Assessment of Potential Areas for Growing Nipa Palm in Some Provinces of Southern Thailand

Abstract

Nipa palm (Nypa fruticans wurmb) has been reported to have the potential to produce ethanol, with two folds higher than that of the sugar cane. Since nipa is a salt-tolerant plant, therefore the objectives of this research is to assess potential growing areas of nipa palm together with a database of geographic information systems. For this pilot stage the assessment of nipa areas was conducted along the east coast of four southern provinces of Thailand in 2012. The natural growing nipa sits were mapped out using GIS and then ground survey. Then potential sites for growing nipa palm was assessed using FAO principles. Results from the assessment showed that Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla had a total area of 279,000 ha including an area with high potential of 168,366 ha, moderate 65,463 ha and less potential 45,156 ha. Among these, Nakhon Si Thammarat had the greatest potential growing area of 124,109 ha representing 44.48 percent of the total potential. Next is Songkhla of 717,232 ha representing 25.71 percent of the total potential. Surat Thani had 57,306 ha representing 20.54 percent of the total potential. Lastly, Chumphon had 25,857 ha which representing 9.27 percent of the total potential.