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India

TNAU, Kerala Agricultural University, NHB. 24 practices across 7 crops.

Summary of cited sources. TERAknow summarises published guidance from the sources linked on each page. Recommendations are general, not guaranteed: results depend on your soil, climate and variety, so confirm with local extension staff or an agronomist before acting.

Regional notes

What sources say about this region

  • Banana: India

    High-density planting, drip fertigation and biofertilizer schedules are standard extension advice (TNAU).

  • Rubber: India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu)

    Prophylactic copper sprays before the southwest monsoon against abnormal leaf fall; defined fertilizer schedules (TNAU).

  • Sugarcane: India (Tamil Nadu)

    TNAU's ratoon guidance addresses stubble, residue and row compaction soon after harvest. Adapt timing and methods to local machinery and soil moisture.

  • Coconut: India (Tamil Nadu)

    TNAU's coconut guidance covers drainage, drip placement and age-appropriate intercrops. Verify cultivar and site practices locally before applying rates.

  • Mango: India (Tamil Nadu)

    Organic schemes use red loamy soils, compost and green manure, gypsum before flowering, and botanical sprays against hoppers.

Practices

Practices tagged India

Banana · Pisang

Full banana guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil biology
    • Stage: Planting

    Inoculate with beneficial microbes at planting

    TNAU recommends Pseudomonas fluorescens at planting, then Azospirillum, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and Trichoderma viride with farmyard manure in month 4.

    Technical detail
    • At planting: 25 g Pseudomonas fluorescens per plant.
    • Month 4: 30 g each of Azospirillum, phosphobacteria and Trichoderma viride, mixed with 5 to 10 kg farmyard manure per plant.
    • These rates come from one Indian guide. Product strains and rates differ, so follow the label of a registered local product.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Banana guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Feed in split doses through the vegetative phase

    Apply heavy organic manure before planting, then split nitrogen and potassium into three doses in months 3, 5 and 7 rather than one large application.

    Technical detail
    • Basal: about 50 t/ha farmyard manure before the last harrowing.
    • Month 3: 100 g urea, 300 g superphosphate, 100 g muriate of potash per plant.
    • Month 5: 150 g urea, 150 g MOP and 300 g neem cake per plant. Month 7: 150 g urea and 150 g MOP.
    • Micronutrients: lime and magnesium sulphate in month 5; 0.5% zinc sulphate and 0.5% borax foliar sprays.
    • Doses are from a Tamil Nadu guide. Base local rates on a soil test.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Banana guide

Rubber · Karet

Full rubber guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Land prep & planting

    Prepare large pits with compost and rock phosphate

    Fill planting pits with topsoil and compost, and add rock phosphate because these acidic soils are often short of phosphorus.

    Technical detail
    • Pit size about 1 m³.
    • Per pit: 12 kg compost or farmyard manure and 120 g rock phosphate before planting.
    • Spacing on plains about 4.9 × 4.9 m (about 420 trees/ha); on hills 6.7 × 3.4 m (about 445 trees/ha).
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Rubber guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Immature growth

    Split fertilizer in two doses a year

    Feed young and tapped trees in two split doses timed with the rains, and correct magnesium where it is short.

    Technical detail
    • Tapped trees: NPK 10:10:10 at about 900 g per tree per year, in two doses.
    • Where magnesium is deficient, add 10 kg magnesium sulphate per 100 kg of mixture.
    • Timing in the guide follows the Indian monsoon; match it to local rainy seasons.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Rubber guide
    • Conventional
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Tapping

    Choose a tapping system and limit stimulation

    Low-frequency systems such as half spiral every third day (S/2 d/3) reduce tapping intensity. Ethephon stimulation can be used, but not continuously.

    Technical detail
    • Ethephon: 5% active ingredient brushed on a 5 cm strip below the cut after light scraping.
    • TNAU advises not using stimulation continuously for more than 3 years.
    • If trees show tapping panel dryness (brown bast), reduce intensity or rest them for 3 to 12 months.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu) · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Rubber guide

Oil palm · Kelapa sawit

Full oil palm guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Replanting & land preparation

    Plant on a triangular grid in suitable soil

    A triangular layout at 9 m gives about 140 palms per hectare. Choose deep, moist, permeable loam with pH between 4 and 6.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU: triangular system 9 m x 9 m x 9 m; best planting season in Tamil Nadu is May to June.
    • TNAU gives a climate of 21 to 32 °C with relative humidity of 75 to 100%.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu) · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Oil palm guide
    • Conventional
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Immature palms

    Ablate early inflorescences in young palms

    TNAU recommends removing all inflorescences monthly for the first three years so young palms put energy into growth.

    Technical detail
    • First harvest under the TNAU schedule is about 3.5 to 4 years after planting.
    • The TNAU nursery dose is 8 g of 15:15:6 NPK in 5 L of water per 100 seedlings. This is from one guide; adjust locally.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Oil palm guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Mature palms

    Feed by the 4R rule: type, rate, time, place

    Fertiliser rates should replace what the harvest removes. PPKS estimates each tonne of fresh fruit bunches removes about 3 kg N, 4 kg K, 0.4 kg P and 0.6 kg Mg.

    Technical detail
    • PPKS: split rates above 2 kg per tree, and split urea above 1 kg per tree. Avoid heavy rain, waterlogged fields and very hot, dry spells.
    • Place compound and P, K and Mg fertilisers on the spread fronds; put urea and borate in the weeded circle. Keep dolomite at least one month apart from K fertiliser.
    • TNAU gives fixed per-palm schedules split into two doses a year. These are from one guide; base rates on soil and leaf analysis.
    Regions
    Indonesia · India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Oil palm guide
    • Core practice
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Mature palms

    Keep enough green fronds when pruning

    Fronds feed the bunches. Prune to keep a set number of green fronds and avoid over-pruning.

    Technical detail
    • PPKS: palms up to 8 years keep 48 to 56 fronds (about 3 below the last bunch); older palms keep 32 to 48 (about 2 below the last bunch). Below 32 fronds can reduce yield.
    • TNAU gives similar numbers: 48 to 56 leaves at 4 to 7 years, falling to 32 to 40 after 15 years.
    • Under-pruning and long harvest intervals favour bunch rot and bunch moth.
    Regions
    Indonesia · India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Oil palm guide

Sugarcane · Tebu

Full sugarcane guide
    • Core practice
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Establishment

    Use a soil test to plan nutrition

    Let measured soil conditions guide phosphorus and other nutrient decisions instead of using a fixed programme everywhere.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU specifically recommends testing the soil and applying phosphorus based on soil-test values.
    • Adapt rates to local guidance, variety and expected crop demand.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Source
    Crop
    Sugarcane guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil biology
    • Stage: Tillering and elongation

    Return suitable organic material to the soil

    Consider organic amendments and retained crop residue as part of a site-specific soil management plan.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU describes farmyard manure and composted sugarcane material as nutrient-management options.
    • Choose materials and application methods based on local soil tests and agronomic advice.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Sugarcane guide
    • Core practice
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Ratoon renewal

    Inspect and relieve compacted ratoon rows

    After harvest, inspect the row shoulders and address compaction where it limits the next crop's roots.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU's ratoon guidance includes work beside the ridges to break compaction.
    • Avoid burning the trash; plan residue handling for the field conditions.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Source
    Crop
    Sugarcane guide

Coconut · Kelapa

Full coconut guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Establishment

    Choose a deep site with reliable drainage

    Check soil depth, drainage and the water table before establishing palms.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU prefers deep soil with good water holding capacity and warns against shallow rock and water stagnation.
    • On sloping or low-lying sites, design the planting area for runoff and drainage.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Source
    Crop
    Coconut guide
    • Core practice
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Establishment

    Measure the starting soil conditions

    Sample soil before planting so pH, texture and drainage concerns can shape the establishment plan.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU reports coconut growth across a broad pH range of 5.2 to 8.6; this is tolerance, not a target for every field.
    • Assess water holding capacity alongside pH.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Source
    Crop
    Coconut guide
    • Core practice
    • Water
    • Stage: Canopy and root zone

    Place drip water where roots can use it

    Irrigate the palm's active root zone and adjust the schedule to local soil and weather.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU describes placing drippers around, rather than directly against, the trunk.
    • Use that layout as a reference, then adjust design with a local irrigation specialist.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Source
    Crop
    Coconut guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil biology
    • Stage: Canopy and root zone

    Use cover crops and green manure where suitable

    Living cover and green manure can support the soil between palms when water and crop competition are managed.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU lists several green manure and cover crop options for coconut gardens.
    • Select species for the site and avoid competition around young palms.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Coconut guide
    • Core practice
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Mature plantation

    Match intercrops to palm age and canopy

    Choose intercrops according to available light, irrigation, soil and palm age.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU notes that intercrop suitability changes as the coconut canopy develops.
    • Budget water and nutrients for the palm and intercrop separately.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Source
    Crop
    Coconut guide

Mango · Mangga

Full mango guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil biology
    • Stage: Planting

    Build soil organic matter with compost and green manure

    Organic guides in Tamil Nadu fill pits with farmyard manure and vermicompost, and grow green manure between rows.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU organic scheme: 20 kg FYM and 5 kg vermicompost per pit, with Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria inoculants.
    • Later, 10 to 20 kg compost per tree per year, and sunhemp or dhaincha sown as green manure with the monsoon.
    • These are rates from one guide; adjust to a soil test.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Mango guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Fruit growth & harvest

    Trap fruit flies and bag fruit early

    Lure traps and fruit bags protect fruit without spraying. Collecting fallen fruit breaks the fly life cycle.

    Technical detail
    • Indonesian guide: 20 to 25 methyl eugenol or protein bait traps per hectare, set at the same time across the orchard.
    • Bag fruit at 1.5 to 2 cm diameter using UV kraft paper, porous nylon or lined plastic bags.
    • TNAU: remove fruit with dimples or oozing sap and clear fallen fruit. The Indonesian guide buries fallen fruit 40 to 50 cm deep.
    Regions
    Indonesia · India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Mango guide
    • Core practice
    • Harvest
    • Stage: Fruit growth & harvest

    Pick mature fruit in cool hours and drain the sap

    Harvest when fruit shoulders fill out, in the early morning or late afternoon, with a stalk left on.

    Technical detail
    • Indonesian guide: pick 07.00 to 09.00 or 16.00 to 17.30, leave about 10 cm stalk, and hold the stalk down for about 5 minutes to drain latex.
    • Fruit that sinks in water is mature (TNAU, Kementan).
    • Hot water at 52°C for 5 minutes after harvest reduces anthracnose in storage (Pacific Pests, TNAU).
    Regions
    Indonesia · India (Tamil Nadu) · Pacific
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Mango guide

Pineapple · Nanas

Full pineapple guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Land & planting material

    Select, grade and cure planting material

    Uniform, healthy suckers, slips or crowns give an even crop that can be forced at one time. Curing helps prevent butt rot.

    Technical detail
    • Kerala: suckers of 0.5 to 1 kg, shade dried about 7 days, lower leaves removed and cured another 7 days.
    • Guam: grade slips by size and cure butt-up in a dry, airy place for a week or more.
    • Time to harvest depends on material: about 12 months from root suckers, 18 from stem suckers and 24 from crowns (BPTP Riau).
    Regions
    India (Kerala) · Pacific · Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Pineapple guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Land & planting material

    Plant on raised beds in double rows

    Raised beds reduce erosion and root and heart rots. Double rows fit more plants while leaving paths for work.

    Technical detail
    • Guam: contoured raised beds, often with black plastic mulch; double rows are the preferred layout.
    • Kerala: trenches about 90 cm wide, double rows 70 x 30 cm, about 40,400 plants/ha, planted 7.5 to 10 cm deep.
    • Riau peat project: 70 cm between plants and 100 cm between rows.
    Regions
    Pacific · India (Kerala) · Indonesia (Riau)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Pineapple guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Basal manure and split fertilizer, with copper on peat

    Pineapple needs regular nitrogen and potassium. On peat, copper and zinc are often short.

    Technical detail
    • Kerala: 25 t/ha compost or manure basal, all phosphorus at planting, and N and K split through the crop.
    • CIFOR peat guide: about 10 t manure per hectare, then urea with copper sulfate at 2 to 3 months and again at 5 to 6 months.
    • MARDI reports zinc and copper deficiency in pineapple on Malaysian peat. Guam stops feeding at flowering. These are rates from single guides; adjust to a soil test.
    Regions
    Indonesia (Riau) · Malaysia · India (Kerala)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Pineapple guide
    • Conventional
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Flower induction

    Force flowering for an even harvest

    Ethephon or calcium carbide in the plant heart makes plants flower together, so fruit can be harvested at one time.

    Technical detail
    • Kerala: 50 ml of 25 ppm ethephon with 2% urea and 0.04% calcium carbonate into the heart of 10 to 12 month old plants, in dry weather.
    • Guam: about half a teaspoon of calcium carbide in the heart; wrong dosing of advanced agents can give distorted fruit.
    • Adjust doses to the product's active ingredient and the local label.
    Regions
    India (Kerala) · Pacific
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Pineapple guide
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