Karnataka only; this record's states field additionally lists Andhra Pradesh, which no source found this pass specifically confirmed for Chandra Sankara — plausibly wider farmer adoption, not contradicted, just unconfirmed.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Kerala
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
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's own variety page notes it is drought-susceptible and needs irrigation through the dry summer months — worth planning for before choosing it over the rainfed-hardy West Coast Tall.
Sourced from: Varieties & Hybrids Developed — ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute. editorial policy.