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Organic Farming in the


Tropics and Subtropics


Exemplary Description of 20 Crops


Coco Palms


© Naturland e.V. – 1st edition 2000


These cultivation guidelines have been published by Naturland e.V. with the kind support of the


Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit mbH (GTZ, German Agency for Technical


Cooperation) financed by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit (BMZ,


Federal Ministry for Development Cooperation). The cultivation recommendations at hand for 20


crops of the tropics and subtropics being of significant importance for the world economy were


written by various authors.


Naturland would like mention the following authors and thank them for their contributions:


Franz Augstburger, Jörn Berger, Udo Censkowsky,


Petra Heid, Joachim Milz, Christine Streit.


The cultivation guidelines are available in English, Spanish and German for the following crops:


banana, brazil nut, cashew nut, cocoa, coconut, coffee,


cotton, hibiscus, macadamia, mango, papaya, peanut,


pepper, pineapple, sugar cane, sesame, tea, vanilla.


The cultivation guidelines for Bananas, Mangoes, Pineapples and Pepper were revised in 2001 for


the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) by Udo Censkowsky and


Friederike Höngen.


In 2002 two more guidelines, for rice and date palms, were published in English.


All the authors emphasize, that the cultivation recommendations at hand can just provide general


information. They do not substitute technical assistance to the farmers with regard to the location.


All indications, data and results of this cultivation guidelines have been compiled and cross-


checked most carefully by the authors. Yet mistakes with regard to the contents cannot be


precluded. The indicated legal regulations are based on the state of the year 1999 and are subject


to alterations in future. Consequently all information has to be given in exclusion of any obligation


or guarantee by Naturland e.V. or the authors. Both Naturland e.V. and authors therefore do not


accept any responsibility or liability.


Furthermore the authors kindly call upon for critical remarks, additions and other important


information to be forwarded to the address below. The cultivation guidelines will be updated


regularly by Naturland e.V.


Naturland e.V.


Kleinhaderner Weg 1


82166 Gräfelfing


Germany


phone: +49 - (0)89 - 898082-0


fax: +49 - (0)89 - 898082-90


e-mail: naturland@naturland.de


website: www.naturland.de


We pass our gratitude to Peter Brul of Agro Eco for his helpful comments on the manuscript. Our


best thanks are also devoted to all supporters of this publication, in particular Mrs Sybille


Groschupf who cleaned up the text from errors in strenuous detail work and did the attractive


layout.


II Special section: Organic Cultivation of Coco Palms


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Index


1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1


2. Aspects of plant cultivation ................................................................................ 1


2.1. Site requirements.............................................................................................. 1


2.2. Seeds ................................................................................................................. 2


2.3. Planting methods.............................................................................................. 3


2.4. Diversification strategies ................................................................................. 3


2.5. Supplying nutrients and organic fertilisation management ......................... 4


2.6. Biological methods of plant protection .......................................................... 5


2.7. Crop cultivation and maintenance .................................................................. 6


2.7.1. Crop monitoring................................................................................................ 6


2.7.2. Weed management.......................................................................................... 7


2.8. Harvesting and post harvest treatment .......................................................... 7


2.8.1. Harvesting........................................................................................................ 7


2.8.2. Post harvest treatment ..................................................................................... 7


3. Product specifications......................................................................................... 8


3.1. Fresh coconuts ................................................................................................. 8


3.1.1. Preparation ...................................................................................................... 8


3.1.2. Quality requirements ........................................................................................ 8


3.1.3. Packaging and storage .................................................................................... 9


3.2. Copra and dried, grated coconuts................................................................. 10


3.2.1. Preparation .................................................................................................... 10


3.2.2. Quality requirements ...................................................................................... 12


3.2.3. Packaging and storage .................................................................................. 13


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Organic Cultivation of Coco Palms


1. Introduction


Coco palms Cocos nucifera L. (French.: cocotier; Spanish.: cocotero) originate from


Melanesia. South east Asia is still an important cultivation region today. The coconut


is a monocotyledon plant, and can therefore only proliferate via seeds (comp. 2.2.).


It can produce an inflorescence on each leaf axil, which can then have either male


or female blossoms. These are formed on the side, so that generally, the coco palm


is cross-fertilised by a variety of bee species, other insects and the wind. Coco


palms live to an average age of 60 years old.


Every part of the coco palm can be used. The juice from the inflorescence, which


can contain up to 15% sugar, goes to make palm-wine. Half-ripened nuts (6-7


months old) are often harvested to be eaten fresh. The coco juice is drunk, and milk


squeezed out of the meat (endosperm). Fully ripened nuts (after 11-12 months)


provide the so-called copra, which is made from the firm meat of the nut. Copra is


high in oil and protein content (65% oil, 25% protein). Coconut oil is produced from


drying and pressing the copra. Grated coconut is made from fresh copra. The hard


coconut shells are used to fire kilns used to dry the copra, and to make charcoal.


When they have been finely grated, coconut shells are used as fillers for objects


made of plastic, such as buttons, containers and other objects. Coconut fibres are


used in the upholstery industry, to make ropes, as mulching material or as a


substitute for peat. The leaves and wood are used as building material and to make


household objects (e.g. brooms) and tools.


2. Aspects of plant cultivation


2.1. Site requirements


The saying “the coco palm loves to stand with its feet in the water and its head in


the sky”, offers a very characteristic description of the site requirements of coco


palms. It needs a continuous supply of water, which can be provided by regular


rainfall of about 2000 mm per annum, or from ground water (at a depth of 1-3 m). It


cannot tolerate water-logging, though. It grows best at average temperatures of


around 26-27°C. Because of its temperature requirements, the coco palm cannot


grow above 750 m, even near to the equator. Growth is stimulated by a sufficient


supply of chlorine in the soil. The coco can withstand up to1% salt in the soil.


These conditions are generally to be found in tropical and subtropical coastal


regions with little rainfall. Coco palms can also grow on deep, water-logging free,


alluvial soil, away from the coast – yet a low chlorine content in the soil could have


negative effects. These conditions should be well-heeded when choosing a site.


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Depending on the site, coco palms can be suited to cultivation on agroforestry


systems. As a plant of the upper storey, with requisite light requirements, the coco


palm towers above such crops as citrus plants, cacao and others.


2.2. Seeds


The quality of the seeds is important to the forthcoming yield from the palm. For this


reason, the seeds should originate from a healthy, and productive stock plant.


Usually, the seedlings are raised in state tree nurseries. If no tree nursery can be


found which is capable of working under the restrictions necessary for organic


cultivation, then the seedlings will have to be raised on the site.


Two different main groups are cultivated in the commercial sector. The tall plants of


the Typica group, which generally need to be cross-fertilised, and dwarf types of the


Nana group, where self-pollination is the norm. Tall varieties should always be


chosen for agroforestry systems, because these are the only sorts that can reach up


to the upper levels intended for them, and thus fully develop. Dwarf palms grow very


slowly, and are easily overshadowed in the system, hindering their full development.


In addition, the Nana variety reacts more sensitively to drought and some diseases


than Typica varieties.


Stock plants that are suitable seed providers produce 100 nuts per year, 12-14


syncarpy of differing ages, and up to 180 g copra per nut. The fully-ripened nuts


which are intended to provide seeds are harvested after 11-12 months. It should be


noted that for the fruit setting at a later date, that the nuts germinate quicker at the


lower end, or in the middle, of the syncarpy as at the upper end. The nuts should not


be allowed to fall, but should be cut down, and carefully lowered, e.g. by rope.


Following the harvest, the produce should be stored for a short break in a covered,


well-ventilated place.


Before sowing, the nuts are again sorted; only those nuts containing water are used.


The shell is cut away on the germinating side of the nut to facilitate germination,


then the nuts are soaked in water for 14 days, before being sown in loose soil which


can drain easily. The nuts are laid in the soil lengthways with the upper side still


visible. They are sown in nursery beds at a distance of 45 cm. Coconut fibres are


used as mulching material between the rows. The planting area is nevertheless left


uncovered. The nuts can also be sown in a glasshouse with 95% humidity. On


smallholdings, the nuts are often merely set out in shaded areas, lightly dug in, and


then covered over with organic material.


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2.3. Planting methods


The nuts begin to germinate after 12 weeks in the nursery beds. There, they require


no additional fertiliser, as the endosperm provides them with sufficient nutrients.


When the seedlings are planted in beds outside the rainy season (and not in


glasshouses), then the beds need to be irrigated twice a week with around 5 l


water/m². After the 5th month, the strongest seedlings should be selected and


labelled for transplanting. Around 20-40 % of the seedlings will be unusable.


Suitable seedlings germinate earlier, and have thicker leaf bases. Early leaf-


development is a sure sign of a strong plant. The seedlings are transplanted after 9-


10 months, by which time they should have developed 4-5 fully-opened leaves.


When the seedlings are removed from the nursery beds, their roots are shortened,


and then planted again as soon as possible.


The distances between the plants should be between 7.5 x 7.5 m and 6 x 9 m,


depending on the cultivation method used and the other crops being grown, or


similar distances resulting in an average density of 150-180 trees/ha. The seedlings


are planted in a hollow 60-75 cm below the surface which is gradually filled up with


the coco palm’s growth, while the lateral roots are at a greater depth. This means


that the palms are less susceptible to drought periods. This method should not be


used when the ground water is relatively high. The young seedlings also need to be


protected from bites when animals are being raised.


2.4. Diversification strategies


Organic coconut cultivation does not allow for monocropping. Existing plantations


can be improved by sowing at least one bottom crop of plants which offer ground


coverage. Legumes can be planted here as green fertilisers. In multi-level


agroforestry systems, cacao, bananas, pineapples and many other crops can be


used. Spices such as ginger and turmeric also thrive under palms. If animals are


kept, fodder crops should be integrated in a crop rotation system underneath the


coco palms.


If possible large plants should be used from the nursery beds when setting up


agroforestry systems which include coco palms. This applies not only to coco palms,


but to all types of palms integrated within agroforestry systems. Coco palms will


grow on any sites which are suitable for cacao, bananas, citrus (oranges) or


papaya. Plenty of examples of their integration within agro forestry systems can be


found in the chapters on cacao and bananas, which are also highly suited to the


cultivation of coco palms. On citrus plantations, a slightly lower density should be


used (120-150 plants/ha) than for e.g. cacao (150-180 plants/ha).


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Three phases can be identified in the development (life cycle of the coco palm) of


the crop:


Life cycle Shade Mixed crops


1st phase: up to 8th year A full frond will only have

developed after 8 years;

during this time, only partial

shade is available;


Cultivation of annual crops

possible.


2nd phase: from 8-25th

year


Comparatively large amount

of shade


Cultivation of shade-tolerant

varieties.


3rd phase: older than 25

years


Shade reaching to the ground

diminishes as trees attain full

height


High amounts of sunlight

allows cultivation of plants

needing lots of light.


A variety of biotopes providing habitats for useful insects and special bees – which


both contribute to the fertilising of coco palms – can develop on diversified


plantations. Coco palms cultivated in agroforestry systems receive significantly more


protection against winds in very windy regions (cyclones).


2.5. Supplying nutrients and organic fertilisation


management


The following amounts of nutrient extraction pertain to cultivation on conventional


plantations:


Average nutrient extraction of coco palms (kg/ha)1:


N[kg] P [kg] K [kg] Ca [kg] Mg [kg]


Nutrient extraction 67.8 12 83.6 16.6 23.2


If the entire fruit – including fruit shell, husk, endosperm and the leaves – are to be


used, then the values for nutrient extraction per hectare cultivated are much higher


(232 kg N; 251 kg K; 51 kg Mg; 215 kg Cl).


The level of nutrient extraction on a coco palms/mixed crop system can be balanced


by encouraging the decomposition of organic material that is made available, e.g.


through mulching material, green fertiliser and tree trimming. A dense crop of


legumes such as Glyricidia sepium, Pueraria phaseoloides, Calopogonium


mucunoides, Centrosema pubescens, Arachi pintoi, Glycine wightii, Desmodium


ovalifolium or use of another plants providing ground coverage as bottom crops, and


which are regularly supplied with mulching material, will provide a sufficient supply


of nitrogen for the plants.


1

FRANKE, G. (Hrsg.) (1994): Nutzpflanzen the Tropen and Subtropen; Bd. 3: Spezieller Pflanzenbau.


UTB Verlag


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It is important to take care that all harvest and processing residues, such as coco


fibres and press-cakes from the oil-extraction process, are returned to the


plantation. This also applies to the potassium-rich ash resulting from burning the


coco husks.


If insufficient organic material is produced on the plantation, the deficit can be


balanced by regularly adding compost. The compost should be enriched with any


wood ashes (or coco husk ashes) that are available.


The compost is spread out in a circle 3-5 m underneath the palms, and preferably


covered over with coco shell mulching material. The latter may be especially


necessary in systems lacking enough additional vegetation.


A deficiency in potash will result in a large reduction of yield for coco palms. The


vast majority of the potassium is thereby contained in the fruit water of the coconuts.


On cultivation systems which include cacao, returning the cacao shells to the site


will supply sufficient potassium to balance out the extraction. The continual pruning


of crops on diversified agroforestry systems provides an important source of


nutrients (e.g. of potassium).


When providing a nutrient supply to coco palms, it should be noted that it can take


up to 36 months before inflorescence begins. This means that measures to supply


nutrients, or to counteract deficits or other morphological disturbances, will take 3


years before they have an effect on production.


Due to their symbiosis with endomycorrhizae fungi (phosphate supply), and their


tolerance of soil salts (which are often harmful to the other crops), coco palms, as


well as other varieties of palm, have a beneficial effect on the growth of the other


crops in an agroforestry system.


2.6. Biological methods of plant protection


In a balanced cultivation system, which includes middle and bottom crops, as well


as nitrogen-fixing green manuring plants (legumes), diseases and pests requiring


some form of counter-measures will rarely occur – especially when enough birds are


present on the plantation. These are often present in multi-level cultivation systems


(comp. 2.4.).


Most of the problems concerning disease and pests have the following causes:


• Cultivation in a monoculture, or with too few different varieties.

• Too little distance between species that grow to the same height; failure to trim


agroforestry systems.


• Degenerated or poor soil, lack of organic material.

• Unsuitable sites (water-logging, too dry, soil not deep enough for roots).


In most cases, the most effective cure is to alter the entire system of cultivation.


If a system is not yet in a state of ecological equilibrium, heart rot, caused by


Phytophthora palmivora, can occur in all of the producing regions – where it is


widely spread. In cases of heavy infestation by Phytophtora palmivora, harvest-


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losses can be lessened by using Bordeaux mixture, or any other copper-rich


spraying preparations2, which are permitted in organic farming systems. These


measures should only be undertaken in cases of emergency. In less harmful cases,


removing any infested plants from the plantation will result in the infection being


limited.


Amongst the young trees in tree nurseries, an

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