The Basics of Starting a New Coconut Plantation

The Basics of Starting a New Coconut Plantation

I have been receiving quite a few requests of late regarding information in setting-up a coconut plantation. While I would love to write a comprehensive coverage of all aspects involved in establishing a coconut plantation, it will be an enormous undertaking, and something that cannot be covered simply in blog posts.

Instead, I will give some basics of starting a new coconut plantation, the key cost elements and man-power management requirements.

Alright then, let's get down to it.

There are a number of important stages when attempting to set up a successful coconut plantation. Now, a lot of people may think: “What’s so difficult? Just look for a germinated coconut, dig a hole, and plant it!”

Well, that method may work if all you want is a coconut tree, or if the coconuts are meant to be ornamental plants. But for a thriving, production coconut plantation, extra care and consideration will be needed.

A summary of these steps and stages are as follows:

Stage A: Preparing the coconut seedlings

As any serious agriculturist will tell you, getting the right planting materials is critical to the success or failure of crop production. This is even more important when it comes to perennial tree crops such as coconuts, since once the coconut palm is planted it becomes a 25 to 30 year-long commitment. Even if one is willing to correct the planting mistakes, it would have been 4-5 years along before any serious crop production issues are detected. And unlike many other tree crops where you can graft a superior variety onto the mediocre stock, and therefore change the variety of crop, this technique does not work with coconut palms. If a palm was to be replaced, it would have to be supplanted with another coconut seedling; and the waiting game starts over again.

So, I have to stress this point: get your coconut seedlings right. It will save you from a lot of headaches later on.

Step 1: Choosing the right variety

There are a great many varieties of coconuts available to growers in the tropics, but broadly speaking, they can be classified into three general group: Tall, hybrids, and Dwarf. Each group has its own merit, and each cultivar within the group has its own unique feature that adds to its economic value.

But for most smallholders, the real economic value in coconut is through the sale of tender drinking nuts, i.e. young coconuts with a high volume of sweet coconut water, and soft pulpy endosperm. As such, coconuts from the hybrid and Dwarf groups are of greater relevance to smallholder, given the shorter stature, ease of management and harvest, and quicker fruit bearing.

In Malaysia, the most popular hybrid variety is the MATAG hybrid coconut. The MATAG is a multipurpose coconut variety, being a good variety for producing tender drinking nuts, as well as mature coconuts for the production of coconut milk. The husk fibers are also dense, making it suitable for production of coir. Supply of seedlings can be obtained from the Department of Agriculture. However, I have been made to understand that the supply is limited, and usually fully booked by farmers’ cooperatives.

MATAG hybrid coconut

The other popular hybrid variety is the MAWA hybrid coconut. However, production of seedlings is limited, since the MATAG has pretty much replaced the MAWA as the premium variety of coconut. However, it is sometimes possible to get planting materials from DOA, if you are lucky. The MAWA does not produce very large coconuts or tender nuts with a very high volume of coconut water; however it does produce a high quality and quantity of coconut milk, which is also very fragrant and sweet.

MAWA hybrid coconut

But the premium coconut of choice for tender drinking nut production in Malaysia comes from a Dwarf variety: the Aromatic Green Dwarf, a.k.a. the Pandan coconut. As its names say, the sweet coconut water is highly aromatic, with a strong resemblance to the scent of lightly bruised pandanus leaves. The medium-sized nuts good volume of coconut water, ranging around 600ml per nut, and the soft endosperm has a nice jelly-like consistency. This premium variety fetches a very high ex-farm price, ranging around RM2.50 for a good sized nut. Retail prices often reach RM6.00 per nut, even at roadside stalls and eateries. Probably due to its popularity, it is hard to find seedlings in large quantities from a single source; the best sources are from Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah), Kajang (Selangor), and MARDI research stations (the best is Teluk Intan, Perak).

Young Pandan coconut palms

More common, and in fact often frowned upon, are the Malayan Dwarf varieties. There are two important varieties: the Malayan Red Dwarf (MRD), and the Malayan Yellow Dwarf (MYD). Both look quite similar, except that the MRD produces fronds with reddish/orange rachis and red-orange nuts, while the MYD produces yellow-green rachis and bright yellow nuts. Both varieties are very common place in Malaysia, especially the MYD. They produce medium sized nuts that are either bright yellow or red-orange, and the coconut water of both are sweetish-sour tasting, and carries a faint buttery coconut aroma. The endosperm is often firmer, as the coconuts from these varieties are often harvested at an older age. Since these varieties are so commonplace in Malaysia, not many vendors actually sell fresh tender whole nuts; it is usually sold in the form of cups or jugs, with added sugar to increase the sweetness of the drink. You will usually find them being sold in the pasar malam and roadside stalls.

Young MRD coconut palms

There are a few more aspects to consider when choosing the right coconut variety, but I shall not touch on those areas, since doing so will amount to me writing a book. What should be kept in mind is that while coconuts are often synonymous with the seaside, they actually do far better on inland and coastal alluvial soils, not sand. If you only have coastal (sandy) soils to plant, then go with only hybrids or Tall varieties; growth and yield of Dwarfs are negatively affected by the porous soil and saline water.

Step 2: Setting up a coconut seedling nursery

This is an aspect in coconut planting that seems to be often neglected. After all, coconuts seem to grow so commonly and with ease in this country.

However, as with all crops of economic value, starting the crop on the right foot is the most important step towards a successful farming enterprise. If one is unable or not willing to make the effort to do so, then they should not venture into agriculture in the first place.

It would impractical for most coconut planters to germinate their own coconut seedlings, since doing this would require a lot of time, effort, space and technical expertise. Thus, it would be best for the coconut farmer to source his/her coconut "seednuts" from a certified seed producer. I have already mentioned few previously.

Usually, seednuts are sold as emergents, which can be seen in the picture as follows:

These would have a growing point of about 30cm height (up to emergent leaf), and very few emerging roots at the base. With certified seed producers, culling and selection of salable seednuts would have already been conducted, so the farmer may buy such materials with confidence. Seednuts will be sold as bareroots, and the farmer will need to purchase and prepare his/her coconut seedlings at least 1 year prior to field planting.

Seednuts that are purchased must first be transplanted into polybags and allowed to grow to the ideal field planting sizes. The following series of transplanting steps show how this should be done:

 Step 1: Place seednut into polybag half-filled with soil

Step 2: Top up with more soil

Step 3: Firm down the soil, leaving a little bit of husk exposed 

Polybag sizes should be 45cm x 45cm (lay flat), and need to be 500-gauge black with perforations. Do note that for optimized transplanting of seednuts, the polybags should be half-filled 3 days in advance and watered daily, to allow settling of the soil. Once seednuts have been transplanted, make sure to water the seedling adequately. Each seedling will require 2,500ml of water per day in the absence of rain, which can be achieved by water for 30 minutes twice a day (morning & evening) using a sprinkler system. Otherwise, hand-watering using a measured water can is advised. Spacing in the nursery should be 1m x 1m equilateral triangle, amounting to 4,000 plams per acre. But since you will only need less than 100 palms for each acre (71 seedlings if planting hybrid + 10% for supply planting; 88 seedlings if planting Dwarf + 10% for supply planting), you should adjust this figure accordingly. Seedlings are maintained in the nursery up to 1 year before field planting.

 Temporary coconut seedling nursery, 6-months old from sowing

Yes, I know that a lot of farmers don't bother with these steps; but there are many good reasons for keeping this practice. Not only will the older and more mature seedlings be quicker to establish, they are also less susceptible to stunting and transplanting shock in the field compared to seednuts that are planted directly into the ground. In particular, the root system of a 1-year old seedling is better developed and robust, compared to a 6-month old seednut.

Direct planting of seednuts into the field. 

As can be seen from old palm behind, no uniform growth

You have to bear in mind that every palm you plant is a 25-30 year investment, so make sure the first steps are the right ones, or you will be stuck with a 25-year long mistake.

Stage B: Field planting

Once the seedlings have attained the suitable planting age, the next stage involves preparing the field. This process is quite straight forward, the only few crucial things being the planting system used, and preparation of the seedlings prior to field planting operation.

Step 3: Preparation of seedlings for field planting

12-month to 15-month old coconut seedlings designated for field planting must be prepared at least 2-3 weeks beforehand. This reason for this step is to minimize transplanting shock experienced by seedling once transferred into the field. Ideally, seedlings should be of a similar height; any that are obviously under-sized should be set aside in favor of more robust siblings.

To prepare the seedlings for field planting, pruning of the basal fronds must be carried out, followed by root-pruning of half the basal area (a semi circle, taking care not to cut the polybag) at least 2-3 weeks before field planting. Watering must be intensified on the day when root pruning is carried out.

Two or three days prior to field planting, seedling fronds are trimmed in diamond shape, and tied. The balance of 50% roots are pruned one day before dispatching the seedling into the field for planting, and must be watered thoroughly.

When moving the seedlings, it is important to ensure that they are handled with care to prevent damaging the nursery bags. The correct way is to hold the seedlings whilst supporting the base of the bag. Thus, there must be sufficient labor for the operation of moving seedlings from the nursery to the field.

Step 4: Land preparation and spacing

With coconuts, timing when to plant your palms is important. Normal planting months are in April to May, or September to December. These are the typical monsoon seasons in Malaysia, where there will be adequate rainfall during field planting, thus ensuring that your palms do not suffer from transpiration stress. Do note that for areas typically hit hard by the monsoon rains (eg. East Coast states), it would best to plant during the less severe monsoon months, typically during April to May.

Cleared and prepared field, reading for planting coconut seedlings

Same field two months later, after coconut seedlings had been planted

Field clearing should commence 2 months ahead of the target planting date. Brush and unwanted vegetation should be felled, cleared and burned. Two type of row plantings are normally found in coconut plantation, but the most efficient method in Malaysia is known as the "double-hedged row". This planting system facilitates in-field mechanization, allowing efficient grass mowing, fertilizer spreading, and also evacuation of harvest coconuts. The following dimensions are used in a double-hedged row system:

Talls and hybrid coconuts cultivars:

Distance (row-to-row): Cambered area	8.5m
Distance (row-to-row): Field drain	6.5m
Distance (in a row): Palm to Palm	7.5m

Dwarf and Pandan coconut cultivars:

Distance (row-to-row): Cambered area	7.25m
Distance (row-to-row): Field drain	6.25m
Distance (in a row): Palm to Palm	5.93m

Field drains of dimension 4'x3'x2' alternate with scupper drain of dimension 3'x2'x1'. Two rows of coconut are planted per drain block.

This results in coconut palms that are planted at a density of 178 palms/ha under the double-hedged planting system for tall and hybrid coconut palms, and 220 palms/ha for dwarf and Pandan coconut palms. 

Cover crops, such as mucuna, are often planted to protect the bare soil of newly planted fields. This helps retain soil moisture content, and when the cover crop dies back, adds back organic matters and soil nutrients locked deep underground to the top soil. It would be a good practice to plant cover crops, but maintaining this will add additional costs to the grower, as the cover crop has to be pruned and cut back each month in order to prevent it from choking the young palms. Once the palms have reached 5-6 years of age, the cover crop can be killed off, either through the use of weedicides, or by natural shading.

 Immature coconut field with mucuna cover crop

Immature coconut field with no cover crop

Stage C: Upkeep and management of coconut plantation

The initial years of establishment would see you weeding back the cover crop (if you've planted them), mowing down the grasses, and applying fertilizer for your young palms. After 3-4 years, your young palms will comes into first bearing, and this is when you will first begin to harvest the fruits of your labor. 

Step 5: General maintenance of coconut plantation

Coconut plantations are fairly bare of grasses and weeds during the high productivity years (years 8-18). However, during the immature and late years, when sunlight penetration is high, weeds will be more abundant. Nonetheless, it is a good practice not to kill off all the weeds and grass, but instead to manage and crop them down. This helps to hold the soil and retain moisture, house beneficial insects, and keep the palm in a good, healthy state. Thus, mowing down the grass and leafy weeds is the suggested option; for broadleaf shrubs, contact weedicides could be used.

Note the mowed grass in this MRD coconut field

Chemical fertilizer should be applied to supplement inherent soil nutrients to provide a steady supply of balanced nutrient range required for the healthy growth of palms. The quantity and quality of the fertilizer applied, and their timing and placement, are important aspects to be considered to ensure proper realization of this input.

The manuring regimes are as follows:

(i)                 2kg Urea

(ii)               2kg Muriate of potash (MOP)

(iii)             1kg Rock phosphate (RP)

Do note that the rates above are for each palm, per year. You will need to split the amount according to how many round of fertilizer application is carried out in a year. It is recommended that at least 4 rounds be carried out, i.e. 500g urea + 500g MOP + 250g RP per application; but preferably, 8 rounds is ideal , i.e. 250g urea + 250g MOP + 125g RP per application.

When manuring, avoid spreading the fertilizer to broadly. It is important that the fertilizers are applied within the root zone area. One trick that many growers do is to spread some of the fertilizer over the frond heap stacked at the inter-palm area. As the frond heap traps a lot of moisture and organic nutrients, coconut roots tend to congregate beneath the heap. Thus, applying some fertilizer onto the heap would target the coconut roots there, thereby feeding the palms more efficiently.

Note the spread-out frond heap between each palm.

The center is a scupper (shallow) drain

Another important note is that the fertilizer rates above is not fixed, and will vary according to soil type, productivity, foliar nutrient status, age, and yield targets. But of course, not all growers will have access to the necessary analytical equipment, so engage a government agriculture extension officer for further advice when necessary.

Coconuts are normally self-pruning, meaning that dead fronds and bunch stalks will dry and fall on their accord. However, it is still a good practice to remove them off the palm where they don’t fall naturally, and stack them neatly on the inter-palm heap. There is great value in keeping this practice; as the dead fronds and bunch stalks break down, they actually release micronutrients back into the soil. This helps increase the soil nutrient content and biomass over time, which will further improve your coconut palm’s health. In addition, such frond heaps act as moisture traps, and help provide an alternate source of moisture to palm roots. As mentioned earlier, fertilizers may also be applied to this zone, as the coconut root mass tends to congregate here, thereby ensuring that your fertilizer is targeted to the roots of the palms.

Step 6: Harvesting of coconuts

(a)   Harvesting of tender nuts

Tender nuts are harvested when the nuts are about 7 months old. Harvesting intervals are 17-21 days per round, depending on the preferences of the buyers and the consumers. This is usually pertaining to the thickness and harness of the soft coconut flesh; at 17 days, the flesh are very jelly-like, whereas at 21 days, there is some firmness to the flesh.

During harvesting, the harvester must remove all dried fronds and place them along the field drain edges, or cut them into smaller section and place them in the inter-palm spaces

Harvesting operation is a two-man job. One person climbs up the palms using a sturdy ladder, and attaches a harvesting harness (hook and rope) onto the bunch of coconut. The person below pulls the harness tout, to give some tension onto the bunch, and the stalk of the bunch is then cut and freed from the palm by the person on top. The person below will then carefully lower the bunch of coconut onto the ground.

 Harvesting tender nuts from a tall coconut palm.

Note the rope being guided by the harvester, and the hooked bunch being lowered on the right

This method of harvesting ensures that the tender young coconuts are not bruised or damaged, since this will not only affect the appearance of the nuts, but any internal damages will cause the nuts to spoil fast. Bunches harvested this way will have a shelf life of 4-5 days if kept in chilled room.

The harvested bunch being safely landed onto the ground.

Notice the hook attached to the rope.

(b)   Harvesting of mature nuts

For mature nuts, coconuts are plucked when their exocarp (skin) turns fully brown. For hybrids and Dwarfs, harvesting is done every 36 days (10 rounds per year); whereas for MAWA, which are late germinators, harvesting intervals are 45 days per cycle (8 rounds per year).

The harvesting operation consists of plucking the ripe nuts from the palms, or shaking them loose from the bunch using a long pole.

Harvesting mature brown coconuts using a long pole

Care must be given! Since there have been cases when loose mature coconuts have fallen on people’s heads, leading to serious head injuries and death. It is suggested that safety helmets be provided when dealing with especially tall palms.

General costings of setting up a coconut plantation

The cost to set-up a coconut plantation will obviously vary according to location. The key variables are usually tied to the land (eg. terrain and contour, soil type), and also farm input costs (eg. labor costs, fertilizer prices, planting material costs). Thus, the following costings should be taken only as an approximation to the costs of starting a coconut plantation:

Seedling Cost:

Bare-root seednut from seed garden	RM 2,500 (RM10 x 250 pc)
Soil, polybag, fertilizer, pest & disease etc.	RM 1,500 (for 250 pc)
Cost of planting size	RM 4,000

Coconut Planting Costs to Maturity:

Year 1: Land preparation, planting	RM 8,000/ha
Year 2: General upkeep of immature palms	RM 2,200/ha
Year 3: General upkeep of immature palms	RM 2,500/ha
Year 4: General upkeep of immature palms	RM 2,500/ha
Cost to maturity	RM 15,200/ha

Mature Coconut Annual Costings:

  

Activity	Cost/ha
Weeding	RM 200.00
Manuring / fertilizer application	RM 1,400.00
Pest & disease management	RM 31.00
Pruning / sanitation	RM 15.00
Upkeep of roads, paths & bridges	RM 90.00
Upkeep of drains	RM 35.00
Sundries & Misc.	RM 65.00
Harvesting & collection	RM 100,00
Annual costs after maturity	RM 1,936.00

Do note however that the ideal size for a profitable coconut plantation is at least 4 hectares (10acres), and that the breakdown above has been pared down to fit 1 hectare. Also, costs may vary by location, local labor and equipment costs, etc. Thus, the figures above serve merely as a guide.

Typical yields of a mature coconut plantation are 23,000 nuts/ha/year; but for your first 4 years of crop production (after the 3-year immature stage), yields would range around 10,000 nuts/ha/year only. Thus, the average cost factor for the first 4 years of crop production will be about RM0.68 per nut; thereafter, the cost of production will fall sharply to around RM0.08 per nut. Therefore, assuming no additional costs are incurred, a minimum sales price of RM1.00-RM1.50 is needed to break even within the first 10 years.

Hopefully, this post will now give everyone some idea about what is involved with starting up a coconut plantation!