East Coast Tall
Raised as a seedling from a selected nut, not a field crop. The east-coast counterpart to West Coast Tall — standard on the Bay of Bengal coast.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Coconut
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- Kharif
- Starts bearing
- Bears from year 6–8 (TNAU)
- Expected yield
- About 70 nuts per palm per year (TNAU)
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
- Disease resistance
- Long, productive palm life of 60+ years
- Release
- No formal ICAR/university release — a long-naturalised east-coast landrace population.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
East Coast Tall (ECT) is the ordinary tall coconut of the east coast. It is a long-established landrace, not a bred release. TNAU lists it for coastal Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Puducherry, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, the Andamans and West Bengal. It likes well-drained, deep sandy loam, alluvial and red loamy soil. It bears in 6 to 8 years, gives about 70 nuts per palm per year, and 125 g of copra per nut (100–140 g) with 64% oil. TNAU notes that its nuts are smaller than West Coast Tall nuts.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose East Coast Tall if you farm on the east coast, on deep, well-drained sandy loam, alluvial or red soil, and want the standard long-lived tall palm TNAU recommends there. It gives 70 nuts a year and 125 g of copra per nut, less than West Coast Tall (80 nuts, 176 g), so it is not the choice for yield. For earlier bearing and more nuts, look at Kera Sankara (108 nuts from the 4th year).
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)
- HarvestingMature (12-month) nuts are cut every 30–45 days for copra; tender nuts at 7–8 months (TNAU)
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
- Suits the east coast: TNAU recommends it for coastal Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal among others.
- Does well in well-drained deep sandy loam, alluvial and red loamy soil.
- A long-lived tall palm, so one planting lasts for decades.
Things to consider
- It gives less than West Coast Tall on every count TNAU lists: 70 against 80 nuts a year, 125 against 176 g of copra per nut, and 64 against 68% oil.
- Its nuts are smaller than West Coast Tall nuts, per TNAU.
- It is slow, bearing only from year 6 to 8. Hybrids such as Chandra Sankara and Kera Sankara bear earlier.
- TNAU does not give a root (wilt) risk or a flood-tolerance rating for it.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Tamil Nadu
- Andhra Pradesh
- Odisha
- West Bengal
The copra sum: East Coast Tall against West Coast Tall
TNAU gives both tall palms the same three measures. East Coast Tall: 70 nuts a year, 125 g of copra per nut, 64% oil. West Coast Tall: 80 nuts a year, 176 g of copra per nut, 68% oil.
Multiply nuts by copra per nut. East Coast Tall comes to 8,750 g, about 8.75 kg of copra per palm per year. West Coast Tall comes to 14,080 g, about 14.1 kg. The west-coast palm gives about 60% more.
Do not read this as West Coast Tall is better everywhere. TNAU recommends East Coast Tall for the east coast for a reason: soil, climate and local experience. Use the sum to set your income expectation, not to override the local recommendation. If a west-coast palm is already doing well in your block, copy that.
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 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) | 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 Tallthis page | 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.
- 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 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
How is East Coast Tall different from West Coast Tall?
Same tall-palm biology, different coast and lower yield figures. TNAU lists East Coast Tall at about 70 nuts per palm per year, 125 g of copra per nut and 64% oil. West Coast Tall is about 80 nuts, 176 g and 68%. TNAU also says East Coast Tall nuts are smaller than West Coast Tall nuts.
Does East Coast Tall face the same root-wilt disease risk as West Coast Tall?
No — root (wilt) disease is geographically confined to one endemic tract across eight southern Kerala districts on India's west coast; no source found here documents root wilt as a concern in East Coast Tall's Tamil Nadu/Andhra Pradesh/Odisha growing belt.
How much copra does East Coast Tall give compared with West Coast Tall?
TNAU figures: 70 nuts × 125 g is about 8.75 kg of copra per palm per year for East Coast Tall, and 80 nuts × 176 g is about 14.1 kg for West Coast Tall. West Coast Tall gives roughly 60% more copra per palm.
Why would I plant East Coast Tall if it gives less?
Because it is the palm TNAU recommends for the coastal east: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and others, in deep, well-drained sandy loam, alluvial and red soil. A west-coast palm in the wrong soil or climate may do worse. Ask your local nursery which one is growing well in your block.
When does East Coast Tall start bearing?
TNAU gives 6 to 8 years, a year or so longer than West Coast Tall (6 to 7 years). The hybrid Kera Sankara bears by the 4th year.
What soil and rainfall does East Coast Tall need?
TNAU says well-drained deep sandy loam, alluvial and red loamy soils are ideal. For coconut in general, it advises a soil at least 1.5 m deep, pH 5.2 to 8.6, and 1000 mm of well-spread rain, or up to 3000 mm with good drainage.
Sourced from: Coconut Varieties — Jay Hind Farm, Knowledge Based Information on Coconut — Coconut Varieties, TNAU Agritech, Exploring the Top 7 Tall Coconut Varieties Found in India — Parachute Kalpavriksha, 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.