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Areca palm (Areca catechu L.; family Arecaceae) is an important tropical medicinal crop and is also used for masticatory and religious purposes in Asia. Improvements to areca properties made by traditional breeding tools have been very slow, and further advances in its cultivation and practical use require genomic information, which is still unavailable. Here, we present a chromosome-scale reference genome assembly for areca by combining Illumina and PacBio data with Hi-C mapping technologies, covering the predicted A. catechu genome length (2.59 Gb, variety "Reyan#1") to an estimated 240× read depth. The assembly was 2.51 Gb in length with a scaffold N50 of 1.7Mb. The scaffolds were then further assembled into 16 pseudochromosomes, with an N50 of 172 Mb. Transposable elements comprised 80.37% of the areca genome, and 68.68% of them were long-terminal repeat retrotransposon elements. The areca palm genome was predicted to harbour 31,571 protein-coding genes and overall, 92.92% of genes were functionally annotated, including enriched and expanded families of genes responsible for biosynthesis of flavonoid, anthocyanin, monoterpenoid and their derivatives. Comparative analyses indicated that A. catechu probably diverged from its close relatives Elaeis guineensis and Cocos nucifera approximately 50.3 million years ago (Ma). Two whole genome duplication events in areca palm were found to be shared by palms and monocots, respectively. This genome assembly and associated resources represents an important addition to the palm genomics community and will be a valuable resource that will facilitate areca palm breeding and improve our understanding of areca palm biology and evolution.

Pepper yellow crinkle disease was first reported in China. PCR amplification using primer pairs specific for 16S rRNA, groEL, tuf or secA gene of phytoplasma yielded a fragment of 1331 bp for 16S rRNA, 1296 bp for groEL, 935 bp for tuf and 705 bp for secA. The phytoplasma was named pepper yellow crinkle (PYC) phytoplasma, strain PYC-hnhk, and is related to ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’. Genetic analysis indicated that PYC-hnhk was closely related to phytoplasma strains that infect periwinkle, chinaberry, and areca palm, all from Hainan Island of China.

Phytophthora diseases are serious and often fatal in arecanut causing huge losses to farmers (50–100%) if timely and proper management measures aren’t adopted. Among Phytophthora diseases, fruit rot disease predominantly exists in all the arecanut growing regions receiving heavy rainfall during the south-west monsoon season. The extended manifestation of pathogen causes crown and bud rot disease which prevails till November–December due to prolonged rains and congenial weather factors. The role of Phytophthora in causing these diseases of arecanut was established in the early 1900’s and later the Phytophthora meadii was identified as a causal agent. Though the diseases are sporadic, their management in the field situation is a challenging task due to intense rainfall and the variability in the pathogen. The continuous heavy rainfall during the tender arecanut developmental stage, non-availability of professional climbers coupled with the absence of machinery for powerful spraying, occurrence of aggressive pathotypes and lack of Phytophthora resistant/tolerant arecanut varieties are the major hindrance for taking up effective disease management measures. The present review has attempted to compile the earlier findings, present status of this century-old disease, and discusses future strategies for the development of effective remedies for this serious malady of the areca palm.

Deterioration of indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a serious concern as people spend lots of time indoors and prolonged pollution exposure can result in adverse health outcomes. Indoor plants can phytoremediate a wide variety of indoor contaminants. Nonetheless, few experiments have demonstrated their efficacy in real-time environments. Therefore, the present study aims to experimentally assess the efficiency of Areca palm potted plants in phytoremediation of primary indoor air pollutant viz. total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), carbon dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) levels from real-world indoor spaces, for the first time. Four discrete naturally ventilated experimental sites (I-IV) situated at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) were used. For over a period of 4 months, the sites were monitored using zero plants as a control (1–4 week), three plants (5–8 week), six plants (9–12 week), and nine plants (13–16 week), respectively. Present results indicate that Areca palm potted plants can effectively reduce the TVOCs, CO2, and CO levels by 88.16% in site IV, 52.33% and 95.70% in site III, respectively. The current study concluded that Areca palm potted plants offer an efficient, cost-effective, self-regulating, sustainable solution for improving indoor air quality and thereby human well-being and productivity in closed and confined spaces.

Areca palm yellow leaf (AYL) disease caused by the 16SrI group phytoplasma is a serious threat to the development of the Areca palm industry in China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence was utilized to establish a rapid and efficient detection system efficient for the 16SrI-B subgroup AYL phytoplasma in China by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The results showed that two sets of LAMP detection primers, 16SrDNA-2 and 16SrDNA-3, were efficient for 16SrIB subgroup AYL phytoplasma in China, with positive results appearing under reaction conditions of 64oC for 40 min. The lowest detection limit for the two LAMP detection assays was the same at 200 ag/μl, namely approximately 53 copies/μl of the target fragments. Phytoplasma was detected in all AYL disease samples from Baoting, Tunchang, and Wanning counties in Hainan province using the two sets of LAMP primers 16SrDNA-2 and 16SrDNA-3, whereas no phytoplasma was detected in the negative control. The LAMP method established in this study with comparatively high sensitivity and stability, provides reliable results that could be visually detected, making it suitable for application and research in rapid diagnosis of AYL disease, detection of seedlings with the pathogen and breeding of disease-resistant Areca palm varieties.

Yellow leaf disease (YLD) is an economically important disease affecting betel palm in several countries, the cause of which remains unclear despite associations with putative agents, including phytoplasmas. In this study, we screened the potential casual agents associated with YLD in Hainan, China using next-generation sequencing and revealed the association of areca palm velarivirus 1 (APV1) with the YLD-affected palm. The complete genome of the APV1-WNY isolate was determined to be 17,546 nucleotides in length, approximately 1.5 kb longer than the previously reported APV1_HN genome. Transmission electron microscopy showed that APV1 particles are flexuous and filamentous, a typical morphology of species in the Closteroviridae family. Comparison of symptomatic and symptomless tree populations showed a strong association between APV1 and YLD. APV1 was detected in Pseudococcus sp. mealybugs sampled from YLD-affected trees in many locations, suggesting that mealybugs are a potential transmission vector for APV1. Although further studies are needed to confirm a causal relationship, these results provide timely information for the prevention and management of YLD associated with APV1.

The occurrence of Platylecanium nepalense Takagi (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Coccidae) in India is reported. The scale was collected on leaflets of ornamental palms viz., areca palm, Dypsis lutescens (H.Wendl.) Beentje & J. Dransf (Arecaceae) and Indian date palm, Phoenix sylvestris (L.) Roxb. (Arecaceae) growing in front yard of residences in Meghalaya, northeast India. We provide a brief redescription aided with photographs of live and slide mounted specimens along with a key to the species of Platylecanium Cockerell & Robinson.

Infestation of the highly invasive whitefly Aleurotrachelus atratus Hempel (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is reported for the first time from India as well as from the Oriental region. The pest was found colonizing coconut palm, Cocos nucifera (Arecaceae) and ornamental areca palm, Dypsea lutescens (Arecaceae) in Mandya and Mysore districts of Karnataka during February, 2019. Whitefly specimens were collected from infested palm plants and the identity of the species is confirmed by morphological characteristics. No parasitisation was observed but four species of predators viz., Dichochrysa astur (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), Cybochephalus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Chilocorus nigrita and Jauravia pallidula (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were found feeding on this invasive species. The severity of the infestations and its impact on coconut as well as other crop plants in India is discussed.

Nature is the art of God. We are demolishing it by the usage of plastic at large scale in our daily lives. It’s been in the usage because of its numerous applications. Yet the problem arises when we no longer use these plastic items and want to dispose them, particularly used in packaging or wrapping and disposal of plastic still remains a major problem in India. Natural fibers are playing a major role in composite industries due to its renewable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly properties. Fibers are extracted from Areca palm tree and extracted fibers are cut into the required size. The fibers are treated with NaOH solution. The objective of the proposed work is to compare mechanical properties of chemically treated natural fibers with chemically untreated natural fibers by using NaOH solution. Laminates are prepared by using the hand lay-up process and the mechanical properties of Areca tree fibers will be evaluated.

Potyviridae is the largest family of plant-infecting RNA viruses and includes many agriculturally and economically important viral pathogens. The viruses in the family, known as potyvirids, possess single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genomes with polyprotein processing as a gene expression strategy. The N-terminal regions of potyvirid polyproteins vary greatly in sequence. Previously, we identified a novel virus species within the family, Areca palm necrotic spindle-spot virus (ANSSV), which was predicted to encode two cysteine proteases, HCPro1 and HCPro2, in tandem at the N-terminal region. Here, we present evidence showing self-cleavage activity of these two proteins and define their cis-cleavage sites. We demonstrate that HCPro2 is a viral suppressor of RNA silencing (VSR), and both the variable N-terminal and conserved C-terminal (protease domain) moieties have antisilencing activity. Intriguingly, the N-terminal region of HCPro1 also has RNA silencing suppression activity, which is, however, suppressed by its C-terminal protease domain, leading to the functional divergence of HCPro1 and HCPro2 in RNA silencing suppression. Moreover, the deletion of HCPro1 or HCPro2 in a newly created infectious clone abolishes viral infection, and the deletion mutants cannot be rescued by addition of corresponding counterparts of a potyvirus. Altogether, these data suggest that the two closely related leader proteases of ANSSV have evolved differential and essential functions to concertedly maintain viral viability. IMPORTANCE The Potyviridae represent the largest group of known plant RNA viruses and account for more than half of the viral crop damage worldwide. The leader proteases of viruses within the family vary greatly in size and arrangement and play key roles during the infection. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the presence of a distinct pattern of leader proteases, HCPro1 and HCPro2 in tandem, in a newly identified member within the family. Moreover, HCPro1 and HCPro2, which are closely related and typically characterized with a short size, have evolved contrasting RNA silencing suppression activity and seem to function in a coordinated manner to maintain viral infectivity. Altogether, the new knowledge fills a missing piece in the evolutionary relationship history of potyvirids and improves our understanding of the diversification of potyvirid genomes.

In areca nut and husk, 14 elements (As, Ca, Cd, Cl, Co, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, and Zn) were determined, while 34 elements including rare earth elements were detected in the corresponding soil samples using instrumental neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry methods, whereas the concentration levels of Hg in tested samples are negligible, perhaps, below the detection limits. No rare earth elements were detected in edible areca nut. The concentration levels of various essential elements and heavy elements such as As, Cd, and Cu present in areca nut are within the permissible levels, whereas Pb content is relatively higher than FAO/WHO's permissible levels. The order of bioaccumulation index for heavy metals in areca nut was Cd > Sb > Cu > Zn ≥ Mn ≥ Co > Pb ≥ As. Bioaccumulation index values are indicating that areca palm may not be able to accumulate other heavy elements in the edible areca nut, except for Cd. On the basis of pollution indices, Northeast Indian soil may be relatively unpolluted.

The research article addresses, a new natural fibers namely Areca Palm Leaf Stalk Fibers (APLSF) were extracted from an Areca palm tree (Dypsis lutescens) and subjected to various concentrations of alkali treatment (NaOH) such as 5%, 10% and 15% by weight. The effects of this treatment on various properties of the fibers such as physical, chemical and mechanical properties were studied. However, the density of the fibers increased and diameter of the fibers reduced. The chemical result showed that the cellulose content was increased while hemicellulose, lignin, wax and ash contents were reduced. The chemical functional groups present in the fibers were confirmed by FTIR. The 5% alkali treated APLSF exhibited a highest tensile strength of 486.41 ± 35.57 MPa, tensile modulus of 9.89 ± 1.46 GPa and elongation at break of 4.91 ± 1.82%. The surface morphology, surface roughness and thermal stability of fibers were examined by SEM, AFM and TGA/DTG.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of improving indoor air quality with indoor plants. As a methodology, two target classrooms with the same size (120.64 m2) and 32 students per room were selected. Then, 48 areca palm pots (average leaf area of 300 cm2/pot) were placed, and the plant density was 14.68% of the floor area. Subjective assessment for general questions, learning motivation, perceived air quality, and SBS symptoms was conducted at 5 min after the class started and 5 min before the class ended. The results showed that the CO2 concentration by respiration of the students (average of 1873 ppm) exceeded the regulatory standard (1000 ppm), but the students did not recognize the indoor CO2 concentration. The increase in CO2 concentration in the classroom was lower in the case with plant placement (624 ppm) compared with the case without plant placement (about 1205 ppm). It was statistically proven that the CO2 concentration by respiration could be reduced by 50% if the indoor plant leaf area density were maintained at about 14.68% of the floor area. In the case with plant placement, the students perceived the indoor air quality to be 40% fresher and showed a 140% higher acceptability. Moreover, the complaining of SBS symptoms was improved by 108%, and the students’ perception that it was better to focus on learning increased by about 120%. As the awareness of sustainability increases, indoor plants will be more actively placed in the United Arab Emirates. Indoor plants not only provide a visual green effect to improve human comfort but also purify indoor air pollutants.

Most of the take away materials used today is made of plastic. This presents a huge challenge in terms of waste management and pollution. It is widely known that plastic takes several hundred to thousand years to decompose, releasing toxic substances in the process. Therefore, the aim of this work was to analyze alternatives to plastic takeaway cutlery, crockery from areca palm and coconut tree by products. This focuses on reviving the methods and knowledge that existed in the southern and central parts of the Indian subcontinent for making sustainable cutlery and crockery products used in everyday life. A market analysis, design, life cycle analysis and deeper research on the fabrication will be briefly presented.

Tirathaba rufivena Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is an important pest of areca palm, Areca catechu L. (Arecaceae), in China. The effects of azadirachtin on the development and mortality of T. rufivena were determined. All larval instars were susceptible to azadirachtin, but the stomach and contact toxicities diminished as the larvae matured. The LC25 and LC50 dosages had no effect on larval hatch when applied directly to the eggs on different days after deposition, but the LC90 treatment retarded hatch from eggs treated 1 to 3 d after deposition. The tested concentrations significantly affected the survival of neonate larvae from treated eggs, especially larvae that emerged from eggs treated 3 d after deposition. Azadirachtin also prolonged larval development and duration of the pupal stage. The percentage of adult emergence decreased, and longevity of the emerged adults was shortened, following treatment. Also, egg production and viability from females treated as larvae with azadirachtin were ...

Betel nut is the fruit of Areca palm, growing in Papua New Guinea. Mixed with limestone and stick mustard, arecoline and guvacoline, which are present in betel nut, are hydrolyzed into arecaidine and guvacine, respectively. As part of the study on dietary habits of Papuans residents, our laboratory was asked to analyze the four alkaloids in hair to document long-term exposure. Hair samples were collected from 19 adult subjects (males = 11; females = 8), by some of the authors, and were sent to the laboratory for analysis. The four alkaloids have very similar chemical structures. In order to accurately identify the drugs, two methods were developed. First, the compounds were identified using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Then, they were quantified by an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. After decontamination with dichloromethane, hair samples were cut into very small segments and 20 mg were incubated in methanol for 2 h 30 min in an ultrasound bath. After cooling, the methanol was evaporated to dryness in presence of 20-μL octanol to prevent volatilization. Nicotine-d4 was used as an internal standard. Linearity was observed for concentrations ranging from the limit of quantification to 20 ng/mg for arecoline, arecaidine, guvacine and guvacoline. Measured concentrations were in the range 60 pg/mg to 18 ng/mg for arecoline (n = 19), 14 pg/mg to 2.5 ng/mg for guvacoline (n = 11), 63 pg/mg to 3.8 ng/mg for arecaidine (n = 11) and 100 pg/mg to 3.2 ng/mg for guvacine (n = 6). There was no correlation between concentrations of arecoline and arecaidine (ratio from 0.01 to 0.18) and guvacoline and guvacine (ratio from 0.06 to 3.50). However, the identification of these substances in hair is a good marker of consumption of betel nut and allows us to document a local practice that remains difficult to evaluate just by questioning.

Phytoplasmas that infect gramineous plants, including Napier grass stunt, sugarcane whiteleaf, sugarcane grassy shoot, and Bermuda grass whiteleaf, have been classified into two closely related groups, 16SrXI and 16SrXIV, based on the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Subsequently, phytoplasmas associated with coconut and Areca palm in southern India and Sri Lanka have been added into the 16SrXI group. However, the 16S rRNA gene gives relatively poor resolution between these phytoplasmas. In this study, a new set of universal phytoplasma primers that amplify approximately 1 kb of the leucyl transfer RNA synthetase (leuS) gene have been validated on a broad range of phytoplasma taxonomic groups. These have been used along with partial sequences of the secA gene to clarify the taxonomic classification of 16SrXI and 16SrXIV phytoplasmas. Based on this data, the sugarcane whiteleaf and grassy shoot phytoplasmas appear to be the same phytoplasma. The Napier grass stunt phytoplasma forms a distinct group from the Bermuda grass whiteleaf and sugarcane phytoplasmas, suggesting that Napier grass stunt should be in its own ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma sp.’. The phytoplasmas associated with coconut and arecanut in southern India and Sri Lanka, which are in the same 16SrXI group, appear in different groups based on secA analysis.

White grub, Leucopholis lepidophora Blanchard (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), is a major insect pest infesting areca nut in India. Larvae feed on roots (hence also called root grubs), causing reduced number of roots, loss of anchorage, stem tapering, reduced number of fronds, yellowing of leaves, yield reduction and death of the plants. The biology and ecology aspect of this scarabaeid are scanty. Hence, the aim of this study was to understand the ecological and behavioral aspects to develop IPM program. The adult emergence pattern of L. lepidophora was observed daily during the rainy season. The emergence period was defined between June and October during 2013 and 2014. Peak emergence of adult beetles occurred between 1900 and 2000 h. When raining occurred between 1800 and 2100 h, no emergence of adult beetles was observed. The sex ratio of L. lepidophora varied over time, but the overall sex ratio was female biased in both the study years (female:male; 1:1.18 and 1:1.46 in 2013 and 2014, respectively). Males were found to emerge first in the season resulting in protandry. Innovative idea emerged during our field experiments in 2013–2014 was the use of female beetles for attracting male beetles. Female adults were collected and placed individually in traps made of small pouches of nylon net and were tied to the areca palm at a height of 5 ft. Trap containing a female beetle attracted male individuals for about 8–10 days. The same technique was employed for the large-scale collection of beetles during 2014. A total of 1843 males were collected in an areca grower's field using female-baited traps during 2014. Male baited traps did not attract female beetles, indicating existence of only female produced semiochemical that attracts males. Our findings provide new insights for incorporating adult collection using female-baited traps in IPM against areca nut white grubs.

The areca palm (Areca catechu L.) is among the most important crops grown in Southeast Asia, with a planting area of over 100,000 ha in Hainan, China. In July 2017, we observed black-brown leaf spots on areca leaves in Wanning, Hainan Province, China. Although only small-scale occurrence of this disease has been observed to date, it causes serious symptoms in the areca palm. Initial symptoms appeared as 2- to 4-mm oblong, dark red lesions on lower leaves. Lesions reached 6.0 mm and gradually developed into spindly, dark brown spots. The internal area of these lesions was shallow, medium-dark brown, and had a dark brown edge and yellow halo. Over time, the necrotic spots enlarged, gradually turned black, and then coalesced to form larger necrotic areas. To isolate the pathogen, leaf surfaces were sterilized by wiping with 75% (v/v) ethanol. Leaf samples (3.0 × 5.0 mm) were cut from borders between symptomatic and healthy tissues. Diseased tissues were transferred onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium supplemented with 0.01% streptomycin sulfate and incubated at 28°C for 4 days. Colonies grown from these tissues were dark with even, villous edges. Conidia were brown, smooth, fusiform or hook-shaped, and measured 18 to 25 μm long × 8.0 to 12.0 μm wide. The conidia had three to four transversal septa, with the middle one to two cells larger and darker than the others, which were borne from the apex of geniculate conidiophores singly or in groups, showing very similar characteristics to Curvularia pseudobrachyspora (Manamgoda et al. 2012; Marin-Felix et al. 2017). Pathogenicity tests were performed on new leaves of healthy areca seedlings (0.6 to 0.8 m in height). Healthy leaves were rinsed with sterilized water and gently punctured with a sterile pin. Five mycelial disks taken from the edges of 4-day-old PDA cultures were placed on each wounded leaf, covered with wet sterile blotting paper, and wrapped in a plastic bag. As a control, PDA agar was placed on leaves of the same seedlings. Three areca seedlings were inoculated, and the symptoms were observed after 15 days. Although no symptoms appeared on the control leaves, typical symptoms (i.e., circular brown lesions surrounded by yellow halos) were observed on leaves inoculated with the isolate. The pathogen was reisolated from symptomatic leaves. The ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1a) were amplified using the primers ITS5p and ITS4 (White et al. 1990), gpd1 and gpd2 (Berbee et al. 1999), and 983F and 2218R (Schoch et al. 2009), respectively. The combined ITS (MH516132), GAPDH (MH516133), and EF1a (MH516134) sequences were compared with published sequences of 49 Curvularia isolates and six Bipolaris isolates by phylogenetic analysis. The HNWN001 isolate from Areca in Hainan showed 100% similarity with an isolate (CPC 28808) of C. pseudobrachyspora from Eleusine indica but slight difference from other Curvularia isolates (Manamgoda et al. 2012). Surprisingly, HNWN001 showed distinct difference from a C. oryzae strain isolated from oil palm (CBS169.53). Based on morphology, pathogenesis, and multigene sequence analysis, the causal agent of leaf spots on A. catechu was identified as C. pseudobrachyspora. This is the first report of C. pseudobrachyspora causing leaf spots on areca in China and worldwide.

This 1-year study, extending from January to December 2011, was conducted to investigate the role of the Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) as a seed disperser in Lahore, Pakistan. Ejecta of the species from two roosting sites, i.e. Jinnah garden and Lalazar garden, was collected and the plant seeds were extracted from bat boluses and guano. Various seeds of edible trees and forest plantation species extracted from ejecta of P. Giganteus included areca palm (Areca catechu), coromandel ebony (Diospyros melanoxylon), Indian gaabh (D. Peregrina), lemon-scented gum (Eucalyptus citriodora), Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis), sapodilla (Manilkara zapota), mahwa (Madhuca longifolia), Indian lilac (Melia azedarach), cajeput tree (Melaleuca leucadendra), rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), guava (Psidium guajava), and janbolanum plum (Syzygium jambolanum). Measurements of the extracted seeds' length (mm), diameter (mm), and weight (g) were taken and the seeds of jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) were found the longest (40 mm) with the maximum average diameter (50 mm) while the rambutan (N. Lappaceum) seeds were the heaviest (3.4 g). It can be concluded from the present study that P. Giganteus is a seed disperser and transporter of heavier seeds as heavier seeds are mammal-dependent for their dispersal.

Areca palm is an ornamental palm largely used in landscape which propagate occur by seeds germination. However, the biometry and the endogenous and exogenous factors than can limit propagation of this plant are poorly known, so this work was aimed characterize biometrics of fruits and seeds of areca palm and evaluate the germination of seeds in different substrates. For this, the biometric analyses of length, diameter and weight were recorded; the description of internal and external morphology of frit and seed were also studded. The treatments to improvement of seed germination were intact seeds (T1), intact seeds soaked in 500 mg L-1 GA3 solution (T2), physically scarified seeds with the aid of sandpaper (T3) and physically scarified seeds after immersion in 500 mg L-1 GA3 solution (T4). The Seeds were sown in containers containing sand, coir dust or vermiculite. The areca pal fruits and seeds are both, elliptical shape and the weight of fruits and seeds is 1.70g and 1.04g, respectively. There is positive correlation between fruit weight and length and diameter of the fruit and just like the diameter has a positive correlation with the diameter of the seed. The mechanical scarification improve the seed germination. The Coir dust is the most atrophied substrate to seed germination of areca palm. The seed germination of Areca palm is hypogeal and the protrusion of the haustorium was observed at 59 days after sowing and the plantlets is fully grown at 153 after sowing.