The Indian farmer has not received the benefits of good hybrid coconut palms, which benefits could increase their profit fourfold. Most farmers who had experimented with “hybrid” coconut seedlings burnt their fingers, by being supplied doubtful, untried and in the most part bogus “hybrids”. Apart from paying a high price for the “hybrid” seedlings, the farmer most often got delayed production and disappointing results. Something had to be done. The cumulative loss of the farmer and the country was incalculable.

During the year 1983, UN Coconut Expert, (Late) Prof. Anthony Davis became Consultant to the Deejay Group to set up a Hybrid Coconut Seedling project. Prof. Davis was then involved in overseeing very large FAO sponsored hybrid coconut seedling projects in Indonesia and Malaysia. A site, large enough with proper water facilities, was located on the outskirts of Madurai City, in Tamilnadu, South India.

The first planting of selected breeding stock, [female and male parent palms] was done in the year 1984, and in the next three years the Deejay Hybrid Seedling project covered an area of 200 acres with nearly 10,000 palms. The Deejay Hybrid Seedling was first produced in 1990, and with numbers increasing, there are now more than a million Hybrids in the field, with over 500,000 in production. Early bearing, good quality and excellent productivity are the hallmarks of this hybrid.

Over the years Deejay has developed a unique mother palm with specific characteristics that act synergistically in the progeny giving further improved productivity to the advantage of the coconut farmer.

Based on the advice of our expert Consultant, Prof. Davis, the Deejay Coconut Project, used two varieties of Dwarf Palms of proven genetic potential with the necessary colour characteristics for quality control, as the female Parent. With regard to the male parent, large numbers of seed material from selected Andaman Talls, Tiptur Talls, Nagarcoil Talls and West Coast Talls, were procured, planted in nurseries, selected for preferred characteristics and planted in the coconut breeding estate in Madurai.

Maximum selection pressure [only the best 25% of Female and Male seedling material were planted], resulted in the best Dwarf Mother and the best Tall Father being retained.

Also, by using two Dwarfs and four Talls, Prof. Davis was able to ensure the Breeding garden would produce hybrids with better variability, vigour and capacity. These two factors of rigorous selection and proven genetic material have resulted in the Deejay Hybrid Palm having excellent productivity.

The benefits now being reaped by the farmers, amply justify the challenge undertaken in Parent selection, and the huge additional cost in effort, time and resources.

• High yields of 250 plus nuts average per annum compared to 80 nuts.
• Early flowering in 24 months compared to over 72 months.
• Copra of 200 grams per nut compared to 125 grms.
• Higher Oil content 68% compared to 63%.
• 600 ml of sweeter water in the tender coconut compared to 200 ml.
• 43750 Nuts per ha. Compared to 14000.
• 8750 kgs of copra per ha. Compared to 1750 kgs.
• 5950 kgs of oil per ha. Compared to 1102 kgs.

Over the last decade, the project has incorporated the Deejay Dwarf, a unique, proprietary and specially developed Dwarf, as the female parent. This dwarf begins to flower within 18 months, and produces bunches with larger coconuts earlier. These advantages have been absorbed into the Deejay Hybrid. Today there are over 10,000 Dwarf Mother Palms in the Deejay Breeding program.

India was the first country to create the DxT and the TxD Hybrid, but in reality, failed to benefit from the breakthrough. The potential of the hybrid was noticed first by opportunists.

These opportunists, over the years, regularly sold bogus and inferior coconut seedlings claiming them to be hybrids. They would hit the market annually, generally before the monsoons, going door to door selling “high performing hybrids”, at huge prices [even up to Rs.500 each] using smooth talk and persuasive methods – never to be seen again.

High expectations were built to be shattered by the reality that followed years later. Unfortunately the hybrid name was ruined. Breaking through this barrier was the challenge. Seeing is believing - and once the first Deejay Hybrid came into production, the opposition to hybrids began to reduce. The Deejay Group has established its name in the market over the years, by supplying over one million genuine hybrid seedlings and has over five hundred thousand plants already yielding to the satisfaction of customers.

“If I were setting up an horticultural project, or a livestock project, would I get the easiest and the cheapest stock for my project, or the best stock which gives me the best returns?” Just as no poultry farmer would stock his shed with country chickens, and just as no banker will ever fund such a person trying to produce eggs or broiler meat commercially, why would a farmer start a coconut garden with mediocre or miscellaneous planting material? He has the added disadvantage of being stuck with his choice for the next 50 years!

The Deejay Mantra

Only Quality will control the output of the Breeding Estate! Deejay employs modern and scientific methods of record keeping, selection pressure, technical inputs, hybridization techniques, pollen collection and preservation and on-going research. Specially developed computer software keeps the weekly records and tracks over 10,000 individual tree performances. The Quality control lab monitors pollen quality.

Highly trained technical staff is responsible for the emasculation done on over 10,000 mother palms per month. Technically trained and experienced staff collects the male flowers, process, separate and store the pollen as per need. Harvesting of seed nuts, handling, storage and selection before planting in the nursery is done by staff with training and many years of experience. All the above is overseen by a competent managerial team. Finally before the farmer gets his order executed, every hybrid seedling is checked. Everything possible is done to ensure that the farmer gets a seedling that is a great hybrid of the highest quality.

In the beginning, there were few sales of Deejay Hybrid seedlings. Sales began climbing up, after the production of Deejay hybrid seedlings increased in larger quantity in the subsequent years.

The picture of palms laden with coconuts a couple of feet off the ground spread the word and the demand.

The demand has outstripped the supply and by far. We at Deejay, are painfully aware, that inadequate supplies, means delays for the farmers [who have decided to wait] or for others [who cannot wait and plant any other available seedling] being forced to receive much lower returns than expected for the next 50 years.

In order to meet this ever growing demand Deejay has started new seedling production centres, one each in Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Goa. More centres will be established, to ensure that the farmer does not have to wait.