Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Coconut Inflorescence Sap


Affiliations
1 Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod 671 124, India
2 Division of Crop Physiology, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod 671 124, India
 

Coconut inflorescence sap (neera) is the sweet, oysterwhite coloured sap collected from the immature coconut spadix (inflorescence). It is a natural health drink and a rich source of sugars, proteins, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins. Besides being used as a nutritional drink, it is used as raw material for value-added products like natural coconut sugar, palm syrup, jaggery and honey, which have high potential in domestic and international markets. Frequent price fluctuations of major products like nut, copra, oil, etc., call for product diversification in coconut farming. Hence neera/coconut inflorescence sap provides a huge opportunity for higher income to the coconut farmers, making coconut farming a profitable venture. In neera tapping, many factors have to be considered to obtain economic benefit. This review covers some of the factors influencing the neera quantity and quality. This information will help researchers plan research strategies to improve the sap characteristics for commercial utilization.

Keywords

Coconut Inflorescence Sap, Diversification, Neera, Tapping, Value Addition.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Coconutboard.nic.in

  • Jose, T. K., Neera for the revival of coconut economy. Indian Coconut J., 2013, 56(1), 2–3.

  • Nathanael, W. R. N., Toddy yield from coconut palms in Ceylon. Ceylon Cocon. Quart., 1955, 6, 8–16.

  • Magat, S. S., Intercropping and toddy/sugar production in coconutbased farming systems: Possible integration with germplasm conservation and varietal improvement. In Promoting multipurpose uses and competitiveness of the coconut. Proceedings of Workshop (eds Batugal, P. A., Ramanatha Rao, V. and Bong, C.), 26–29 September 1996, Chumphon, IPGRI-APO, Serdang, Thailand, 1998, pp. 57–146.

  • Ranasinghe, C. S. and Silva, L. R. S., Photosynthetic assimilation, carbohydrates in vegetative organs and carbon removal in nutproducing and sap-producing coconut palms. Cocos, 2007, 18, 45– 57.

  • Jnanadevan, Coconut palms suitable for Neera tapping. Indian Coconut J., 2013, 56(1), 15–16.

  • Child, R., Coconuts, Longmans, 1964, 192.

  • Menon, K. P. V. and Pandalai, K. M., The Coconut Palm – A Monograph, Times of India Press, Bombay, India, 1958.

  • Nathanael, W. R. N., A tapping technique for the coconut palm. Ceylon Cocon. Plrs. Rev., 1966, 4(4), 87–99.

  • Banzon, Julian, Gonzalez, O., de Leon, S. and Sanchez, P., Coconut as Food, Philippines Coconut Research and Development Foundation, 1990.

  • Levang, P., Le cocotier est aussi une plante sucridlre. Ol: Sagineux, 1988, 43(4), 159–164.

  • Ranasinghe, C. S., Report of the Plant Physiology Division. In Annual Report of Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka, pp. 168– 169.

  • Woodroof, J. C., Coconuts: Production, Processing Products, The AVI publishing Company, Inc., Westport, Connecticut, 1970.

  • Rethinam, P., Sreekumar Poduval and Nanda Kumar, T. B., Coconut Products, Niseema Printers, Kochi, 2002.

  • Patel, J. S., The Coconut – A Monograph, Govt Press, Madras, 1938.

  • Samsudeen, K., Niral, V., Jerard, B. A., Berwal, M. K., Sugatha, P. and Hebbar, K. B., Influence of variety and season in the inflorescence sap production in Cocos nucifera L. J. Plant. Crops, 2013, 47(1), 57–61.

  • Khieu Borin and Preston, T. R., Conserving biodiversity and the environment and improving the wellbeing of poor farmers in Cambodia by promoting pig feeding systems using the juice of the sugar palm tree (Borassus flabellifer). Livestock Res. Rural Dev., 1995, 7(2); http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd7/2/5.htm

  • Khieu Borin, A study on the use of the sugar palm tree (Borassus flabellifer) for different purposes in Cambodia. M Sc thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 1996, p. 67.

  • Loustau, D., Domec, J. C. and Bosc, A., Interpreting the variation in xylem sap flux density within the trunk of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.): application of a model for calculating water flows at tree and stand levels. Ann. Sci. For., 1998, 55, 29–46.

  • Pethiyagoda, U., Coconut inflorescence sap. Planter, 1979, 55(641), 390–397.

  • Jack, H. W. and Sands, W. N., Observations on the dwarf coconut palm in Malaya. Malay Agric. J., 1929, 17, 140–170.

  • Jeganathan, M., Toddy yields from hybrid coconut palms. Ceylon Coconut Quart., 1974, 25, 139–148.

  • Secretaria, M. I., Ebuna, R. M., Madrazo, R. M., Magat, S. S., Maravilla, J. N., Santos, G. A. and Baylon, G. B., Sequential coconut toddy-nut production (SCTNP) scheme in different coconut cultivars and hybrids: production and processing of product. Philippine J. Crop Sci., 1998, 23(1), 76.

  • Konan, N. Y., Konan, K. J. L., Assa, R. R., Konan, B. R., Okoma, D. M. J., Allou, K. and Biego, G. M. H., Assessment of sap production parameters from spathes of four coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) cultivars in Côte d’Ivoire. Sustain. Agric. Res., 2013, 2(4), 87–94.

  • Anon., Annual Report of ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala, India, 2011.

  • Anon., Annual Report of ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala, India, 2016.

  • Joseph Biju, Reghu, R. S., Gladis, R. and Aparna, B., Influence of coconut varieties on yield and quality of coconut inflorescence sap-neera. Indian J. Sci. Res., 2018, 19(1), 57–60.

  • Ranasinghe, C. S. and Waidyanatha, U. P. de S., Ethrel stimulation of inflorescence sap flow in tapped coconut (Cocos nucifera) palms. Exp. Agric., 2003, 39, 161–166.

  • Eden Green, S. J. and Waters, H., Collection and properties of phloem sap from healthy and lethal yellowing-diseased coconut palms. Phytopathology, 1982, 72(6), 667–672.

  • Catlin, P. B., Olsson, E. A. and Beutel, J. A., Reduced translocation of carbon and nitrogen from leaves with symptoms of pearl curl. J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci., 1975, 100, 184–187.

  • McDonough, J. and Zimmermann, M. H., Effect of lethal yellowing on xylem pressure in coconut palms. J. Palm Soc., 1979, 23(3), 132–137.

  • Anon., Annual Report of ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala, India, 1986.

  • Anon., Annual Report of ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala, India, 1987.

  • Rajagopal, V., Chempakam, B., Robert Cecil and Kamalakshy Amma, Studies on phloem sap collection from healthy and ischolar_main (wilt) diseased coconut palms (Coconut nucifera L.). Plant. Physiol. Biochem., 1989, 16(1), 52–56.

  • Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka Advisory Circular No. A4 March, 1986, p. 8.

  • Anon., Annual Report of ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala, India, 2018.

  • Magalon, M., Contribution vl l’: Stude des palmiers de l’Indochine franVVaise, Paris, 1930, pp. 185–191.

  • Fealy, N. E., Quelques Palmiers exploités pour la production de Sucre. Revue de Botanique Appliquée d’Agriculture Coloniale, 1925, 45, 383–387.

  • Piggott, C., Coconut Growing, Oxford University Press, London, 1964.

  • Mathes, D. T., Effect of extraction of inflorescence sap and the removal of immature fruit bunches on the production of female flowers in coconut. Cocos, 1984, 2, 44–47.

  • Maravilla, J. N. and Magat, S. S., Sequential coconut toddy (sap) and nut production (SCTP) in Laguna Tall variety and hybrid coconuts. Phillipine J. Crop Sci., 1993, 18(3), 143–152.

  • Jack, H. W. and Dennet, J. H., The effect of tapping coconut palms for toddy on the copra and oil produced from subsequent fruiting. Malay Agric. J., 1925, 13, 302–308.

  • Chacko Mathew and Ramadasan, A., Photosynthetic efficiency in relation to annual yield and chlorophyll content in the coconut palm. J. Plant. Crops, 1975, 3(1), 26–28.

  • Shivashankar, S., Kasturi Bai, K. V. and Ramadasan, A., A comparative study of coconut genotypes for components of photosynthesis and respiration. In Proceedings of PLACROSYM V, 1982, pp. 231–234.

  • Wasantha, S. M., De Costa, W. A. J. M., Sangakkara, U. R. and Jayasekara, C., Estimation of water use of mature coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) cultivars (CRIC 60 and CRIC 65) grown in the low country intermediate zone using the compensation heat pulse method (CHPM). J. Natl. Sci. Foundation Sri Lanka, 2009, 37(3), 175–186.

  • Aalbersberg, B., Singh, B. and Ravi, P., Nutrient analysis of coconut toddy. Trop. Sci., 1997, 37(3), 160–163.

  • Anon., Annual Report of ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala, India, 2014.

  • Anon., Annual Report of ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala, India, 1985.

  • Chempakam, B., Rajagopal, V. and Gopalam, A., Identification of biochemical constituents in the phloem sap from ischolar_main (wilt) diseased and apparently healthy coconut palms. Plant Physiol. Biochem., 1991, 18(1), 21–25.

  • Xia, Q., Li, R., Zhao, S., Chen, W., Chen, H. and Xin, B., Chemical composition changes of postharvest coconut inflorescence sap during natural fermentation. Afr. J. Biotechnol., 2011, 10(66), 14999–15005.

  • Nakamura, S. I., Watanabe, A., Chongpraditnum, P., Suzui, N., Hayashi, H. and Mitsuo, C., Analysis of phloem exudate collected from fruit-bearing stems of coconut palm: Palm trees as a source of molecules circulating in sieve tubes. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr., 2004, 50(5), 739–745.

  • Philippine Coconut Authority – Plant and Tissue Analysis Laboratory. Coconuts Today, November 2004, vol. XIX.

  • Kozaki, M., Fermented foods and related micro organisms in Siutheast Asia. Proc. Jpn. Assoc. Mycotoxicol., 1974, 2, 1–10.

  • Augustine, J. and Hebbar, K. B., Coco sap chiller: a new device for the collection of fresh, hygienic and unfermented kalparasa (neera). Patent filed. 5 September 2014, p. 972.


Abstract Views: 530

PDF Views: 129




  • Coconut Inflorescence Sap

Abstract Views: 530  |  PDF Views: 129

Authors

R. Sudha
Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod 671 124, India
V. Niral
Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod 671 124, India
K. B. Hebbar
Division of Crop Physiology, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod 671 124, India
K. Samsudeen
Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod 671 124, India

Abstract


Coconut inflorescence sap (neera) is the sweet, oysterwhite coloured sap collected from the immature coconut spadix (inflorescence). It is a natural health drink and a rich source of sugars, proteins, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins. Besides being used as a nutritional drink, it is used as raw material for value-added products like natural coconut sugar, palm syrup, jaggery and honey, which have high potential in domestic and international markets. Frequent price fluctuations of major products like nut, copra, oil, etc., call for product diversification in coconut farming. Hence neera/coconut inflorescence sap provides a huge opportunity for higher income to the coconut farmers, making coconut farming a profitable venture. In neera tapping, many factors have to be considered to obtain economic benefit. This review covers some of the factors influencing the neera quantity and quality. This information will help researchers plan research strategies to improve the sap characteristics for commercial utilization.

Keywords


Coconut Inflorescence Sap, Diversification, Neera, Tapping, Value Addition.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv116%2Fi11%2F1809-1817