This document discusses the floral biology and breeding of coconut. It begins by outlining the taxonomic classification of coconut and describing its origin and worldwide distribution. It then covers the plant's morphology and uses. The document details coconut's floral biology, pollination process, and fruit development. It concludes by explaining coconut breeding methods, including introduction, selection, and hybridization approaches. Mass selection of superior mother palms based on traits like yield, age, leaf and flower characteristics, and nut size and shape is emphasized.

2. FLORAL BIOLOGY
AND BREEDING
OF COCONUT
PRESENTED BY
M SARMAD ANWAAR
16-ARID-3159

3. TAXONOMIC
CLASSIFICATION
 Kingdom: Palm
 Class: Liliopsida
 Subclass: Arecidae
 Order : Arecales
 Family: Arecaceae
 Genus: Cocos L.
 Specimen: Cocos nucifera L

4. 0RIGN AND DISTRIBUTION
 The origin of coconut is a matter of controversy. There
are several views on the place of origin and evidences
are also shown to prove the various versions on the
origin. Most of the authorities claim it to be a native to
south Asia.
 Recently Gunn (2011) proposed two geographical origins
1. Island South east Asia
2. southern margins of the Indian subcontinent

5.  It belong to the lower group of flowering plants called
Monocotyledons.
 The coconut is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with
pinnate leaves 4-6 m long, pinnae 60-90 cm long; old
leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth.
 IT is also called “ Tree of heaven ” OR “Tree of life” , is
considered as nature’s valuable gift to the mankind due to
its innumerable uses to millions of people.
 The coconut palm is grown throughout the tropical
world for decoration as well as for its many culinary
and non-culinary uses.

6. The trait such as high content of husk and low
proportion of shell, kernel and nut water made
the whole nut light, highly water resistant and
enabled its dispersal to different continents
and countries through marine currents.
Though it is a sea-side plant, it is grows in
interior
areas also, far away from the sea.

7.  The main coconut
growing areas are
located in Asia,
Oceania, West Indies,
Central and South
America and West and
East Africa.
 In India ,The coconut
palm is grown in an
area of around 1.935
million hectare

8. FLORAL BIOLOGY
AND POLLINATION
 Coconut is monoecious plant
with numerous male and
female flowers on each spadix
which borne in the axil of
each leaf of a bearing palm.
 Flowering start at 6-12 years
of age.
 Inflorescence length is about
1-2 m with central axis and
about 40 laterals branches
called spikelets.
 Each spikelets bear 200-300
male flowers at the top and 1
or 2 female flowers at the
base.

9.  There are six stamens in male
flower, female flowers are 2-3
cm in diameter having a large
ovary with three locules and a
stigma with three nectary
glands
 In tall variety female flowers
do not become receptive until
all male flowers in same
spadix have shed their pollens.
 In dwarf and hybrid varieties
interval between two phases
i.e. pollen dehiscence and
stigma receptivity are less
thereby increasing the chances
of self pollination.

10. Maturation of
inflorescence is a
progressive process,
pollen discharge and
anthesis is continued for
about 18-20 days.
Pollination in coconut is
carried out by wind and
insects.
The fruit consist of
exocarp ( outer skin),
mesocarp
(fibrous layer) and
endocarp which is
ovoid shell along
with 3 ridge and seed
(one) situated at
calyx with a thin
brown testa attached
to the edible
endosperm

11. BREEDING METHODS
INTRODUCTION SELECTION
HYBRIDIZATION
Coconut breeding was
started for the first time
in the world in 1916
.

12. INTRODUCTION
Plant introduction is a
process of introducing
plants (a genotype or a
group of genotypes)
from their own
environment to a new
environment. Theprocess
of introduction may
involve new varieties of
crop or the wild relatives of
crop species

13. SELECTION
Mass selection can be used as effective methods in
improvement of coconut. In this method superior
mother palms are selected.
breeder and heritability of traits under
consideration

14. SELECTION OF MOTHER PALM
Coconut palm are
being selected on
the basis of
following
characters.
a) Yield
• It should be regular bearer.
• Annual yield should not be
less than 80 per palm.
• Copra content should be
about 150g per nut.
b) Age of the plant
•It is advisable to select palm which
have reached full bearing stage and
giving higher yield for conservatively
four years.
•Selection of very old tree should be
avoided.
•Seed nut should be collected from
established seed garden

15. NATURE AND DISPOSTION OF LEAVES
A mother palm should
have at least 30 fully
opened leaves on the
crown.
The leaves should have
short and strong petiole
with wide leaf base firmly
attached to the stem.
Tree having a drooping or
upright position of leaves
are generally avoided due
to their poor yielding
capacity.

16. Cont………
 Female flower distribution per spike
determines the yield potential of
tree.
 Generally every leaf axil should be
one inflorescence with several
spike.
 There should be 12 bunches on the
crown.

17. SIZE AND SHAPE OF NUT
Size is variable factor and which varies from variety to
variety .
Generally, these shapes are common in coconut i.e.
oblong, round and elliptical.
Vigour of seedlings depend upon the size of the husked
nut, thickness of kernel and size of embryo present in
kernel.
Palm producing barren nuts, irregular bearing should be
avoided for selection as mother palm.

18. HYBRIDIZATION
 Hybridization is the process of
interbreeding between individuals of
different species
(interspecific hybridization) or
genetically divergent individuals from
the same species
(intraspecific hybridization). Offspring
produced by hybridization may be
fertile, partially fertile, or sterile.
 The following cross combination have
been attempted
in coconut:
 Dwarf × Dwarf
 Tall × Dwarf
 Dwarf × Tall
 Tall × Tall