The Arecanut is commonly known as Betel nut or Supari.

Arecanut is a palm which grows in tropical Pacific, Asia and parts of East Africa.

India is the largest producer of Arecanut.

Major Arecanut growing states of India are Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya and West Bengal.

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Magnoliophyta
• Class: Liliopsida
• Order: Arecales
• Family: Arecaceae
• Genus: Areca
• Species: catechu

• Dried Arecanut fruits are used as supari.
• Tannins are the by-products obtained from Arecanut.
• Arecanut leaf sheaths and Areca husk are used for making ply-boards and file covers.
• Arecanut stem forms a useful building material in the villages.
• The leaves are a good source of organic manure.

The cultivation of Arecanut is mostly confined to latitudes 28˚ north and south of the equator. 

It grows well within the temperature range of 14˚C and 36˚C and is adversely affected by temperatures below 10˚C and above 40˚C. 

Arecanut can be grown in areas receiving annual rainfall of 750 mm to 4,500 mm.

The largest area under the crop is found in gravelly laterite soils of red clay type. 

It can also be grown on fertile clay loam soils. 

Sticky clay, sandy, alluvial, brackish and calcareous soils are not suitable for Arecanut cultivation.

• The major challenges involve Biotic and Abiotic causes.
• Biotic Causes:
  • Major Pests: Spindle Bug, Mite, Root Grub, Caterpillar and Spindle Bug.
  • Major Diseases: Fruit Rot, Yellow Leaf Disease, Inflorescence Die-back, Leaf Spot and Bud Rot.
• Abiotic Causes:
  • Nut splitting
  • Band disease
  • Button shedding