Arecanut

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India is the world's largest producer and consumer of arecanut (Areca catechu), the slender single-stemmed palm whose seed — supari, adike or kamuku — is chewed with betel leaf (paan), used in religious and social ceremonies across South and South-East Asia, and processed into scented and sweetened supari. Karnataka is by far the largest producing state, followed by Kerala and Assam, with Meghalaya, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Goa making up most of the balance. Arecanut is a perennial plantation crop that comes into bearing from about the 5th – 8th year after planting and stays economic for several decades; it is grown in high-rainfall laterite and red-loam tracts of the west coast and Malnad, in the irrigated maidan belt of central Karnataka, and as a homestead palm across the Brahmaputra valley. The produce reaches the market in two main forms — 'chali' (ripe nuts sun-dried whole and de-husked, the dominant form in Dakshina Kannada and Kerala) and 'kalipak' / 'kempadike' (tender nuts de-husked, boiled and dried, the dominant form in Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada). Research is led by ICAR-CPCRI Kasaragod through its Regional Station Vittal (the original 1956 Central Arecanut Research Station) and Research Centre Mohitnagar, under the AICRP on Palms; development schemes are coordinated by the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development (DASD), Kozhikode, with state horticulture departments of Karnataka, Kerala and Assam.

Twelve-month operations

Fertilizer schedule

ICAR-CPCRI package of practices recommends about 100 g N + 40 g P₂O₅ + 140 g K₂O per bearing palm per year, plus 12 kg FYM or compost (green leaf / compost can substitute), applied in two splits — one with the pre-monsoon showers (May – Jun) and one after the south-west monsoon (Sep – Oct) — in a shallow basin around the palm. Palms below bearing age receive one-third of the dose in the first year and two-thirds in the second year. On the acidic laterite soils of Dakshina Kannada, Kasaragod and Malnad, periodic liming based on soil-test results corrects soil acidity; soil testing under the Soil Health Card scheme is the basis for fine-tuning the dose.

Pest & disease management

Koleroga (fruit rot / mahali), caused by Phytophthora meadii, is the most destructive disease of the south-west monsoon in Karnataka and Kerala — infected nuts rot and shed in large numbers. CPCRI recommends a prophylactic spray of 1% Bordeaux mixture on bunches just before the monsoon, repeated after 40 – 45 days and a third time if the monsoon is prolonged; covering bunches with polythene sheets is a widely adopted alternative in Dakshina Kannada and Malnad gardens. Bud rot (also Phytophthora) attacks the spindle in wet weather and is managed by removing rotten tissue and applying Bordeaux paste. Yellow Leaf Disease (YLD), associated with a phytoplasma, is endemic in parts of central Kerala and the Sringeri – Koppa – Thirthahalli belt of Karnataka's Malnad — there is no cure, so management relies on balanced nutrition, drainage and replanting with healthy seedlings. Inflorescence die-back (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) affects spadices in summer. Key pests: spindle bug (Carvalhoia arecae) on the heart leaf, red mite (Raoiella indica) on leaves in the dry season, root grub / white grub (Leucopholis spp.) in sandy-loam gardens, and inflorescence caterpillar (Tirathaba mundella) on spadices.

Irrigation

Arecanut is sensitive to both drought and waterlogging. Summer irrigation from about December to May is critical — moisture stress during this period, which coincides with flowering and nut set, sharply cuts the following season's yield. CPCRI and state horticulture departments recommend drip irrigation for water-scarce gardens, with basins mulched using green leaves or areca husk to conserve moisture. During the monsoon, drainage channels between rows must be kept open, since standing water causes root damage and yellowing on clayey and low-lying soils.

Sources

• ICAR-CPCRI — Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod (incl. Regional Station Vittal)
• DASD — Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, Kozhikode
• Department of Horticulture, Government of Karnataka
• FAOSTAT — Areca nuts production

Frequently asked questions

When and how should arecanut be planted?

Select 12 – 18 month-old nursery seedlings with five or more leaves and a short, thick collar. On well-drained laterite and red-loam soils, plant at the onset of the south-west monsoon in May – June; in heavy-rainfall tracts and on clayey or poorly drained soils, ICAR-CPCRI advises planting after the monsoon in September – October so the young palm is not exposed to waterlogging. The standard spacing is 2.7 m × 2.7 m, giving about 1,370 palms per hectare, in pits of about 90 cm on each side. Young palms are sensitive to sun scorch, so growers in Karnataka and Kerala commonly plant banana between rows for shade in the first years. Good drainage is essential — arecanut does not tolerate standing water.

What is koleroga (mahali) and how is it controlled?

Koleroga, also called fruit rot or mahali, is caused by the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora meadii and strikes during the heavy south-west monsoon in Karnataka and Kerala, causing tender nuts to rot and drop in large numbers. The ICAR-CPCRI recommendation is prophylactic: spray 1% Bordeaux mixture on the bunches just before the monsoon sets in, repeat after 40 – 45 days, and give a third spray if the monsoon is prolonged. Many growers in Dakshina Kannada and the Malnad now cover the bunches with polythene sheets before the rains as an alternative or supplement to spraying. Fallen and rotten nuts should be collected and destroyed to reduce inoculum.

Which arecanut varieties has ICAR-CPCRI released?

ICAR-CPCRI, mainly through its Regional Station Vittal and Research Centre Mohitnagar, has released high-yielding selections including Mangala, Sumangala, Sreemangala, Swarnamangala and Mohitnagar (the last suited to West Bengal and the north-east). CPCRI has also developed the dwarf hybrids VTLAH-1 and VTLAH-2 from crosses of Hirehalli Dwarf with tall varieties; their short stature makes harvesting and spraying easier and safer, a major advantage given the shortage of skilled palm climbers. Growers should source seedlings from CPCRI, state horticulture farms or DASD-supported nurseries to get true-to-type planting material.

What is the difference between chali and kalipak arecanut?

Chali (also called white or ripe supari) is made from fully ripe nuts harvested about 7 – 9 months after flowering, sun-dried whole for several weeks and then de-husked; it is the main product of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kerala. Kalipak, known in Karnataka as kempadike (red supari), is made from tender nuts harvested about 6 – 7 months after flowering, which are de-husked, cut or left whole, boiled and dried; it is the main product of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada. The two forms go to different trade channels and fetch different prices, so growers decide the harvest stage based on the market they sell into, typically through cooperatives such as CAMPCO (Mangaluru) or the regulated APMC markets.

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