Cultivars and hybrids:
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Basically coconut cultivars are classified into two groups viz., tall and dwarf.
Tall cultivars:
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Tall varieties are the common type that occurs throughout the world. The life span of tall extends from 60 to 80 years. They grow to a height 15 to 18 m. The produce copra of good quantity and quality, and have fairly high oil content as compared to dwarf cultivars. The different cultivars of the Tails are generally named after the place where they are largely cultivated. The tall cultivars are most commonly cultivated for commercial production in all coconut growing regions of the world. The Tall cultivars commonly grown in India are the West Coast Tall (WCT), Tiptur Tall (TPT) and East Coast Tall (ECT). The tall cultivars including high yielding types are given below:
Dwarf cultivars:
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Dwarf varieties are shorter in stature and life span. They grow to a height of 5-7 m with an average life span of 40-50 years. They start bearing from 3-4 years after planting. The nuts are smaller and the copra soft, leathery and low in oil content. The dwarf cultivars are generally grown for tender nuts and also used for hybrid production. The common Dwarfs available in India are Chowghat Orange Dwarf (COD), Chowghat Green Dwarf (CGD), Kenthalli (KTOD) and Gangabondam (GBGD). Among the Dwarfs, Chowghat Orange Dwarf has very good quality of tender nut water and has been released as a tender nut variety suitable for cultivation in all states.
Hybrids:
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Hybrids are the intervarietal crosses of two morphological forms of coconut. They show earliness in flowering, and give increased yield, higher quantity and better quality of copra and oil when compared to the parents. When the tall is used as female and dwarf as male, they are called T x D hybrid while the reciprocal is known as D x T hybrid. Hybrids perform well under good management conditions including nutrient management and irrigation