Arecanut- Arecanut catechu
Palmae/Arecaceae
Varieties
There are few local varieties known by the name of the place where they are grown and are furnished below:-
Name of the local variety Place where grown
South Kanara Dakshina kannada district and
Kassargod district of Kerala
Thirthahalli Malnad area of Karnataka
Sreevardhan Coastal Maharashtra
Mettupalayam Coimbatore District
Mohitnagar West Bengal
Kahikuchi Assam
Hirehalli dwarf Karnataka
South Kanara Local Thirthahalli Local Sreevardhan Local
Mettupalayam Local Mohitnagar Local
Kahikuchi Local Hirehalli dwarf
(CPCRI)Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Regional Station, Vittal has released
three improved cultivars, they are:
Name of the Special attributes
cultivar
Mangala An introduction from China (VTL-3) early
bearing, higher fruit set, higher
yield (10 kg ripe nuts/palm/year), semi tall
variety.
Mangala
Sumangala A selection from Indonesia (VTL-11), yield
17.5 kg of nuts/palm at the age of
10 years.
Sreemangala A selection from Singapore (VTL-17), yields
16.5 kg/palm at the 10th year.
Swarnamangala A selection from high yielding variety VTL-12, Sumangala
tall variety with homogeneous population. High
recovery of challi (26.40%). Yields 3.88 kg
challi /palm/year.
Sreemangala
Hybrids
VTLAH1
(Vittal arecanut hybrid 1) Dwarf nature with sturdy stem with
Hirehalli Dwarf X superimposed nodes, reduced canopy
Sumangala size, well spread leaves, partial
drooping crown, medium size oval to
round and yellow orange colored nuts.
High recovery of chali (26.45 %).
Average chali yield 2.54 kg/palm/year.
VTLAH2 Dwarf variety released by CPCRI
Vittal
(Vittal arecanut hybrid 2)
Medium sized round nut
Suitable for chali preparation
Average yield 2.64 kg/palm
Recommended for coastal belt
New varieties
Samruthi This variety recommended for Andaman
and Nicobar islands is tall with longer
internodes and crown. High yield potential
18.89 kg ripe nuts/ palm/ year with chali
yield 4.34 kg/palm. Well spaced bunches
around and bold
nuts.
Samruthi
SAS1
(Sirsi Arecanut This variety recommended for hill zone of
selection 1) Karnataka, tall with compact canopy,
regular bearing variety. Suitable for both
tender and ripe nut processing. High curing
percentage and yields 460 kg
chali/palm/year.
Sirsi Arecanut selection 1
Raising of planting materials Mother palm selection
1.Should be more than 12 years
2.Regular bearer
3.Early bearing nature (36-40 months after planting)
4.High fruit set(>55%) around 350-400 nuts/palm/year
5.High recovery of chali from fresh fruit (>25%).
6.Free from disease and pest
Collection of seed nuts should be confined to high yielding palms which
commence to bear early as well as those which give more than 50 per cent of fruit
set.
From these selected mother palms, fully ripe nuts are alone collected.
All undersized and malformed nuts must be rejected.
Heavier seed nuts (above 35g) within a bunch are alone selected, as they give
higher percentage of germination and produce seedlings of better vigour than
lighter ones.
The selected seed nuts are sown immediately after harvest, 5 cm apart in
sand beds under partial shade with their stalk ends pointing upwards.
Sand is spread over the nuts just to cover them. The beds may be watered
daily.
Germination commences in about 40 days after sowing and the sprouts can
be transplanted to the second nursery when they are about three months old.
Primary Nursery
The Secondary nursery beds of 150 cm width and of
convenient length are prepared for transplanting the
sprouts.
The sprouts are transplanted at a spacing of 30 cm ×
30 cm with the onset of monsoon.
Partial shade to the seedlings can also be provided
during summer by pandal or growing banana.
Care should be taken to drain the nursery beds
during the monsoon and to irrigate them during the dry
months.
Weeding and mulching should be done periodically.
Seed nuts can also be sown in polythene bags
(25×15 cm size, 150 gauge) after filling the bags with
potting mixture containing 7 parts of loam or top soil, 3
parts of dried and powdered farm yard manure and 2 parts
of sand.
Secondary Nursery
The seedlings will be ready for
transplanting to the mainfield when they are 12 to
18 months old.
Seedlings having 5 or more number of
leaves should be selected.
The height of seedlings at the time of
planting has a negative correlation with the
subsequent yield of the plant.
Hence shorter seedlings with maximum
number of leaves are removed with a ball of earth
for transplanting.
If the seedlings are raised in polythene
bags, these can be straightway transported to any
distance without much damage.
Harvesting and Processing
There are mainly two types of processing of arecanut,
viz., chali (ripe sun dried nuts) and red boiled type (tender or
mature nuts).
Chali is mainly produced in Dakshina Kannada and
parts of Uttara Kannada districts.
Chali is used in the preparation of scented supari and is
greatly demanded in Northern India.
Different types of red boiled nuts are prepared in other
parts of the state to meet market demand.
About 20 per cent of total areca production in the
country is consumed as ripe fruit.
Chali or kottapak
Popularly traded form of arecanut is the dried
whole nut known as “Chali or Kottapak”.
Ripe nuts are dried sun for 35-40 days,
dehusked and marketed as whole nuts.
Optimum moisture content around 12%.
Inadequate drying results in fungal infection
and in a poor quality product.
Depending on size, different grades of
decreasing order are Moti, Srivardhan, Jamnagar
and Jini.
Main producing areas of ‘Chali’ are kerala,
Karnataka, Assam and Maharashtra.
To facilitate drying and dehusking, fruits are cut longitudinally into
two halves and sundried for 10 days.
Kernals are scooped out and given a final drying. This product is
known as parcha and is popular in kerala and Karnataka.
Mechanical driers are also used to make Chali.
Drying takes 60-70 hrs over a period of 7-8 days at 45-75˚ C.
Dehusking can be done using manually operated arecanut dehusker
developed by CPCRI, Kasargod.
About 40 kg chali can be made within a period of 8 h.
Kalipak
Kalipak is another important processed product of
arecanut.
Kerala and Karnataka are main producers of
kalipak.
Tender nuts of 6-7 months are dehusked, cut into
pieces, boiled with water or diluted extract from
previous boiling, coated with kali and dried.
Kali coating can be repeated 3-4 times to get
glossy appearance. Kali is thee concentrated extract
obtained after 3-4 batches of boiling.
Kalipak is known by different names depending
number, shape and size of cuts.
Api or Unde (without any cuts), Batlu (transverse cut into two halves), choor
(several longitudinal cuts), Podi (both longitudinal and transverse cuts) and Erazel
(transverse thin slices).
Iylon is another variety made from green nuts which are cut transversely
into 5-6 discs and without ‘kali’ coating.
During preparation of kalipak, tannin content gets reduced substantially.
A well dried product with a dark brown colour, glossy appearance, crisp
chewing feel, well toned astringency and absence of over mature nuts are rated
superior.
Scented supari
It is made both from Chali and Kalipak.
Chali supari is more popular. Dried nut are
broken into bits, blended with spices and flavour
mixture and packed in butter paper or aluminium
pouches.
Instead of raw spices, essential oils are used for
easy blending, with coconut gratings to avoid
microbial growth.
Saccharin is occasionally used for sweetening
and rose essence and menthol are commonly used for
flavouring.
A product blended with cashewnut bits called
kaju-supari has been developed
Neettadaka
Fully ripe arecanut, preserved for use throughout the year, is very
popular in Kerala and Assam.
In Assam, fresh fruits are preserved in thick layer of mud and this
product is known as Buratamul.
In Kerala, fresh fruits are stored by steeping in water, resulting in
discolouration of outer husk and foul smell due to bacterial attack but inner
core is well preserved – a product known as Neettadaka.
Use of a solution containing sodium benzoate (1%) and potassium
metabisulphate (0.2%) acidified to a PH of 3.5 - 4.0 with hydrochloric acid
for steeping ripe nuts after initial heat blanching is suggested to eliminate foul
smell and improve quality of nut.
Nutritional deficiencies Nitrogen
Deficiency Symptoms
Plants are stunted and generally yellow with lower
leaves being most affected. Older leaves are golden
yellow colour.
Correction Measure
Foliar application of 2% urea thrice at fortnightly
interval or soil application of 1-2 kg urea / tree.
Potassium
Deficiency Symptoms
Symptoms first appear on oldest leaves and later
spread to young leaves. yellow or orange spots develop
on leaflets. The tree appears yellow and nicky, the
trunk in slender with few short leaves.
Corrective Measure
Soil application of KCl 1.3 kg/tree.
Calcium
Deficiency Symptoms
Abnormal growth of young leaves and growing
points resembling boron deficiency severe
deficiency leads to death of the bud.
Correction Measure
Application of gypsum 2-5 kg/tree/year.
Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
Broad light yellow band along the margin of
older leaves. The centre of the leaf remaining green.
In severe cases leaflet tips may become necrotic.
Older leaves become bronzed and dry appearance.
Corrective Measure
Soil application of MgSO4 1-2 kg/tree/year.
Copper
Deficiency Symptoms
Reduced growth and dark green colour of
leaves, twin led malformed leaves. New leaves
shriveled, bushy growth.
Corrective Measure
Foliar spray of [email protected]%
Zinc
Deficiency Symptoms
Irregular and chlorite leaf spots, mottled
leaf, small leaves, severe dieback of twigs.
The area near midrib and lateral veins remain
green. Terminal twigs with narrow small erect
leaves.
Corrective Measure
Soil application of [email protected]/tree
Crop : Arecanut
S.No Pest Name Control Measures
1) Mites Spray the lower surface of leaves with dicofol 0.05%
2) Spindle bug Place 2 g of phorate granules taken in a perforated
poly bags in the inner most leaf axils.
3) Inflorescence Infected spadices may be forced open and sprayed
caterpillar with malathion 0.05%.
Mites Spindle bug
Inflorescence caterpillar
S.No Disease Name Control Measures
1) Koleroga or mahalo Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture twice at 45 days
interval during monsoon.
2) Bud rot Drench the crown with 1% Bordeaux mixture as a
prophylactic measure.
3) Foot rot or Anaberoga Drench with 0.3% captan
4) Yellow leaf disease Regular manuring, ensure drainage, grow cover
crops, remove the affected palms.
Koleroga or mahalo Bud rot Foot rot or Anaberoga Yellow leaf disease
