Coconut: Acid Sulphate Soils

The acid sulphate soils which are in the coconut areas in our Group of estates were mapped according to the soil identification key drawn up by Paramanathan (1981) and subsequently modified as per Table 1.

TABLE 1. KEY TO IDENTIFICATION OF SOILS ON MARINE, ESTUARINE AND BRACKISH WATER DEPOSITS
(AFTER PARAMANATHAN)

Horizonation and Nature of Subsoil

A/C or O/A/CSulfidic Materials

A/B/C
Sulfuric Horizon

A/B/C
Cambic

A/BC/C or A/C or O/A/C Non-Sulfidic Materials

Depth to sulfuric Horizon/C Horizon

High ‘n’ value

Low ‘n’ value

50 cm

100 cm

50-100 cm

50 cm

High ‘n’ value

Low ‘n’ value

Colour Group

Yellow (Jarosite)

Olive

Brown

Red

Olive

Brown

Red

Olive

Brown

Red

Properties of subsoil

Matrix light-gray coarse angular blocky sticky few pieces of woods

^mKranji*

^mMerbok

^mparit
Botak ²

^mTongkang

^mBernam

^mPerepat

^mParit Botak(B)

e Briah

^mKuala Perlis ¹

^bTelok 2

^mKangkong

^eKechai Kundor

^eChengai

^mSedaka

^mRotan

^mTebengau

^mSerong

^mBakau

^eCarey

^mKundor

^eKangar

^mKuala Kedah

^mPiandang

^fTualang

^fIdris

Matrix bron fine/ medium subangular blocky, friable many pieces of wood

Linau

^bSedu²

^bJawa

^bSelangor

^bSabrang

^bSerkat

^blinau
(B)

^bGuar¹

NOTES:
m –	Marine deposit	* –	Conductivity high (>2.0 mm nos/cm) with 50 cm depth
e –	Estuarine deposit	* –	Marine clay (C) with 50 cm
b –	Brackish water deposit	2 –	Marine clay between 50-100 cm
f –	Fluviatile, often riverine over marine

Our experience with coconuts in the acid sulphate areas and other coastal soil areas is limited to the soil series shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2. DISTRIBUTION OF SOILS IN COCONUT AREAS IN HRU ADVISORY SERVICES (1983)

Horizonation	A/B/C		A/B/C			A/B/C
Nature of subsoil	Sulfuric		Cambic			Cambic
Colour group	Yellow		Brown			Brown
Depth (cm) to sulfuric or C horizon	50	100	100	100	100	50-100	50-100
Soil Series	SEDU	JAWA	BERNAM	BRIAH	SELANGOR	PEREPAT	SABRANG
Area (ha)	252	86	617	718	97	200	204
No. of estates	2	2	1	3	3	1	2

Out of 2174 ha of coconuts (mostly underplanted with cocoa), only 338 ha (15 per cent) are on acid sulphate soils of the Sedu and Java Series.

The coconut areas on acid sulphate soils are located in the Bagan Serai (Estate 1) district, and as discussed later, the problem is compounded by difficulties in water management and the markedly seasonal rainfall pattern.

A comparison of the coconuts and cocoa grown on acid sulphate soils in this estate and comparable areas on two other estates on Sabrang and Briah series (Estate 2 in Kuala Kurau district) and on Bernam/Selangor series (Estate 3 in Sabak Bernam district) is given in this paper.

Rainfall patterns for the estates are shown in Appendix 1.

APPENDIX 1. RAINFALL PATTERNS (1971 – 1982) IN COCONUT ESTATES

*Month*	*Estate 1 Bagan Serai*		*Estate 2 Kuala Kurau*		*Estate 3 Sabak Bernam*
*Month*	Mean	Years <100 mm	Mean	Years <100 mm	Mean	Years <100 mm
January	71	8	59	10	164	5
February	114	4	113	6	150	3
March	104	6	103	7	131	4
April	241	2	224	2	231	2
May	156	4	142	2	226	2
June	116	5	129	4	109	6
July	125	6	138	6	162	5
August	130	5	139	6	140	3
September	239	2	271	1	220	2
October	304	0	320	0	317	1
November	194	3	186	3	310	0
December	131	4	121	5	257	2
Total	1925 mm		1945 mm		2417 mm

Reference
Chew P.S., Kee K.K. and Ooi L.H. 1984. Management of coconuts and cocoa on acid sulphate soils. The Planter. Incorporated Society of Planters, Kuala Lumpur 60 (704) : 483-498.

Note: The full list of references quoted in this article is available from the above paper.

Coconut: Acid Sulphate Soils

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