Abstract

Coconut produces a far higher number of female flowers than that set into nuts. The phenomenon of shedding of female flowers, or buttons as they are popularly called, is universal in nature and this problem has been studied by coconut research workers in various countries. It has been estimated that on an average under plantation conditions 75 to 80% of the female flowers produced are shed (Patel, 1938; Gangolly, 1953). Different workers have attributed the shedding of buttons to varied causes like fungal infection, incidence of pests, defective pollination and fertilization, structural defects in the flower, abortion of embroys, physiological condition of the tree, limitation in yielding ability of trees, etc. Attempts to control the shedding by fungicidal or insecticidal treatments and artificial pollination have met with little success. The possibility of the formation of an abscission layer at the point of attachment of the female flower to the stalk has been advanced as a possible cause for the shedding of the buttons and it has been suggested in this connection that spraying with harmones might be tried to check the incidence. (Gadd, 1923; Child, 1950). This paper presents the results of a trial of spraying the coconut inflorescence with a solution of the hormone 2,4-dichloro-phenoxy acetic acid, conducted at the Regional Cocount Research Station, Veppankulam.

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