Farmer uses funnel to revive dying coconut trees

Talking to DT Next, he said, “I am experimenting on five dying 70-year-old coconut trees on my farm.” He said that his effort to revive the coconut trees were similar to that of organ donation. He said, “Through my efforts I am trying to keep the trees alive, here the dying coconut tree will get a new lease of life and will continue to produce coconuts for some more years.”

He said, “Opting for new trees is not only expensive but the farmers should wait for a few years before they bear fruit. My experiment aims to remove this waiting period”.

Elaborating his attempt, he said, “I have fixed a funnel shaped metal drum around the trunk of the tree, nearly 10-feet from the top of the tree. I have filled the metal drum with fertilizer, red soil and clay. I have also made arrangements for watering the drum by pumping water through a sprayer from the ground.”

He said that the result for his experiment would be known in three months and he added that his experiment would be a “welcome relief to coconut farmers who have such trees on their farms.”

He said that the availability of water around the trunk would result in nourishment of the roots. He explained, “Once the roots receive the nourishment, the tree will be cut five feet below the container and lowered to the ground with a crane. The trunk will then be cut by another one foot.”

He added, “The remaining tree will be planted on another pit 4 feet deep pit. The container will then be removed, allowing the tree to grow by setting its roots into natural soil.” Farmer Raja has asked other farmers who expressed interest in his venture to wait till results are seen in a couple of months.