Coconut Lecture Presentation

CS 352 – PLANTATION
AND INDUSTRIAL CROP

PRODUCTION
Course Lecturer:
Dr. Isaac Kankam-Boadu
Dr. Isaac Kankam-Boadu, August 2022 1

OIL CROPS
• Oil palm
 Coconut
• Shea***

COCONUT(Cocos nucifera, L.)
Family: Palmae
Sub family: Cocoideae

INTRODUCTION
• Coconut (Cocos nucifera), also known as the “tree of
life”, is one of the most important crops in the Asia
Philippines and was spread across African Sub-
regions, taking over the coastal island of Ghana.
• Coconut was first cultivated in Ghana as an estate
crop at Keta and Glidzi in the Volta region. From there
it spread to coast regions and other parts of Ghana.
• It is currently cultivated in 11 out of the 16 regions of
Ghana. Only the five (5) regions of the north (Upper
East, Upper West, Northern, North East and Savannah
regions) are not cultivating coconut.
• In Western region, some farming communities such as
Nyenase, Bawia, Nvellenu and Tikobo are noted for
extensive cultivation of the crop.
INTRODUCTION
• In Ghana, about 8% of rural households depend on coconut
industry for their livelihood (Dery, 2002)103
• The coconut plays a relatively little role in the Ghanaian
economy. Its contribution remains below 0.1% of the GDP but
the coconut sector presents an enormous economic potential
regarding its by-products, which has remained largely untapped
in Ghana.
• Producers of coconut in Ghana are smallholders with average
plantations sizes that are less than two (2) hectares.
• According to MoFA, the area under cultivation is about 77,000 ha
and it is estimated that 30,000 smallholder farmers are involved
in coconut production in 2020 (mainly men).
• According to 2011 MoFA figures, out of the annual national
production of 224 million nuts, 179 million representing 80%
were produced by small-scale farmers
INTRODUCTION
• Coconut production in Ghana and its related trading
and processing activities support over 100,000
households and generates an estimated GHS 17.7
billions annually. Coconut is said to have the potential
to be the next big export product from Ghana after
cocoa.
• Aging farmers organised in associations to negotiate
selling prices. However, aged trees, Cape Saint Paul
Wilt disease have the potential to collapse the coconut
industry.
• Coconut farming requires capital and adequate time to
cultivate, but the rewards are substantial.
• Coconut palm are mostly climate change resistant.
Intercropping should be promoted so cultivation of
coconut remains an ecologically sound crop.
COCONUT(Cocos nucifera, L.)
• It is a polymorphous unbranched palm
growing to a height of 24 m or more when
fully matured
• Dwarf and hybrid types of about 12 m are
also available
• It bears a crown of large palmate leaves
• They are grown in the coastal areas of the
tropics and subtropics

ORIGIN
• It originated from Malaysia where it
was disseminated to the rest of the
world

PRODUCING COUNTRIES
• Philippines
• India
• Indonesia
• Mexico
• Caribbean
• Brazil

CONSUMING COUNTRIES
• USA
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Netherlands
• Japan
• Sweden.

ECOLOGY
• Coconut does well in both the tropics and
subtropical countries, especially in coastal
areas.
• Western and Central regions are
traditionally known for coconut production
in Ghana.
• Latitude - 20 oN and S of the equator.
• Altitude - Coconut does well from sea level
to about 900 m above sea level
ECOLOGY CONT’D
RAINFALL
• Rainfall amount - 1250-2250 mm annually.
• Where the rainfall is less (< 1000mm),
irrigation supplements can also lead to
substantial growth and productivity
TEMPERATURE
• Minimum- 21 oC
• Optimum – 25 oC
• Maximum – 32 oC

ECOLOGY CONT’D
Soil
• The best soils are light, well drained deep soil
which allows good root development.
• The crop grows well on alluvial and sandy
soils near the coast where water contributes
to the palm nourishment
• They can tolerate saline conditions because
of the root structure.
• Does not like clay soils and waterlogged
conditions
• The soil pH should range between 5 and 8.
ECOLOGY CONT’D
Sunlight and drought
• Long dry seasons are detrimental and the crop
is seriously affected by drought.
• The palm requires plenty of sunlight; it cannot
tolerate shade from vegetation.
• Coconut is an ecologically sound crop. The
sequestration potential is even higher with a
coconut plantation intercropped with fruit
crops.
• The trees have the best competitive advantage
on sandy shorelines.
BOTANY
• Coconut is made up of adventitious roots, stems,
leaves, inflorescence and fruits.
• A short lived radicle is produced by the
developing embryo, thereafter all the roots are
adventitious
• It is a tall unbranched monocot tree with a
terminal crown of leaves that can grow to
between 80 to 100 years.
• The first roots grow vertically into the soil whilst
the subsequent ones grow horizontally.

BOTANY
• An adult plant can have 2000-3000 living roots
although higher numbers have sometimes been
recorded, growing mostly in the top 1.5m of soil.
• Root colour changes with age
• The roots do not have cambium hence they do
not increase in thickness.
• The coconut has only one growing point.
• No visible trunk is seen until the palm is several
years old.
• As there is no cambium, a trunk can only be
formed when the apical meristem has attained
its full diameter.
BOTANY
• Like other monocotyledons, the stem consists of
series of joints, each having a node, a leaf and
internode which are usually short.
• Leaves are borne in a terminal radiating crown,
which in an adult palm consists of 25-35 opened
leaves.
• The leaf type is palmate, and each consists of a
flattened petiole called rachis and with 200-250
pinnae (leaflets).
• The pinnae are sessile and stomata mainly
confined to the lower surfaces.
BOTANY
• The rate of leaf production depends on the age,
vigour, and the environmental conditions.
• The plant is monoecious with numerous male
and female flowers.
• Following fertilization, the female part develops
into the fruit which is typically a fibrous drupe.
• The fruit is about 20-30 cm long, weighing 1.5-
2kg.
• Mature fruits are ovoid, varying in size and
colour.

BOTANY
• The coconut fruit takes
9-12 months to mature.
It consists of :
• Exocarp
• Mesocarp
• Endorcarp
• Kernel (solid albumen)

BOTANY
• Exocarp - The outer skin which is tough, smooth, hard,
greenish, yellow, orange red or brown in colour. Dries
to greyish brown in old
• Mesorcarp - The fibrous layer and is usually pale
brown. It is 4 – 8 cm thick and supplies the coir for
commerce.
• Endocarp - The stone or shell section is the which is
ovoid, hard stony dark brown with 3 ridges and 3 eyes
at the basal end, one of which is large and softer
through which the embryo grows.
• A single seed with a thin brown testa closely pressed
to the endocarp and adhering firmly to the endosperm
or the meat, which is firm, white and supplies the
copra and oil.
VARIETIES
• Classifications types : the‘Tall’, the ‘Dwarf’ and a
cross between the tall and dwarf types (hybrids).
• The tall type include the West African Tall (WAT),
Tagnanan Tall (TAGT) and the Vanuatu Tall (VTT)
• The dwarf type has varieties such as the Equatorial
Green Dwarf (EGD), the Malayan Green/Yellow Dwarf
(MGD/MYD), the Sri Lanka Green Dwarf (SGD) and the
Tacunan Green Dwarf (TACD).
• The hybrids are the improved varieties produced from
crosses between the dwarf and tall varieties, e.g. SGD
x VTT and MGD x VTT.

SEED SELECTION
During seed selection, select:
• High yielding
• Early maturing
• Disease resistant
• Tall or dwarf type
• Selecting the best seedlings is critical due to
the long gestation and productive periods

NURSERY ESTABLISHMENT
• Select an ideal nursery site near a source of
water
• The nuts are planted in nurseries which may be
unshaded preferably in sandy or loamy soil close
to the area to be planted
• Seedbeds should be long and narrow to facilitate
watering and inspection
• Seedbeds should be raised about 23 cm above
ground level
• Spacing depends on the time taken to transplant
the seedling usually 23 – 30 cm but about 45 cm if
seedlings will stay a little over a year.
• About 30% more nuts should be planted to allow
for seed selection
NURSERY ESTABLISHMENT CONT’D
• Plant seed nuts horizontally at convenient
intervals making sure half of the nut is in the
soil
• Cover with dry grass much and fence with
wire netting
• Occasionally irrigate
• Provide shade where necessary
• Fruits can be pre-germinated after cutting of
the top of the mesocarp
• They may then be placed vertically in
polybags after removal of further mesocarp
• The sprout may first appear after 12 weeks,
although the majority takes 17-18 weeks.
• Any seed nut failing to sprout after 5 months
should be replaced.
• The seedlings are usually transplanted to the
field when 6-9 months (3 leaf stage) in the
nursery.
• The Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI) in the
Eastern region of Ghana has a sub-office in the
Western region which is also mandated to
breed and produce quality planting materials for
coconut nursery operators and coconut farmers
in general (but high price in comparison).

NURSERY PRACTICES
1. Weed control – uproot any
emerged weeds
2. Pests – larvae of various
insect pests e.g. coconut
blade beetle, Rhinoceros
beetle or Oryctes rhinoceros
3. Disease – especially
bacterial disease e.g. wilt
and seedling blight.
Nematodes also occur so
rotate nursery sites
4. Watering – very important.
Irrigation should be done
adequately Dr. Isaac Kankam-Boadu, August 2022 27
FIELD PLANTING
• Prepare the land, cut down trees and stump
• Line and peg
• Use spacing of 25 ft x 25 ft (7.5 x 7.5 m) or
30 ft x 30 ft (9 m x 9 m).
• Planting holes should be 60 cm x 60 cm
• Organic matter may be incorporated at
planting
• Transplanting should be done at the
beginning of the rains
• Seedlings from nurseries should be collected
with ball of soil for good establishment
WHY POLYBAGS
• Ease of transportation
• Protection of roots
• Easy sprouting or good germination due to
adequate temperature and moisture
• Limited competition of the plant nutrients
with weeds
• Ease of establishment
• Transplanting is made easier
• It enhances diseases and pest control

AFTER PLANTING OPERATIONS
• Fencing - To protect young seedlings against
rodent attack. Fencing is best done by wire
netting, or other substances such as bamboo or
palm fronds.
• Filling of vacancies – inspect and fill vacancies
with healthy seedlings of the same age and
cultivar
• Weed control – use herbicides, cover cropping,
ring weeding,
• Intercropping – intercrop with cassava, legumes,
yams, soybeans, cowpea, maize depending on
the fertility of the soil
AFTER PLANTING OPERATIONS CONT’D
• Disease control – leaf wilt, leaf blight, seedling
wilt, etc. should be controlled. Cape Saint Paul
wilt characterized by leaves turning yellowish
and eventual death of the plant
• Pest – Rhinoceros leaf eaters like the
caterpillars, palm weevils, termites, rats and
rodents
• Fertilization – recommendation is 0.2 – 0.3 kg of
N and 0.5 – 0.7 kg of K2O per palm
• Split application at the beginning and just at
the end of the rains in band or in ring
application
HARVESTING
• Takes 6 -9 years to come to fruition.
• Early maturing cultivars like Dwarf Malayan type
take about 3- 4 years
• Coconut can continue bearing fruits for 80-100
years.
• Time of harvesting varies with the purpose of
cultivation:
• the coir - which is used for car mats, doormats,
nuts are harvested after 7-8 months.
• Juice - nuts are harvested after 8-9 months.

HARVESTING CONT’D
• fresh kernel - nuts are harvested after 10-12
months.
• copra production - nuts must be dry, and
preferably drop themselves, and this is usually
after 12 months.
• Knives or cutlasses are used in the early stages
whilst Malayan knife is used when the plant
grows tall

COPRA PRODUCTION
• A few industrial processors exist in Ghana to
produce coconut oil or juice.
• Artisanal processors also attempt to add value to
the raw coconut produce; they are normally women.
• Allow nuts to dry and fall on their own
• Collect nuts, break and cut into two longitudinally
• Extract the fresh kernel or the meat
• Dry the fresh kernel either in the sun or use driers to
achieve moisture of about 12%
• Graded and sent for oil extraction

QUALITY OF COPRA
• Moisture content – should not be more than
12%
• Colour – the colour should be whitish cream i.e
• Mouldiness - absence of moulds.
• Presence of extraneous material. Should be
free from extraneous materials like pieces of
the shell, mesocarp, etc.

OIL EXTRACTION
• Copra is heated and oil extracted or
expressed
• Oil is refined and deodorized to produce
colourless and odourless coconut oil
• The oil is for both domestic and industrial
purposes
• The cake (copra cake) is used as animal
feed.

PROCESSING CHALLENGES
• Challenges confronting coconut processors
include:
• Lack of raw material from the local production
due to Nigerian traders competition
• Lack of improved coconut oil extraction
technologies
• Financial constraints
• Lack of support from local authority

YIELD
• Coconut yield vary greatly with the:
• Environment conditions
• Age of the plantation
• type,
• variety,
• Management practices.
• Coconut yield is measured in weight of
nuts/tree/year or copra production.

YIELD CONT’D
• Average nuts/ha varies in countries
between 2500 – 7500 nuts
• Copra contains 65-70% oil.
• Yields of 2.5 tons or more of copra / ha are
achievable
• The dwarf types are usually less productive
than the tall ones.

GENERAL USES
1. Fibre or coir is
used for door
mats, hand bags,
rope, car mats,
etc.

GENERAL USES CONT’D
2. The shell is used as a source of fuel
3. The fresh kernel for biscuits, toffees, chips
4. Oil for cooking, soaps, etc.
5. Cake as animal feed
6. Coconut leaves used for brooms
7. Fronds for thatching
8. Juice for hydration and nutrition

GENERAL USES CONT’D
9. Coconut juice
contains many Table 1: Concentration of Gibberellic acid in
growth coconut juice
regulators like Age of Mean Homogene
gibberellic acid, Fruit (months) concentration ous Groups
cytokinins, (mg/ml )
auxins, etc. 9 0.0453 A
10.The husks are 6 0.0246 B
used for 3 0.0125 C
charcoal
production
11.For chipboard
production
CONSTRAINTS
1. As discussed under
diseases and pests
with Cape Saint Paul
wilt being a major
challenge
2. Strong competition
from Nigerian
wholesalers who buy
at farm gate through
agents and transport
through the border for
processing,
consumption and
onward export.
CONSTRAINTS CONT’D
3. Due to stiff competition from the big Nigerian
buyers, access to coconut for processing has
become extremely limited.
4. The lack of control on export poses a big
challenge for local processing.
5. There limited value addition by a few
industrial processors and some artisanal
processors (mainly women).

CONSTRAINTS CONT’D
6. High interest rates and collateral
requirements remain some of the main
constraints to access financial
services.
7. Coconut production is laborious and
dominated by men.
8. Low yields due to lack of disease
control

FUTURE
• Many and diverse uses
• Management
• Breeding and research
• Cape Saint Paul wilt
• Unregulated seedling production and sale also poses a
future challenge, especially in terms of quality.

FUTURE CONT’D
• But, sale of the fresh
fruits a source of
livelihood for many of the
youth across the country.
• High market demand and
producer price given to
smallholder farmers is
relatively good.
• The average export growth is
significant for coconut
(1165%) for the period 2015 to
2020
• Information flow in the VC is
good but strong power
balance in favour of Nigerian
traders. Dr. Isaac Kankam-Boadu, August 2022 47
FUTURE CONT’D
• Coconut is an ecologically sound crop. The
sequestration potential is even higher with a
coconut plantation intercropped with food crops.
• The predicted rise in temperature will not
adversely affect the coconut palms, as the rise is
still within the normal range for coconut palms.
• The coconut trees have a huge potential to cope
with climate change. The trees have the best
competitive advantage on sandy shorelines.
• The sector is still at the developmental stage with
policies now being introduced to regulate the
sector.
FUTURE CONT’D
• Interest in the sector is growing with
willingness and readiness to receive financing
• The government is making early maturing,
improved quality and disease-resistant
seedlings available to farmers and farmer
associations to expand their coconut farms,
• The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA)
is strengthening coconut related sector
associations by providing training programmes.

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CS 352 – PLANTATION

AND INDUSTRIAL CROP

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