Comparison of the Improved Coconut Hybrid CRIC65 with its Reciprocal Cross and the Parental Varieties for Reproductive Traits

Coconut is an important perennial tree crop which offers a multitude of uses. CRIC65 is the first recommended Sri Lankan hybrid coconut cultivar. Sri Lanka Green Dwarf and Sri Lanka tall are respectively, the maternal and paternal parents of CRIC65 and the hybrid is characterized by precocity, high nut yield and fruit component traits. Our objective in this study was to assess the comparative performance of reproductive traits of CRIC65 and its reciprocal hybrid, Sri Lanka Tall x Sri Lanka Green Dwarf with their parental cultivars. The annual nut yield and the fruit components were scored in sixty sample palms representing each cultivar. The field experiment of the two parents were planted in Kurunegala in a favourable site for coconut and the palms were 18 years old at the initiation of data recording. Time taken for flower initiation of the two hybrids and the data of the parental cultivars were extracted from previous records. The data of the two hybrids were analyzed by Student’s t test. Reproductive traits, time taken for flowering and the annual nut yield were not significantly different, while fruit components, husked nut weight, split nut weight and kernel weight recorded significant differences on a few occasions but without identifying a better performer. The two hybrids were clearly different from their parents for the reproductive traits. In conclusion, we report the equal potential of the reciprocal cross (Sri Lanka Tall x Sri Lanka Green Dwarf) of the main recommended hybrid coconut CRIC65 with respect to the most important reproductive parameters that define CRIC65 in favourable sites for coconut in Sri Lanka.