This document summarizes a project to replant coconut trees at the Lockhart Estate to increase survival during an expected drought. Over 16% of previously planted trees died due to drought. The project's objectives were to save capital investment, increase land and worker productivity, and develop deep root systems. Measures to resist drought included mulching, cover crops, shading, and subsoil irrigation. A new, more efficient subsoil irrigation method using pumps and hoses allowed irrigation of 750-1000 plants per day, saving labor costs compared to the previous 200 plants per day method. As of mid-March, over 224,000 plants had been irrigated with this new method, at a total estimated savings of over 147,000

1. A PROJECT
ON
REPLANTING (2010-11)
“SURVIVING THE DROUGHT”
(JANUARY ’11 TO MARCH ’11)
BY
EDWIN CHERIN ABRAHAM
ASSISTANT MANAGER
LOCKHART ESTATE

2. OBJECTIVES
BUSINESS OBJECTIVE (LONG TERM)
•SAVING THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT PUT IN FOR REPLANTING
•INCREASING THE LAND PRODUCTIVITY AND WORKER
PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH HIGHER BUSH POPULATION
•DEVELOP DEEP ROOT SYSTEM IN PLANTS (HYDROTROPISM)
SHORT TERM GOALS (3 MONTHS OF THE PROJECT)
• INCREASE IN THE SURVIVAL% AFTER DROUGHT MONTHS
•REDUCTION IN THE COST OF IRRIGATION
•INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF IRRIGATION

3. REPLANTING (2010-2011)
PROJECT SITE: LOCKHART ESTATE (LOCKHART HUB)
FIELD: 4A AREA: 8.3 h.a PLANTS: 1,08,000
PLANTING DISTANCE: 1.35M X 0.75M X 0.75M
CLONE: TRF-1 (UPASI 17 x UPASI 21)
CLONE CHARECTERSTICS:
BROAD LEAF
ROBUST GROWTH
PALE YELLOWISH GREEN COLOUR LEAVES
YIELD :10000KG/H.A
LONG INTERNODE
DIFFICULT TO ROOT
EXCELLENT BRANCHING

4. HISTORY : DATA ANALYSIS
THE PROBLEM IN FIGURES: INFILLING DATA APRIL ’2010
RAINFALL DATA
FIELD NO. OF PLANTS CASUALITY NO.(%)
TOTAL 54635 9027 (16.52%)
MONTH RAINFALL (2009-10) RAINFALL (2010-11)
JANUARY 0.25 CM 0.46 CM
FEBRUARY 0.0 CM 2.72 CM
MARCH 2.95 CM 0 CM
TOTAL 3.20 CM 3.18 CM

5. MEASURES TO RESIST DROUGHT
• MULCHING : COVERING THE SOIL SURFACE NEAR TO THE PLANTS WITH
COIR PITH TO REDUCE THE EVAPORATION FROM THE SOIL SURFACE.
• COVER CROPS: CROTOLARIA AND GLYRICIDIA USED AS COVER CROPS
TO THE PLANTS. THIS WASN’T MUCH USEFUL AS THESE COVER CROPS
DID NOT RESPOND WELL.
• TOP SHADING: REDUCTION IN THE TRANSPIRATION LOSS BY COVERING
THE PLANTS ALONG EAST-WEST DIRECTION USING COCONUT FRONDS
AND EUCALYPTUS BRANCHES.
• KAOLIN APPLICATION
• SUBSOIL IRRIGATION

6. SUBSOIL IRRIGATION
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
TASK:200 PLANTS/MANDAY
IN THIS METHOD A PAIR OF WORKERS , ONE FOR INJECTING AND THE OTHER FOR
HEAD LOADING WATER.
VERY LOW TASK ACHIEVABLE AND EFFICIENCY WAS VERY LESS.

7. SUBSOIL IRRIGATION
• NEW METHOD:
 TASK: 750-1000 PLANTS/MANDAY
 USING THE HIGH VOLUME MACHINES TO PUMP WATER TO THE INJECTORS CONNECTED TO
THE TWO OUTLETS USING HOSE PIPES AND INJECTING AT A HIGHER EFFICIENCY AND LESS
EXPENSE.
HIGH SAVING ON MANDAYS AND COST OF IRRIGATION.

8. PROGRESS
• LAST RAINFALL RECEIVED ON : 04/01/’11
• SUB-SOIL IRRIGATION STARTED ON: 28/01/’11
MONTH PLANTS DONE
JANUARY 12000
FEBRUARY 1,53,000
MARCH (TILL 18/03) 71,500
TOTAL (TILL 18/03) 2,24,500
NO. OF ROUNDS COMPLETED
(TILL 18/03)
2.07

9. FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE
A COMPARITIVE STUDY OF THE TWO METHODS CONSIDERING THE COST
PARAMETERS WHEN REQUIRED TO DO 2,24,500 PLANTS.
COST SAVINGS/PLANT: RS.(2.34 -0.97) = RS.1.37
TOTAL SAVINGS: RS.1,47,960
METHOD-> CONVENTIONAL HIGH VOLUME INJECTION
PLANTS 2,24,500 2,24,500
PLANTS/MANDAY 200 596
MANDAYS REQ. 1122.5 377
COST (MANDAYS) 1122.5 x Rs.225 = Rs.2,52,562 377 x Rs.225 = Rs.84825
FUEL CONSUMED 0 332 L (PETROL)
COST (FUEL) 0 332 x Rs.60 = Rs.19,920
TOTAL COST Rs. 2,52,562 Rs. 1,04,745
COST/PLANT Rs. 2.34 Rs. 0.97