Light Transmission and Pasture Composition Under Smallholder Coconut Plantations in Malaita, Solomon Islands

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Fourteen smallholder coconut plantations, subdivided into 27 uniform sub-units, were surveyed in an area around Dala, in Western Malaita, Solomon Islands. Most units (17 out of 27) had densities of 160–200 palms ha−1 with a median light transmission of 50–55%. Palm growth was poor due to low soil K, and copra yields averaged only 540 kg ha−1 year−1 Batiki (Ischaemum aristatum) was the most important sown grass, and its productivity was significantly related to stocking rate and weed control, but not directly with light transmission. Farmers should thin dense palm stands, adjust stocking rates in relation to actual areas of pasture available, and institute careful and adequate weed control.