newsletter - bioversity international · · 2013-08-28copra, coconut oil and copra meal, coconut...

COGENT 1

N e w s l e t t e rCOGENT

ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 1999

Coconut is the most important palm ofthe humid tropics with over 11 millionhectares planted to the crop in 86 coun-tries. About 96% of the crop is grownby resource-poor smallholders. Inaddition to the traditional products ofcopra, coconut oil and copra meal,coconut has the ability to produce a widevariety of food and environment friendlynon-food products which are useddomestically and exported. In somecountries, coconut is the only source offoreign exchange earnings. Coconut hasalso been a stabilizing factor in thefarming systems of marginal andenvironmentally fragile environments.

Despite the above potential of coconut,farmers are suffering due to decliningyields and decreasing farmproductivity. These are caused byageing palms which need to bereplanted with better varieties, naturalcalamities such as pests and diseases,drought, and typhoons. There is a needto develop improved varieties withhigh yields and adaptation, andvarieties that provide high-valueproducts in order to increase theincome of coconut farmers andpromote sustainable coconutproduction. An essential requirementto achieve this objective is theavailability and use of a wide range ofdiversity from around the world asvarietal or germplasm introductions inreplanting or breeding programmes.Several constraints hinder theattainment of this objective. Firstly,genetic erosion or the loss of importantcoconut germplasm in coconut-producing countries is occurring at a

rapid rate due to the inability of manycoconut-producing countries to collectand conserve precious germplasmwhich are threatened by naturalcalamities, urbanization and shifts toother crops. Secondly, few countrieshave the capacity to effectivelycharacterize and evaluate the fieldperformance of conserved germplasm,and share this data with othercountries to help them identify suitablegermplasm for their breeding work.Lastly, many countries do not have thecapacity to exchange disease-freeaccessions with other coconut-producing countries due to the tediousnature of germplasm export clearancesand lack of disease indexing capabilityin many countries.

The signing ceremony of the MOA for the ICG - South Pacific during the 7th Steering CommitteeMeeting in November 1998 in Madang, Papua New Guinea. Front from left: Dr. John Moxon,Dr. Malcolm Hazelman, Mr. Tukape Masane, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Livestock,PNG, and Mr. Leslie Salum. Back from left: Dr. Evandro Tupinamba, Dr. Hengky Novarianto,Dr. Pons Batugal, Dr. Allasane Sangare, Mr. Tore Ovasuru and Dr. S.P. Ghosh.

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COGENT establishes International Coconut Genebank

ContentsCOGENT establishes a International CoconutGenebank 1From the Secretariat 3COGENT Steering Committee 4Sub-network ReportsSoutheast and East Asia 7South Asia 7South Pacific 8Africa and the Indian Ocean 8Latin America and the Caribbean 9National Programme ReportsPhilippines national programme on coconut 10research, development and extensionNational programme on coconuts in Fiji 10The coconut industry in Tanzania 11Feature Articles 12The importance of coconut in the nationaleconomy of Asia and the Pacific 12Coconut Varieties: Malayan Dwarf 13Coconut-based farming systems: a strategy toincrease incomes of coconut smallholders 16COGENT Partner InstitutionsRecent activities of the Asian and PacificCoconut Community (APCC) 18Secretariat of the Pacific Community 19Ongoing ProjectsCoconut Genetic Resources Network and HumanResources Strengthening in Asia and the Pacific(Phase II) 20Sustainable Use of Coconut Genetic Resourcesto Enhance Incomes and Nutrition of CoconutSmallholders in the Asia-Pacific Region 21Improvement of In Vitro Techniques forCollecting and Exchange of Coconut (Cocosnucifera L.) Germplasm 21Coconut Germplasm Utilization and Conservationto Promote Sustainable Coconut Production 21Research Capability EnhancementTraining workshop on technical writing,seminar presentation and public awareness 22Coconut Data Analysis Course 22Publications 23COGENT Bulletin Board 23

Coconut diversity. Picture courtesy of RolandBourdeix (CIRAD).

COGENT 2

In order to remedy the above con-straints and safeguard the future of thecoconut industry and its smallholderbeneficiaries, COGENT is establishingan International Coconut Genebank(ICG). In its first meeting in 1992, theCOGENT Steering Committee pro-posed the establishment of a multi-siteInternational Coconut Genebank (ICG)consisting of a regional genebank ineach of the five COGENT regions,namely; Southeast and East Asia, SouthAsia, South Pacific, Africa and theIndian Ocean, and Latin America andthe Caribbean. It was agreed thatgermplasm to be conserved in eachregional genebank will be contributedby country members of each region.

the International Undertaking on PlantGenetic Resources; holds the designatedgermplasm in trust for the benefit of allcountries; commits not to claim legalownership over the designatedgermplasm, nor seek intellectualproperty rights over that germplasm orrelated information, and requiressimilar commitments from any furtherrecipients; manages and administersthe designated germplasm in accordancewith internationally accepted standards,and remains responsible for financingthe maintenance of the designatedgermplasm. COGENT will collaboratewith the host countries to developproposals and generate funding for thecost of germplasm establishment,research, training, complementaryconservation, and germplasm exchange

Each ICG will conserve a maximum of200 accessions consisting of majorvarieties from member countries ineach region; threatened varieties;varieties with special traits; varieties/diversity discovered out ofexplorations conducted by nationalprogrammes; and duplicates ofimportant varieties which cannot beconserved by some nationalprogrammes. Each ICG will alsoconserve important germplasmduplicates from other ICG hostcountries in the form of embryo in vitroculture, cryopreserved embryos, andpollen. It will also conduct research torefine these technologies, includingresearch on molecular markers forlocating diversity and characterizinggermplasm and pathogens, diseaseindexing and training of researchers inits service region.

The site for the ICG-Southeast and EastAsia (SEA) is Sikijang, Pekanbaru,Riau, Indonesia. Several activities havebeen initiated. To strengthen the ICG-SEA, the ADB-funded project of IPGRIis assisting the Research Institute forCoconut and Palmae (RICP) ingermplasm collecting in severalislands. It is also assisting RICPthrough the DFID-funded researchproject to refine the embryo culturetechnology, which will be used forexchange of germplasm amongcountries.

In India, the ICG-South Asia is locatedat the Central Plantation CropsResearch Institute (CPCRI) seed farmin Kidu, Karnataka. Regeneration ofselected accessions from the WorldCoconut Germplasm Center in theAndamans and from CPCRI,Kasaragod is underway. Twenty-fivehectares will be cleared for planting in2000 – 2001.

The ICG for the South Pacific is locatedat the Stewart Research Station inMadang, Papua New Guinea. TheADB- and DFID-funded projects ofIPGRI are assisting PNG to refine theembryo culture technology. Thematerials to be introduced from othercountries of the South Pacific will bereceived through embryo culture oncethe facilities have been developed andthe quarantine requirements areaddressed.

Malayan Yellow and Red Dwarf coconut currently conserved in the ICG – Africa and Indian Ocean.

Subsequently, consultations, sitesuitability evaluations and pest riskassessment were undertaken, andIndonesia, India, Papua New Guinea,Côte d’Ivoire, and Brazil wereidentified as suitable countries to hostthe ICG in their respective regions.

The Memorandum of Agreement(MOA) to host the genebank is signedby IPGRI on behalf of COGENT, theUnited Nation’s Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO) as trustee, and thegovernments of each of the hostcountries. Under the MOA, the ICGhost country places the conserved(designated) germplasm in the ICGunder the auspices of the FAO as partof the International Network of Ex SituCollections provided for in Article 7 of

activities. Facilities for pollen andembryo processing, disease indexing andmolecular marker-based characterizationof germplasm and pathogen are plannedto be established. To date, the MOAs havebeen signed by four host countries andnegotiations are underway for Brazil tohost the ICG-LAC and sign the MOA.

The ICG will conserve nationally,regionally and internationally identifieddiversity; further assess the diversity,evaluate the field performance of theconserved germplasm and disseminaterelated information to other coconut-producing countries; make availablegermplasm materials to interestedcountries in accordance with the existingprotocols; and conduct research andtraining in relation to the above.

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COGENT 3

One of the objectives of COGENT is tostrengthen the capability of membersto undertake network projects. We arepleased to inform our networkmembers and readers that with thehelp of country members, partnerinstitutions and donors, IPGRI andCOGENT were able to support thefollowing activities in the last sixmonths. Fifty-three country researchprojects worldwide were conducted inthe areas of germplasm collectingand evaluation, embryo culturetechnology refinement, and farmerparticipatory research to identifymultipurpose uses of the coconut andfarmers varieties. To enhance thecapability of researchers to analyze andreport their data, two training courseswere conducted namely, one on dataanalysis which courses wereparticipated by 37 researchers from 16countries, and another on technicalwriting, seminar presentation andpublic awareness for coconutresearchers. To help researchers link

germplasm conservation with incomegeneration, a consultant was engagedto conduct a survey of marketablehigh-value coconut products andsuitable varieties for these products. Toprovide better guidance to researchersin their collecting activities, aconsultant was engaged to evaluateCOGENT’s germplasm collectingstrategy. To ensure the disease safetyof the International Coconut Genebank(ICG), two other consultants wereengaged to conduct pest riskassessment of the ICG for Africa andLAC regions and for the Asia-Pacific.COGENT was also able to support twotechnical assistance missions toconduct site suitability evaluation ofICG-Africa and ICG-LAC.

Three major decisions of the COGENTSteering Committee will havetremendous impact for strengtheningthe network. First, the decision to placethe International Coconut GeneticResources Database in the public

domain will provide access to thepassport and characterization data ofthe existing 1223 accessions which areconserved in 18 countries so thatcoconut breeders could efficientlyselect appropriate germplasm for theirbreeding work. The second is thedecision to endorse IPGRI’s plan tosign a Memorandum of Understandingwith COGENT member countries toformalize their membership inCOGENT and enhance sustainablesupport to the network. And lastly, thedecision to formulate a COGENTStrategic Plan for 2000-2004 will enableCOGENT to develop an action plan toeffectively implement its mandate toconserve and utilize coconut geneticresources to benefit resource-poorcoconut farmers.

The above activities are featured ormentioned in this issue of the COGENTNewsletter. We welcome commentsand suggestions from readers of thispublication.

From the Secretariat

In Côte d’Ivoire, the collections of theMarc Delorme Station Cocotier of theNational Agronomic Research Center(CNRA) in Port Bouet was designatedby the Côte d’Ivoire government as theICG-Africa and the Indian Ocean(AIO). Extension site at the GrandDrewin Experimental and ProductionStation of CNRA in Sassandra has alsobeen proposed and found to besuitable. Plans are underway to assistthe ICG-AIO to develop its embryoculture capability and to regenerate oldpalms of accessions to be replanted.

Brazil has offered to host the ICG –Latin America and the Caribbean(LAC). The proposed sites inItaporanga, west of Aracaju andNeopolis Plateau, northeast of Aracaju,have been evaluated and foundsuitable. COGENT is currentlyassisting Brazil to develop its embryoculture capability.

The ICG is envisioned as an effectivemechanism for the conservation andevaluation of important regionalvarieties and for the safe exchange ofgermplasm. However, it is importantthat its sustainability is assured. Thefollowing steps form the strategy toensure the sustainability of the ICG: 1)under the MOA, the host country willprovide the germplasm maintenancecosts whereas the costs of germplasmestablishment, evaluation, use andexchange, and research and trainingare to be externally sourced; 2)negotiation with the host country isunderway to plow back incomes fromthe ICG to support its operation; 3)proposal that countries which requestgermplasm from the ICG will becharged for the cost of producing thematerial and some prorated mainte-nance cost; 4) host countries to planthigh-yielding varieties in additionalareas to generate income, provided it


Strengthening COGENT capability

does not prejudice the health of theconserved germplasm in the ICG; 5)the ICGs will practice intercropping togenerate income, provided it does notaffect the result of experiments; 6) theICGs will produce and markethigh-value products; and 7) wheneverfeasible, the ICGs and COGENT willgenerate funds for research andtraining activities in the ICGs so thatthe projects can share the costs ofcommon activities needed for generalmaintenance.

COGENT has 35 member countrieswhich are committed to sustaincoconut production to benefit theirresource-poor coconut farmers. TheICG is a step in this direction. Theproject is a difficult but challengingundertaking that requires the supportof the CGIAR, partner institutions anddonors.

COGENT 4

The Steering Committee (SC) of theInternational Coconut GeneticResources Network (COGENT)determines programme priorities andoversees the various COGENTactivities. The SC is composed of tenrepresentatives from COGENT’s 35member countries, plus the representa-tive of the Asian and Pacific CoconutCommunity and the COGENTCoordinator, serving as the two non-voting members. The current membersare two each from the five COGENTsub-networks, namely, Southeast andEast Asia (Dr. Pasril Wahid, DirectorGeneral, Forestry and Estate CropsResearch and Development Agency,Indonesia, and Mr. Carlos B. Carpio,Deputy Administrator, PhilippineCoconut Authority, Philippines); SouthAsia (Dr. U.P. de S. Waidyanatha,Chairman, Coconut Research Institute,Sri Lanka, and Dr. S.P. Ghosh, DeputyDirector General, Indian Council ofAgricultural Research, India); SouthPacific (Mr. Tom Osborn, AgricultureAdviser, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity, Fiji, and Mr. SamisoniUlitu, Deputy Permanent Secretary,Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries andForests, Fiji); Africa and the IndianOcean (Dr. Pierre Yavo N’Cho, Direc-tor, Station de Researcher MarcDelorme, Centre National de Recher-che Agronomique, Côte d’Ivoire, andDr. Alois K. Kullaya, Director,Mikocheni Agricultural Research Insti-tute, Tanzania); and Latin America andthe Caribbean (Dr. Evandro AlmeidaTupinamba, Coconut Genebank ProjectLeader, EMBRAPA, Brazil, and Ing.Jorge R. Cueto Rodriguez, DeputyDirector, Instituto de Investigacionesde Citricos y Ostros Frutales, Cuba);Dr. Pons Batugal, the COGENT Coor-dinator, and the Asian and PacificCoconut Community (APCC), repre-sented by Dr. P.G. Punchihewa, theExecutive Director.

COGENT‘s 8 th Steering CommitteeMeeting was held on 20 – 22 September1999 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.The meeting was attended by the SCmembers and representatives frompartner institutions, namely, Mr.Francois Rognon, Director, Bureau for

the Development of Research on TropicalPerennial Oils Crops (BUROTROP); andMr. Andre Rouziere, Head of theCoconut Programme, Centre deCoopération Internationale enRecherche Agronomique pour leDéveloppment (CIRAD). It wasofficiated by Professor Duong TanPhuoc, Assistant Minister in theMinistry of Industry, Vietnam. In hiswelcoming speech, Prof. Duongexpressed his hope that the meetingwould be successful and that gooddecisions made will enhance theincomes and living standards ofcoconut smallholders in the region.

The meeting reviewed the progress ofongoing and proposed projects, andactivities of COGENT, the progress ofthe five COGENT regional sub-networks and the support provided byIPGRI and collaborating partnerinstitutions. It also discussed the draftCOGENT Strategic Plan for 2000-2004and formulated COGENT’s Work andAction Plan for 2000.

The 8 th Steering Committee meetingmade the following decisions:

1. Noted the 8-year COGENTprogress report of the Coordinatorand expressed appreciation for thetremendous progress made by thenetwork.

2. Noted the report of IPGRI and itsProgramme Planning and ReviewCommittee (PPRC) which com-plimented COGENT on theexcellent results achieved in thelast three years; the recommenda-tions of the PPRC for furtherenhancing the efficiency of projectimplementation; and thankedIPGRI for its continued technical,financial and administrativesupport to COGENT.

3. Noted with appreciation thereports of the Asian and PacificCoconut Community (APCC) andthe Bureau for the Development ofResearch on Tropical Perennial OilCrops (BUROTROP); and ex-pressed its gratitude for theexcellent collaboration in areas ofmutual interest. It noted that this

collaboration has resulted indesirable complementation andsynergy of research activitiesamong the three organizations,which is much appreciated byCOGENT member countries anddonors.

4. Noted the progress in the imple-mentation of the COGENTregional sub-networks for South-east and East Asia, South Asia,South Pacific, Africa and theIndian Ocean and Latin Americaand the Caribbean; and decided toaccelerate further development ofthe last two sub-networks throughthe leadership of the SteeringCommittee members from theseregions and the COGENT Coordi-nator.

5. Noted with satisfaction thesuccessful implementation of thefollowing ongoing projects:a. ADB-funded project involv-

ing 20 countries in the AsiaPacific entitled “CoconutGenetic Resources Networkand Human ResourcesStrengthening in Asia and thePacific (Phase II)“.

b. IFAD-funded project involv-ing 14 countries in Asia Pacificentitled “Sustainable Use ofCoconut Genetic Resources toEnhance Incomes and Nutri-tion of Coconut Smallholdersin the Asia-Pacific Region“.

c. DFID-funded embryo in vitroculture project involving 13laboratories worldwide enti-tled “Improvement of In VitroTechniques for Collecting andExchange of Coconut (Cocosnucifera L.) Germplasm“

d. CFC-funded multilocationhybrid and varietal trialsproject involving three African(Benin, Côte d’Ivoire andTanzania) and three LACcountries (Brazil, Jamaica andMexico).

6. Noted the progress made by theInternational Coconut GeneticResources Database (CGRD)project; and requested CIRAD tomake provision in the CGRD toadd data on molecular markers.

COGENT Steering Committee

COGENT 8th Steering Committee Meeting

COGENT 5

7. Endorsed the recommendation toplace the CGRD data into thepublic domain, created anadvisory task force and requestedIPGRI to further advise COGENTon any current and future policiesthat might affect the effectiveimplementation of this decision.

8. Noted with gratitude the progresson the establishment of the multi-site International CoconutGenebank (ICG) and the signing ofhosting agreements by theGovernments of India, Indonesia,Papua New Guinea and Côted’Ivoire. Likewise noted withgratitude the generous localfunding contribution provided bythe Government of Indonesia forthe ICG-Southeast Asia.

9. Endorsed further negotiations forBrazil to host the InternationalCoconut Genebank for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean andrequested Coordinator to liaisewith EMBRAPA to further clarifyissues on derivatives and currentlaws affecting intellectual propertyrights.

10. Agreed to support the decision of15 countries in the Asia Pacificregion to initially provide 178coconut accessions to the three ICGhost countries to be conserved andshared with COGENT membercountries.

11. Noted the conduct of the sitesuitability evaluation of theadditional genebank site for Côted’Ivoire and the proposed ICGsites for Brazil. Also noted theconduct of a pest risk assessmentof the ICG host countries and theplanned development of aquarantine manual for theoperation of the ICGs.

12. Tasked the Coordinator tocoordinate with the CentralPlantation Crops ResearchInstitute (CPCRI) of India to checkif the accessions previouslyobtained from Guam is safe fromthe Tinangaja disease; and to takeremedial action if needed.

13. Agreed to finalize the consultancyreports on the collecting strategy,ICG site suitability evaluations and

pest risk analysis after furthercomments by SC members; thecoconut product marketing andprocessing survey after additionaldata input from member countries;and develop appropriate imple-menting activities and interven-tions on relevant recommenda-tions.

14. Approved the holding of thesecond International CoconutEmbryo Culture Workshop inMexico in March 2000 to furtherupgrade the embryo culturetechnology, identify research gapsand formulate further research asrequired.

15. Approved the holding of thetraining course on embryo culturetechnology in the Philippines inOctober 2000 to train countries onthe use of the upgraded technologyin germplasm exchange.

16. Approved the holding of thesecond workshop of the CFC-funded multilocation trials projectin Jamaica or in any alternative sitein March 2000.

17. Requested designated task forcesand partner institutions(BUROTROP, APCC and CIRAD)to finalize research project proposalson screening for drought tolerance,coconut breeding, molecularmarkers somatic embryogenesis,cryopreservation and ICGs withinthe first half of 2000 so that the saidproposals can be submitted toappropriate donors.

18. Agreed to accelerate support forAfrica and the Indian Ocean andLatin America and the Caribbeanand to accelerate finalization andsubmission of project proposalsand initiation of activities toimplement this decision.

19. Created a task force to review thetechnical, economic and ecologicalaspects of coconut-based farmingsystems, to identify research andpolicy gaps and formulaterecommendations for neededinterventions for maximizingbenefits to coconut farmers.

20. Requested the COGENTCoordinator to identify suitablevenues and hosts and make

suitable arrangements for theholding of the annual projectmeetings of the ADB- and IFAD-funded projects in 2000.

21. Accepted the invitation of theGovernment of India to hold the9 th Steering Committee annualmeeting in July 2000 in Bangaloreor Cochin, India, preceding theproposed International CoconutConference to be held in the samelocality.

22. Co-sponsor with APCC andBUROTROP the InternationalCoconut Conference (ICC) in July2000, in either Bangalore orCochin, India with the aim toassess the status of R & D in thecoconut industry and to identifyappropriate interventions topromote benefits to resource-poorcoconut farmers in the 21st century.

23. Approved the IPGRI financialreport on COGENT for 1999 andproposed activities and budgetsfor 2000.

24. Endorsed the suggestion of IPGRIto sign a Memorandum ofUnderstanding with COGENTmember countries to formalizetheir membership in COGENT andfurther enhance sustainability ofnetwork support by COGENTmember countries.

25. Decided to develop furtherstrategies to make COGENT asustainable network and tocontinue discussions on thedevelopment of specific activitiesto implement this decision.

26. Agreed to finalize the draftCOGENT Strategy 2000-2004, afterreceiving comments from the SCmembers.

27. Elected Côte d’Ivoire as the Chairand the Philippines as the Vice-Chair of the COGENT SteeringCommittee for 2000-2001 andtasked the COGENT Coordinatorto request elected countries toofficially nominate designatedrepresentatives for these posts.

28. Developed a Work and Action Planfor 2000 to monitor theimplementation of the abovedecisions of the COGENT SteeringCommittee.


COGENT 6

COGENT Steering Committee for 2000 – 2001

Mr. Carlos Carpio is Deputy Administrator atthe Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA),Philippines. He received his Bachelor of Sciencein Agriculture from the University of thePhilippines, Los Baños, Philippines, and a MSc.in Plant Genetic Resources Conservation andUtilization from the University of Birmingham,England. Before assuming his current position,Mr. Carpio was Senior Science Research

Associate and Department Manager with the PCA’s Davao and AlbayResearch Center, respectively. He is also active in various other activitiesincluding as project leader of PCA-Australian Centre for InternationalAgricultural Research project on cadang-cadang; Coordinator of PCA-German Tissue Culture Project; Chairman of Bicol Consortium forAgricultural Research and Development (BICARRD); and projectcoordinator on PCA-IPGRI Project on Survey and Pathogenicity Testingof CCCVd-related and Viroid-like RNA’s in Coconuts within thePhilippines. He is also the designated Country Coordinator forCOGENT activities.

U.P. de S.Waidyanatha

Dr. U.P. de S. Waidyanatha obtained his Bachelorand Master degree in Botany from the Universityof Ceylon, in 1963 and 1967, respectively. Hewent on to receive his PhD in Plant Physiologyin 1973 from the University of London. Dr.Waidyanatha worked as a researcher with theTea Research Institute (TRI) and RubberResearch Institute (RRI) during the period of1964 to 1979. He was an agronomist with theInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture in

Sri Lanka in 1981 before he joined the University of Hohenheim,Germany after securing a senior Post-doctoral Fellowship Award underthe Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Dr. Waidyanatha was Headof the International Winged Bean Institute in 1983 - 1986, a consultantto the World Bank - IICA project on the development of rubber, theFAO on rubber production in Bolivia, and for the ADB on cropproduction in Sri Lanka. From 1989 to 1998, he was Director of theADB-funded Perennial Crop Development Project in Sri Lanka. Heis currently the Chairman of the Coconut Research Board and alsoAdviser on Agricultural Planning to the Ministry of Finance andPlanning. Dr. Waidyanatha’s research spans the field of plantphysiology, soil microbiology and tropical crop production systems.He also has an extensive experience as an extensionist.

Samisoni Ulitu

Mr. Samisoni Ulitu received his early andtertiary education in Fiji and went to Englandfor his post graduate studies. He joined Fiji’sgovernment service in 1969 and is currently theDeputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Forests. Mr. Ulitu hasalso attended various agriculture-relatedcourses both locally and overseas. He is theNational Liaison Officer for the APCC since 1993

and has actively participated in its activities.

Alois Kullaya

Born in Moshi, Tanzania, Dr. Alois Kullayareceived his BSc. and MSc. in Agriculture(Plant Breeding) from the Institute forTropical Agriculture, Karl Marx University,and his PhD. in Plant Breeding from theInstitute for Tropical Agriculture of theTechnical University, Germany. Before hiscurrent position as Director of the MikocheniAgricultural Research Institute, Dr. Kullaya

was a plant breeder and national coconut research coordinator withthe Ministry of Agriculture and National Coconut DevelopmentProgramme (NCDP), Tanzania, respectively. He has also servedas a contact person for the German Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ) at the NCDP. Dr. Kullaya is also a member forseveral committees including the Cashew Research SteeringCommittee (CRSC); Research and Development AdvisoryCommittee on Agriculture and Livestock Development under theTanzanian Commission for Science and Technology (COSTEH);Eastern Zone Technical Committee and as Board member and Vice-Chairman of the Bureau for the Development of Research onTropical Perennial Oil Crops (BUROTROP).

P. G. Punchihewa

Dr. P.G. Punchihewa is the Executive Directorof the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community(APCC). He received a Bachelor in Arts fromthe University of Ceylon in 1959 and aDiploma in Rural Social Development fromthe University of Reading, United Kingdom.He received his Doctor in Philosophy fromthe University of Sri Jayawardenapura, SriLanka in 1994. Before his current position

with the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), Dr.Punchihewa held various positions in the Government of Sri Lankaincluding a stint with the Ministry of Coconut Industries and theCoconut Development Authority, Sri Lanka, as Secretary andChairman, respectively. He is a prolific writer with variouspublications to his credit, including children’s books, and afreelance writer for newspapers in both Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Evandro AlmeidaTupinamba

Dr. Evandro Almeida Tupinamba received hisBachelor of Science degree and Master ofScience in Agronomy in 1970 and 1976,respectively. He worked in the area of ruralextension in 1971 - 1972, and in geneticresources (bean and cassava) from 1973 to1988. Dr. Tupinamba began his involvementin the area of coconut development in 1989.His professional activities are linked to theCoconut Genetic Resources Network. He isalso Head of the Coconut Germplasm Bank

and project leader of the Brazilian Multilocation Trials funded bythe CFC.

Carlos B. Carpio


Below are five members of COGENT Steering Committee 2000 – 2001. The remaining members will be featured in thenext issue.

COGENT 7

Sub-network Reports

Several seminars and courses wereconducted in the second half of 1999. Aseminar on the “National consultation onresearch, development and extensionpriorities in agriculture, fisheries, forestryand natural resources (2000-2004)” wasconducted on July 20-21, 1999 in Manila,Philippines. A paper on “Research anddevelopment agenda for 2000 – 2004”was presented to coconut farmers’organizations, state universities andcolleges, local government units,private/industry sectors and policymakers.

A training workshop on “Technicalwriting, seminar presentation andpublic awareness” was held on 30August 1999 – 4 September 1999 atSEARCA, Los Baños, Laguna,Philippines. It was followed by the“Coconut data analysis” trainingcourse on 6-10 September 1999. Bothtraining courses were organized byIPGRI/COGENT in collaboration withthe Philippines Coconut Authority.

Under the ADB-funded project,activities on characterizing in situ andcollecting germplasm of threeaccessions each from Lombok Island,West Nusa Tenggara and Bacan Island,Indonesia, were conducted from April1998 to July 1999. From August 1999 toMarch 2000, exploration will becontinued in Sula Island, Molucas andNorth Sulawesi Province, followed bycharacterization of existing accessions(Mapanget, Bone-Bone and Pakuwonex situ collections). Collecting ofembryos from five coconut accessions,culturing the embryos, acclimatizationin screenhouse, and preparation ofchemicals and other consumables arebeing conducted from August 1999 toMarch 2000 under the project,”Strengthening the embryo culturecapability of the ICG for Southeast andEast Asia.”

For August 1999 to July 2000, transferof technology for tapping sap andsugar-making, determining socio-economic benefit and the developmentof strategy for farmer associations insugar production and marketing will

Southeast and East AsiaCarlos Carpio1

Sri Lanka became the first countryunder COGENT Germplasm ExchangeProgramme to initiate germplasmexchange within a sub-network byproviding germplasm of threeindigenous tall coconut cultivars toPakistan. The Coconut GeneticResources Database (CGRD) has beenupdated with the recently acquiredcomputer facilities, under ADB-IPGRIfunding. Passport and characterizationdata of 62 accessions were obtained.Sixteen and 18 populations collectedduring the ADB Phase I project wereplanted in the field genebank inDecember 1997 and March 1998,respectively. In Phase II of the ADBproject, germplasm collecting activitiesfrom non-traditional coconut growingareas have resulted in the collection often accessions during the first half of1999.

Sri Lanka has also prioritized andexpanded its activities on thecharacterization of drought tolerancein coconut using randomly amplifiedpolymorphic DNA (RAPD) molecularmarker, in vitro glycol tolerance ofembryo cultured plantlets, and otherphysiological techniques. The primaryobjective of this work is to develop adrought tolerance index.

Identification, collecting, multiplication,and in situ conservation of King coconutgermplasm and development oftechniques to improve the shelf life ofKing coconuts for the export market wereundertaken under the IFAD-fundedproject. A technology package has nowbeen developed to enhance shelf life upto 28 days enabling sea freight. A farmerparticipatory survey, involving 15 farmerorganizations, was conducted to identifymultipurpose uses of coconut, suitablevarieties for different uses andproduction constraints. The surveycovered the five main coconut-growingdistricts.

Under the ADB Phase 2 project, 49collection sites have been identified inmajor coconut-growing areas of

South AsiaU. P de S Waidyanatha1

be continued under the IFAD-fundedproject. Farmer participatory surveywas conducted in North Molucas andNorth Sulawesi in August 1999.

In Malaysia, more germplasms are beingcollected under the ADB Phase 2 project,especially from the state of Kelantan andTerengganu where earlier collections didnot survived, and from drought areas inSabah to conserve drought tolerantpopulations/ecotypes. Besides thesecollecting activities, characterization ofthe existing germplasm collections inMARDI Hilir Perak and in theDepartment of Agriculture, Sabah arebeing conducted. Under the IFADproject, farmer participatory researches(FPR) have been conducted in threeselected coconut-growing areas.

Under the ADB-funded project,surveys to identify young tendercoconut ecotypes for characterizationand conservation have been conductedsince January 1998 in 10 provincesaround Bangkok and in the south. Thedominant variety was mainly Nam-hom. The other varieties were plantedin small farms throughout theprovinces. Pre-prospection surveyshave been conducted more intensivelyin Chumphon and Prachaubkirikhan.Characterization has also been done,and thirty nuts of each of the fourecotypes collected were germinated.

Farmer participatory surveys have beenconducted in Chumphon, Pathalung,Pichit and Samutsakorn province. It wasdiscovered that the farmers prefer Sawi–1 (hybrids distributed by ChumphonHorticulture Research Centre (CHRC))than the others for its sugar because oflow trunk, early bearing, high productionand reliable supply of seedling fromCHRC. Technologies for sap productionhave also been reviewed and refined, andhave been transferred to farmers.Training courses have been conductedboth at CHRC and at farmer sites.

1 Deputy Administrator, PhilippineCoconut Authority (PCA), Philippines.


COGENT 8

Sub-network Reports

One of the major issues affecting theprogress of coconut activities in theSouth Pacifc region is the lack oftraining for technical staff. In order toaddress this problem, several trainingworkshops for the South Pacific wereconducted in 1998 and 1999.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community(SPC) in Suva, Fiji, hosted a trainingworkshop on 3 - 7 August 1998, on“Computer use, documentation and dataanalysis for the South Pacific”.Participants included technical staff fromFiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tongaand Vanuatu. The workshop was fundedby the Asian Development Bank (ADB),COGENT/IPGRI, the Pacific RegionalAgriculture Programme of the EuropeanUnion, Bureau for the Development ofResearch on Tropical Perennial Oil Crops(BUROTROP) and SPC. Resourcepersons included Mr. Paul Quek ofIPGRI, Mr. James Blatta of AgronomixSoftware, and Mr. Jean-Pierre Labouisseof CIRAD/VARTC. The training coveredgeneral software use of Microsoft Office,

Word and Excel. In-depth training wasalso provided on accessing and using theCoconut Genetic Resouces Database(CGRD), the use of Agrobase software,and statistical analysis of data fromCGRD using Agrobase. This training hasproven to be very useful to theparticipants in the implementation of theCoconut Genetic Resources Network forthe Asia and the Pacific Region(CGRNAP) project.

The Vanuatu Agriculture Research andTraining Centre (VARTC) hosted theSTANTECH training course on thecollecting and management of coconutgenetic resources on 29 June – 10 July1999. The participating countriesincluded Cook Islands, Kiribati,Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. Thetraining was part of the ADB-fundedCGRNAP Phase 2. It was the firstactivity of the project, “Coconutgermplasm collecting, characterizationand conservation” in Cook Islands,Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.The resource persons included Mr.

South PacificTom Osborn1

Jean-Pierre Lambouisse of CIRADbased at VARTC, Mr. Tiata Sileye, Mr.Godefroy Buletare, Mr. Pierre-ChanelWatas, and Mr. Jean-Pierre Tabinusu.

The training course focused on coconutgenetic resources collecting strategy,the collecting process and the methodsof characterizing coconut varieties. Theparticipants were trained to gathercharacterization data with theSTANTECH Manual as a guidelinethrough practical exercises in theVARTC field genebank and in thenursery. Participatory Rural AppraisalSurvey on coconut diversity and useswas conducted during a field trip to avillage. The participants were alsotrained to use the InternationalCoconut Resources Database (CGRD).Passport and characterization datacollected in the VARTC genebank andduring the field trip were analyzedusing computer spreadsheets andresults were entered into the CGRD.

1 Agriculture Adviser, SPC, Fiji

The Mikocheni Agricultural ResearchInstitute (MARI) of Tanzania iscollaborating with institutionsfrom other countries in thedevelopment of improved andstandardized embryo culture andacclimatization techniques. Theactivities include validating the bestavailable protocols in comparison tothe currently used protocol at MARI;studying the physiological andhistological integrity of roots andleaves of parallel grown embryos andseednuts in vitro and in situ,respectively; establishing the main invitro conditions and practices that leadto physiological and histologicalmalfunctioning of plantlets in vitro andex vitro ; correlating the researchfindings of the study to the survivalrate in vitro and ex vitro ; and improvingplantlet recovery in vitro and ex vitro.

Africa and the Indian OceanAlois Kullaya1

Three varieties, Malayan Yellow Dwarf(MYD), a local dwarf - Pemba Red Dwarf(PRD) and the local East African Tall (EAT)were used in the validation of five estab-lished protocols. Sixty embryos werecultured in vitro for each test variety andprotocol. The protocols used were thoseof CPCRI (Central Plantation CropsResearch Institute), UPLB (Universityof Philippines at Los Baños), PCA(Philippine Coconut Authority), IRD(International Research for Development)previously known as ORSTOM, andMARI (Mikocheni Agricultural ResearchInstitute).

Seednut production of the six hybrids asmulti-site controls in Côte d’Ivoire and ofthe local hybrids/varieties in three African(Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin) andthree Latin American (Jamaica, Brazil andMexico) countries had started in 1997. To

date, each participating country hasalready received and sown in the nursery150 seednuts of each multi-site control.Field planting is expected to take placebetween end of 1999 and early 2000.However, some countries are likely toexperience shortage of seedlings due topoor germination and relatively highmortality rate for some of the importedhybrids. For instance, about 20% of theseednuts received in Tanzania had eithergerminated, rot, or had no liquidendosperm.

Another activity is the application ofDNA marker technology for germplasmcharacterization and breeding. Thegeneral objective of this research is thedevelopment and use of DNA markertechnology for the evaluation of the


COGENT 9

Another project was also approved forcoconut prospecting and collecting inNortheast region and activities wereinitiated in August 1999.

In April 1999, Costa Rica organized a co-conut seminar, with the participation ofCOGENT Coordinator and representa-tives from Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico andHonduras. In this meeting, the projectproposal for coconut development inLatin America and the Caribbean was pre-sented and discussed, with the participa-tion of COGENT, IICA and BUROTROP.Some suggestions were made to enableIICA to revise the proposal. One of the con-clusions of this event was the necessity toincrease aggregate value of coconutthrough high value coconut products. Atraining programme on processing isscheduled for next year in Cuba.

Selected embryo culture laboratories inCuba, Brazil and Mexico are participat-ing in the project “Improvement of in vitrotechniques for collecting and exchange ofcoconut germplasm”, funded by theDepartment of International Develop-ment (DFID) through COGENT.

Sub-network Reports

Brazil, Jamaica and Mexico have receivedabout 900 seednuts each of four dwarf xtall and two tall x tall hybrids from MarcDelorme Station, Côte d’Ivoire in early1999. Plantlets of national hybrids and/or varieties are being prepared for theCFC-funded project, entitled “Coconutgermplasm utilization and conservationto promote sustainable coconutproduction”. Multilocation trials are alsobeing established in Benin, Côte d’Ivoireand Tanzania.

At the 7th COGENT Steering CommitteeMeeting held in Papua New Guinea inNovember 1998, Brazil presented theproposal to host the InternationalCoconut Genebank (ICG) for LatinAmerica and Caribbean. In April 1999,COGENT’s site suitability evaluationtask force went to Brazil to evaluate thepotential ICG sites. A project funded byBrazilian government was recentlyapproved as a counterpart for the ICGin the region. The Brazilian AgriculturalResearch Corporation (EMBRAPA) hasalso obtained clearance of the identifiedICG site of 50 hectare irrigated area fromthe Government of Sergipe State.

Latin America and the CaribbeanEvandro Tupinamba1 and Jorge R. Cueto2

Cuba and Max Plant Institute havesubmitted a proposal for a project toevaluate coconut biodiversity usingmolecular markers and developmolecular diagnosis methods for lethalyellowing studies in Cuba due to beginin January 2000. The Portugueseversion of the STANTECH Manual isbeing finalized and will be publishedby COGENT. A partnership ofEMBRAPA/CENARGEN has startedthe characterization of coconutaccessions using molecular markers.

Centro de Investigacion Cientifica deYucatan (CICY) has established in itshome page ( http://www.cicy.mx/dir_acad/cicly/CICLY01.html), theCentre for Information on CoconutLethal Yellowing (CICLY), a virtualdiscussion list about the lethalyellowing disease of coconut caused byphytoplasma.

1 Head of Coconut Germplasm Bank,EMBRAPA, Brazil2 Deputy Director, Instituto Investigaciones deCitricos y Otros Frutales (IICF), Cuba

Bangladesh. Passport data as well ascharacterization data of ten popu-lations have also been completed. Itis reported that Bangladesh nowproduces about 100 million nutsannually of which 40% is consumed astender nuts. In view of this trend, theIFAD project would promote tendernut consumption, characterize themost suitable varieties to be used astender nuts, and establish mechanismfor their in situ conservation.

In Pakistan, under the ADB Phase 2project, a survey of germplasm in 30farms in Karachi, Thatta andBalochistan was completed. Breedingactivities at Garkho Forest has beeninitiated to produce Tall x Tall crosses.A survey of coconut diseases and pestsrevealed the presence of root wilt, bolerot, bud rot, and leaf blights. In theareas of Karachi, Thatta and Sakran,

symptoms resembling that of the lethalyellowing disease have been observed.

In India, forty-nine accessions werecollected from Lakshadeep, Andamanand Nicobar, West Bengal and Orissa,under the ADB Phase 2 project.Passport data of accessions made inADB Phase 1 have been submitted toCGRD. Under the IFAD project, afarmer participatory survey covering198 households in the Kerala State toidentify ecotypes with multiple usesand promote income-generatingopportunities using special ecotypeswas completed. Eight coconutnurseries have been established and5200 seedlings have been distributed tofarmers.

1 Chairman, Coconut Research Board, SriLanka


diversity in coconut germplasm and forassistance in marker selected breeding.It is funded by EU under the INCO-DCprogramme in which two Europeaninstitutions, Max-Planck-Institute fromGermany and CIMA from Spain, arecollaborating with institutions from threeCOGENT member countries, namely,Jamaica (Jamaica Coconut IndustryBoard), Philippines (Philippine CoconutAuthority), and Tanzania (MikocheniAgricultural Research Institute).

Other major activities have been theestablishment of mapping population;further development of the coconutlinkage map; quantitative trait loci (QTL)analysis of the mapping population;training and dissemination of thetechnology.

1 Director, Mikocheni Agricultural ResearchInstitute (MARI), Tanzania


COGENT 10

The importance of the coconutindustry to the economy of thePhilippines cannot be overemphasized.It represents 25% of the totalagricultural land with over 20 millionFilipinos directly or indirectlydependent on the industry. It is theonly agricultural product included inthe country’s top ten exports andcontributes an average of US$800million in export earnings annually.

The coconut industry is, however, besetwith many problems, particularly thedeclining coconut production andproductivity; low income from coconutfarming; scarce resources for agro-industrial research and development,and market development andexpansion; and limited regulatorypowers vested on the PhilippineCoconut Authority (PCA) for theaggressive and effective implementa-tion of legislative measures affectingthe industry.

The Coconut Research, Development &Extension (R, D & E) Network iscomposed of government agencies andresearch institutions, state colleges anduniversities, local government unitsand the private sector currentlyinvolved in the research, developmentand extension aspects of the coconutindustry, with the Philippine CoconutAuthority as the lead agency. Thepresent state of the R, D & E for coconutmay be characterized as wanting inappropriate direction in line with theactual needs of the coconut industry.The situation is largely influenced bythe lack of sufficient funds to pursuedefinite R &D activities. A majority ofR, D & E activities is directed towardsthe dictates of funding institutions.More so, allocations are concentratedon the R &D aspects and less on theextension aspect. This situation leavesmost research results confined inresearch institutions and laboratories,depriving the flow of benefits toprospective clients.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Moderni-zation Act enables the creation of a na-tional integrated R, D & E programme forcoconut, which is imperative in order tohave a sustainable coconut industry. Thiswill pave the way for the PhilippineCoconut Authority and other public, andprivate R, D & E institutions to accordappropriate direction to coconut R, D &E programmes. While pursuing thepresent production and productivityfocus on R, D & E programmes andprojects, the programme will also focuson various other relevant areas. Anothermajor concern of the programme is theconcentration of efforts towards thetransfer of research results to the prospec-tive clientele through viable entrepre-neurial activities and other extensionprogrammes showcasing model inte-grated coconut-based farming systems.

The national R, D & E programme forcoconut aims to sustain the viability ofthe coconut industry and raise theliving conditions of the industrystakeholders, particularly the farmers.This would be through increasedproduction and productivity, develop-ment and promotion of the marketingand processing of coconut products andby-products, protection of the environ-ment, saving coconut biodiversity,policy research and advocacy, andinstitutional and capability building.

The Philippines’ coconut programmes,projects and activities include the massproduction of selected plantingmaterials for the coconut planting andreplanting programme; developmentand technology transfer of selectedproduction technologies; development,promotion and commercialization ofselected processing and marketingtechnologies; and technology generationon the improvement of coconut and itsby-products through biotechnology.

An in-depth study of the coconutindustry including responsiveness of thePCA as lead agency, policy reviews andadvocacy and socioeconomic impact

assessment of coconut RDE programmesand projects was also conducted, as wellas institutional strengthening andcapacity building of the coconut research,development and extension workforceand its client.

1 Deputy Administrator, Philippine CoconutAuthority, Philippines

National Programme Reports

Philippine national programme on coconutresearch, development and extension

Carlos Carpio1

National coconutprogramme

in FijiJoeli Vakabua1

Since 1997, Fiji’s Ministry ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Forests hasembarked on the CommodityDevelopment Framework, which hasprioritized coconut as one of the majorcrops in Fiji. Some 40 000 householdsare dependent on this crop for theirlivelihood and as a source of cashincome. The annual production ofcoconut oil for export has declinedsteadily, however, from 25 000 tonnesin the 1960s to just 9000 tonnes thisyear. The decline in production wasdue to low market prices, senile or oldpalms and the increase in cost ofproduction. The copra prices haveskyrocketed in 1998, however, fromUS$170 per metric tonne to more thanUS$300, with the inception of anothercopra buying company. As a result, copraproduction has also increased from 11 551metric tonnes to 17 041 metric tonnes.

A policy guideline for the coconutsector has been established under thecoconut rehabilitation programmes(C.D.F). One key element is to rehabili-tate 40 000 hectares of the totalcoconut area of 65 000 hectare andutilize the balance of the area forgeneral agricultural diversification.The initial development will concen-trate in the Cakaudrove province at anannual planting rate of 1050 hectare.The other elements include to increasethe potential of coconut productionby developing and testing hybridcultivars, and improving the quality


COGENT 11

of planting material; increase thetraditional product base of the coconutindustry, such as coconut oil, throughvalue-added ‘down stream’ processingfor niche market outlets; encourageprivate sector’s investment in thedevelopment of the coconut industry;promote long - term sustainabledevelopment of the coconut sub-sectorby introducing ‘new’ integratedcrop enterprise development conceptthat should increase the profitabilityof coconut-based farming systems;and to improve and strengthen theindigenous research capacity andscientific capability of local research-ers working in the coconut sub-sector.

The Taveuni Coconut Centre (TCC)plays a major role in the implementa-tion of the above objectives in terms ofhybrid seednut and seedling produc-tion. Approximately 150 000 seedlingswill be produced annually to rehabili-tate 40 000 ha of senile palms and itwould take 13 years to replant with thecurrent capacity of the TCC. The execu-tion of the above programme willenhance the coconut industry andenable it to regain its status as a majorforeign exchange earner in Fiji.

Two coconut projects are being imple-mented in collaboration with the Inter-national Coconut Genetic ResourcesNetwork (COGENT). The projects are theADB-funded Phase II project entitled“Coconut Genetic Resources Networkand Human Resources Strengthening inAsia and the Pacific”, and the IFAD-funded project entitled “Sustainable Useof Coconut Genetic Resources to EnhanceIncomes and Nutrition of Coconut Small-holders in the Asia-Pacific Region”.

The two projects are currently in theirsecond year. Three cultivars have beenidentified and collected, and thescheduled works of the ADB-fundedproject have been completed. Theprogress work of the IFAD-fundedproject was slightly delayed as a newstaff was appointed to take over thework of the previous nationalcoordinator for coconut research.

1 Director of Research, Ministry of Agriculture,Fisheries and Forests, Fiji.

National Programme Reports

The coconutindustry inTanzaniaAlois K. Kullaya1

The coconut is an important perennialcash and subsistence oil crop that ismainly cultivated along the coastal beltof mainland Tanzania and the islands ofZanzibar and Mafia by about 300 000small-scale farmers. The crop is alsofound in the inland regions of Morogoroand on the shores of Lake Nyasa,Tanganyika and Victoria. The area undercoconuts in Tanzania is estimated to beabout 252 000 ha with a population ofabout 25 million palms. About 95% of thecoconuts are grown by small-scalefarmers, while the rest are under mediumand large-scale plantations.

In 1979/80, the Government of Tanzaniainitiated the National Coconut Develop-ment Programme (NCDP) with theobjective of reversing a state of low anddeclining production that became moreapparent during the 1960s and early1970s. The NCDP is now being imple-mented by the Mikocheni AgriculturalResearch Institute (MARI) which wasestablished in March 1996 as a move toinstitutionalize coconut R&D under theDirectorate of Research and Develop-ment of the Ministry of Agriculture andCooperatives.

The main activities of MARI includebreeding improved and adapted plant-ing materials that are disease resistantand drought tolerant. The activitiesinclude germplasm collecting, mainte-nance and evaluation, improvement ofthe local East African Tall (EAT) throughnational selection and cross breeding, andevaluation of different genetic materialsunder local conditions.

MARI is also developing andintroducing, to farmers, the integratedplant protection measures againsteconomically important pests, inparticular the rhinoceros beetle, coreidbug (Pseudotheraptus wayi) andtermites. Emphasis has been on thebiological control of P. wayi using redweaver ants, Oecophylla longinoda.

Investigation into the etiology andcontrol of important coconut diseasesis another of MARI’s activity. Emphasisis on lethal disease caused byphytoplasmas. The main activitiesinclude screening different geneticmaterials for lethal disease resistanceunder field conditions, conductingepidemiology studies and developingDNA-based techniques for thedetection of phytoplasmas in coconutand insect vector.

MARI is also developing improvedcoconut-based farming systems andproviding appropriate recommen-dations to coconut growers. Mainactivities include on-station andon-farm trials on intercropping, croprotation as well as on the improvementand maintenance of soil fertility.

Another main activity is developingimproved small-scale coconut oilprocessing technologies and makingthese available to the end users. The oilprocessing technologies beingpromoted include the use of rotarygraters, ram press and bridge press.

The institute is also collaborating withsome international institutions inbuilding capacity in biotechnology andrelated aspects of biosafety andbiopolicy. Current activities includecoconut embryo culture techniquesand the application of DNA markertechnology for diversity studies,germplasm characterization, breedingand crop protection.

According to an impact studyconducted in 1996, the NCDP has hada significant effect on productionpromotion as well as on the income andwelfare of the coconut farmers.Specifically, the area under coconutshas been increasing at 2% per year; theaverage yield increased from 23-25nuts (in 1980s) to 30-40 nuts per palmper year (in 1996); and the income fromcoconut products and by-productsincreased by 13% between 1993 and1996. The increase in yield is largelyattributed to the fact that more farmersare applying improved culturalpractices like weeding, properintercropping and crop rotation.



COGENT 12

Feature Articles

Asia and the Pacific are the majorproducers of coconut. More than 11million families or 50 million peopleare directly involved in the cultivationof coconut, while a further 3 millionpeople in Asia are directly dependenton small-scale processing of coconutfor their livelihood. About 96 percentof coconut farmers are smallholderscultivating about 0.2 to 0.4 hacompared to only four percent grownin large estates.

Coconut is grown not only for theproduction of edible oil but also for avariety of uses ranging from industrialoil, charcoal, activated carbon,construction material, handicraftproduction, animal feed, and fruit juiceproduction. The variety of productsand uses demonstrate the importanceof coconut in increasing the income offarmers, generating employmentopportunities, and improving thequality of life in the rural areas,particularly given that most of thecoconut is produced by smallholders.

Coconut production in Asia and thePacific region is facing several con-straints that could have an adverseeffect on its future. The main constraintis the widespread cultivation of tradi-tional, tall and low yielding varieties.They produce low yield and lowincomes to coconut farmers, particu-larly under poor management wherethere is no use of fertilizer, pest, weedand diseases control. Although highyielding dwarf varieties have beendeveloped, few farmers who haveadopted them since their dissemina-tion are constrained by poor extensionservices and the absence of a strongseed industry.

Few research activities to improveproductivity and profitability ofcoconut are being conducted since thecoconut is considered difficult to breedand financially unattractive. Thegovernments in the region are also notpaying enough attention in solving the

coconut problems through theformulation of policies, programmesand projects that can increase theproductivity and incomes of thecoconut farmers.

Another constraint is the farmers’tendency to grow coconut on a parttime basis, thus, neglecting propermanagement of the crop that wouldenable them to obtain high yields andincomes from a given land. Thisattitude, however, may be attributed tothe low yields and incomes fromcoconut, which force the farmers toobtain supplementary income fromother sources. Meanwhile, the privatesector in the Asia and Pacific has notbeen willing to invest more money inthe marketing and processing ofcoconut, and its by-products, and alsoin the development and disseminationof improved varieties and technolo-gies, thus, discouraging the farmersfrom producing more coconut.

The coconut farmers are also crippled bythe lack of confidence of the commercialbanks in providing credit since thecoconut industry is considered not to befinancially favourable. Another con-straint is the inactive involvement of thenon-government organizations inpromoting improved varieties andtechnologies, delivering micro-credit tofarmers, and organizing coconut farmersinto a strong and cohesive group torepresent the coconut industry. Withouta strong representation, the coconutfarmers cannot influence the policies ofthe governments.

Several measures can be taken, however,to increase the productivity andprofitability of coconut. Coconutproduction can be increased up to 50percent if farmers replace the traditionaland low yielding varieties with highyielding varieties, together with anefficient crop management. Intercrop isa feasible measure in increasing farmers’incomes, reducing the risk of crop failureand ensuring an efficient use of cultivated

land. Farmers would also greatly benefitfrom research to further developalternative high-value coconut products,in addition to incomes from the moretraditional uses of coconut. A good cropmanagement would significantlyincrease the yield of coconut by ensuringthat it will not be adversely affected bydrought or poor drainage, by applyingadequate fertilizers, and controllingweeds and pests.

Coconut improvement can only beachieved through the involvement of allthe stakeholders from research scientists,extension workers, the commercialbanks, the processors, private sectorentrepreneurs, NGOs and the farmersthemselves. Research and extension oncoconut to make the crop morecompetitive over other crops must alsobe strengthened. The importance ofcoconut must be highlighted not justbecause of its role in the economy of Asiaand the Pacific, but also in the livelihoodof millions of poor coconut farmers.

1 Lead Agronomist, Asian Development Bank,Manila, Philippines

The importance of coconut in the national economy ofAsia and the Pacific

Dr. Dimyati Nangju1

Improved small-scale coconut oilprocessing techniques have beendeveloped and adopted by somewomen groups in rural areas.Furthermore, coconut growers, nurseryoperators, as well as the extension staff,are more aware and knowledgeableabout coconut production aspects ascompared to when the project started.

MARI’s challenge in the future is tosustain these achievements bydisseminating the different technologiesthat have been developed to the targetgroups, and to continue and consolidatethose research activities that have yet togive conclusive results.

1 Director, Mikocheni Agricultural ResearchInstitute (MARI), Tanzania


COGENT 13

The Malayan Dwarf is a base varietyin many germplasm collections andgenetic improvement programmes ofcoconut in pantropics of Africa and theIndian Ocean, Latin America and theCaribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Itconsists of three races – the Yellow, Redand Green Dwarfs. The dwarf typeknown as Nyior Gading or KlapaGading in Malaysia is said to have beenbrought in from Kryon (or Krion), Java,(the Dutch Indies) (Handover 1919,cited by Gangolly et al. 1957). Thelocalization and actual name of Kryonor Krion has yet to be verified.

The Malayan Dwarf has been found toconfer precocity in its many hybridsespecially with tall palms. Thus, it hasbeen used in hybridization with thelocal talls of West Africa, Polynesia,Equatorial Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga,Kiribati, Solomon Islands and otherecotypes. It is interesting to note thatthe first coconut hybrid produced wasbetween the Malayan Dwarf and NiuLeka Green Dwarf in Fiji in 1928.

Malayan Yellow Dwarf (MYD)

According to the 1999 Coconut GeneticResources Database (CGRD), theMalayan Yellow Dwarf (MYD) is nowrepresented in germplasm banks by 28accessions, totaling 16 453 individualpalms. MYD is conserved in the

following 15 countries: Benin, Brazil,Côte d’Ivoire, Fiji, India, Indonesia,Jamaica, Mexico, Papua New Guinea,Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand,Vanuatu, Vietnam and Malaysia. Theoldest accessions registered ingermplasm banks are found in India(1959) and in Côte d’Ivoire (1960). Côted’Ivoire was the most active centre forexporting MYD to other countries,such as Benin, Brazil, Indonesia,Madagascar, Mexico, Mozambique,Nicaragua, Philippines, Tanzania,Thailand, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.

MYD is now the most widely diffuseddwarf cultivar in the world. There areother yellow dwarf cultivars that aresimilar to the MYD: Sri Lanka YellowDwarf (YD), Nias YD in Indonesia,Chowgat YD in India, and Pemba YDin Tanzania. However, all theaccessions called ‘Malayan YellowDwarf’ may not be completely identical.The use of molecular biology techniqueswill be useful in solving these questions.Using RFLP technique, Lebrun et al.(1998) confirmed that the Malayan YellowDwarf and the Ghana Yellow Dwarf areidentical, thus, the cultivar “GhanaYellow Dwarf” would have to disappearfrom the international cultivar list.

In good field conditions, MYD couldstart to f lower 2 years after fieldplanting (about 2.5 to 3 years after

germination of seednut) and it mayproduce 80 to 100 fruits/year/palm (ata planting density of 205 palms perhectare and without irrigation). MYDis sensitive to dry and less favourableenvironmental condition, and is subjectto alternate bearing. Pale yellow is thecolour of the seedling sprouts, the leafstalks, the inflorescence, and theimmature fruits. When the fruits areyoung (6 to 9 months), their colour isoften a pale yellow-green.

The youngest leaves at the top of thepalm are characterized by the softpetiole terminal portion and softleaflets. The upper canopy appears likean undressed hair, which can beobserved more clearly for MYD thanfor Malayan Red or Green Dwarf.Because of its short peduncle, thebunch is well supported by the leafpetioles. As the spikelets are also short,fruits sometimes abort due to the lackof space on heavy bunches. Thereproduction system has beendescribed as direct autogamy wherebythe period of receptivity of femaleflowers is fully overlapped by theperiod of dehiscence of male flowers,from the same inflorescence.

MYD produces medium sized, oblongfruits. Inside the fruits, the nuts arealmost spherical. Water from youngnuts is sweet, but not as sweet and

Feature Articles

Coconut Varieties: Malayan DwarfRoland Bourdeix1

Whole palm Fruits Inflorescence Split fruits

Malayan Yellow Dwarf

COGENT 14

tasty as some other green dwarfcultivars. The albumen is thin andgives a rubbery copra, which is difficultto dehydrate but have a good final oilcontent of about 69%.

MYD characterization data for ninecountries can be found in the CGRDversion 1999: Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Fiji,India, Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand,Vanuatu, and Vietnam. Although theyare not always complete, these datadescribe the following characteristics:speed of germination, stem morphology,leaf, inflorescence and flowermorphology, fruit component analysis,and yield.

The MYD is tolerant to the LethalYellowing Disease (LYD) of Jamaica(Been, 1979; Romney, 1980) butsensitive to the LYD found in Tanzaniaand Ghana (Schuiling et al. 1992;Sangare et al. 1992). It is classified assensitive to the mite Eriophyesguerreronis K., which attacks coconutfruits (Julia and Mariau 1979); and thelethal foliar decay of Vanuatu (Calvezet al. 1985).

In the field of coconut genetic resourcesand breeding, MYD is the most utilizedcultivar worldwide. COGENT recom-mends to systematically use it asgenetic control for field experimenta-tion when comparing dwarf cultivarsor dwarf x dwarf hybrids (STANTECHManual, 1994). MYD is also quite of-ten chosen for developing new tech-nologies such as vitro-culture of zy-gotic embryos.

During the 1960s, theMalayan Dwarfs cultivarswere planted in a large scalein Jamaica because of theirtolerance to LYD in thecountry. Afterwards, thehybrid MAYPAN (MalayanYellow or Red Dwarf xPanama Tall populationJamaica) was found to bemore productive, less sensitiveto environmental conditionsand displayed a good tolerancelevel to the disease.

The cross Malayan YellowDwarf x West African Tall(WAT), known as PB121 orMAWA, was created in Ivory

Coast by CIRAD in the 1960s. It is themost widely utilized coconut hybridworldwide and is recommended as agenetic control for Dwarf x Tall hybridtests. The hybrid MYD x Tahitian Tallwas also used in Côte d’Ivoire to alesser degree. Individual palm progenytesting at the Centre National deRecherche Agronomique (CNRA) MarcDelorme Research Station, Côted’Ivoire has improved these twohybrids.

Due to its extensive utilization, it isalmost impossible to list all the hybridswhere MYD was involved as parentalmaterial. In Côte d’Ivoire, MYD hasbeen crossed with 11 dwarfs and 9 tallcultivars; in Jamaica, with at least 15cultivars; and the Philippines andIndonesia have at least 6 hybrids withMYD as parent.

Malayan Green Dwarf (MGD)

Within the Malayan Dwarfs, the greenform is less common compared to theYellow and Red forms. According tothe CGRD (1999), MGD is onlyrepresented in the germplasm banks by10 accessions, totaling 622 individualpalms. MGD is conserved in thefollowing countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Fiji,India, Solomon Islands, and Tanzania.The oldest accessions registered ingermplasm banks are found in Indiaand in Côte d’Ivoire (1959).

Open pollinated seednuts were importedto Côte d’Ivoire from Teluk Anson (nowTeluk Intan), Malaysia. The population

was quite heterogeneous with a mix ofpure dwarf, natural Dwarf x Tall hybrids,and their later progeny. Within the 52palms initially planted, only 25, selectedas putative true to type MGD, were usedto reproduce the accession using thecontrolled pollination method.

The progeny obtained is again ratherheterogeneous. Most of the palms havea thin stem (girth of 65 to 70 cm)without basal bole, and began to flower25 to 35 months after planting.However, some of the palms have thickstem (girth about 80 cm) with a largebole (girth up to 130 cm) and onlyflower 60 to 70 months after planting.These last ones do not show dwarfcharacteristics. The exact pedigree ofeach palm was studied and it appearsthat three of the 25 putative dwarfparents do not transmit dwarfcharacteristics to their progeny. Thesepalms will have to be discarded.

Compared to MYD and Malayan RedDwarf (MRD), the MGD conserved inCôte d’Ivoire is much moreheterogeneous. The fruits are bigger,rounder and with a higher albumenratio. From a personal observation, itseems that the cult ivar known as‘Malayan Green Dwarf’ in Jamaicaproduces oblong fruits and looks morelike the ‘Brazil Green’ in Africa. The useof molecular biology techniques will beuseful to resolve these questions. Theremay also be more than one Green Dwarfcultivar in Malaysia. For example, morethan 10 distinct green dwarfs are alreadyregistered in the Philippines.

Feature Articles

Malayan Green Dwarf

Whole palm Fruits Split fruits

COGENT 15

The MGD is tolerant to the LethalYellowing Disease (LYD) of Jamaica(Been 1979; Romney 1980) but sensitiveto the LYD found in Tanzania(Schuiling et al. 1992).

Ten years ago, in Jamaica, farmersplanted more yellow or red MD formsthan the Green one, but this practiceis changing. According to Basil Been,Director of Research, Coconut IndustryBoard, there is a great demand forgreen dwarf seednuts in Florida,mainly for landscaping purposes asgardeners in Florida do not like Yellowor Red Malayan Dwarfs cultivars. Theyargued that these coconut palms looklike diseased palms (Lethal Yellowing)because of their colour.

The Malayan Green Dwarf has beendiscarded from most of the coconutbreeding programmes in the world. InCôte d’Ivoire, Vanuatu and thePhilippines, Brazil Green Dwarf (BGD)or the numerous Philippines greendwarfs are preferred. In India,Chowghat Green is preferred while itis Nias Green Dwarf in Indonesia.MGD was only very recently crossedwith improved West African Tall(WAT) and Rennell Island Tall (RIT) inCôte d’Ivoire.

Malayan Red Dwarf

Some other red dwarf cultivars seemrather similar to the Malayan RedDwarf (MRD): Sri Lanka Red Dwarf

Feature Articles(RD), Nias RD in Indonesia, ChowghatRed Dwarf (CRD) in India, Sri LankaRed Dwarf, and Pemba RD in Tanzania.The leaves are longer than other dwarfcultivars such as the MYD, BGD orCRD. The youngest leaves at the topof the palm are characterized by a softpetiole terminal portion and softleaflets. The upper canopy looks likeunkempt hair, which is generally lesspronounced than that of MYD.

The oblong fruits of MRD are biggerthan those of MYD and contain morealbumen. The seednut germination isslower for MRD than for MYD (Nucede Lamothe and Rognon 1997). Inplaces with good conditions, such asSanto in Vanuatu or Zamboanga in thePhilippines, the weight of fruit is morethan 1 kg for MRD, whereas MYDalways remain under 1 kg.

The MRD is tolerant to the LethalYellowing Disease (LYD) of Jamaica(Been 1979; Romney 1980) but sensitiveto the LYD found in Tanzania andGhana (Schuiling et al. 1992; Sangareet al. 1992). The MRD is classified assensitive to the mite Eriophyesguerreronis K., which attacks coconutfruits (Julia and et Mariau 1979); andthe lethal foliar decay of Vanuatu(Calvez et al. 1985).

During the 1960s, Jamaica planted theMalayan Dwarf cultivars in a largescale because of their good toleranceto LY disease in that country. However,

the hybrid MAYPAN (Malayan Yellowor Red Dwarf x Panama Tallpopulation Jamaica) was found to bemore productive, less sensitive toenvironmental conditions and alsoindicated a good tolerance level to thedisease.

MRD has been frequently included incoconut breeding programmesworldwide. In Côte d’Ivoire, it wascrossed with seven tall and 10 dwarfcultivars. The hybrids MRD x TAT(PB132) and MRD x RIT (PB133) havebeen released to farmers and arecurrently being improved. In thePhilippines, MRD was crossed with atleast six talls and two dwarf cultivars.The hybrids MRD x Tagnanan Tall (andits reciprocal) are being released tofarmers. The hybrid MRD x RIT is usedin many countries of the Pacific Region.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the crosses using MRDas parents are generally comparable tosimilar crosses using MYD. Sometimes,with MRD, the yield is slightly lower,with less fruit of bigger size, but mostof the time, this difference is notstatistically significant. Thus, it is notuseful to cross a new tall cultivar withboth MYD and MRD. Making only oneof these two crosses will give sufficientevaluation of the hybrid value.

1 Researcher in Plant Breeding, Centre deCoopération Internationale en RechercheAgronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD),Côte d’Ivoire.

Malayan Red Dwarf

Whole palm Fruits Inflorescence Split fruits

Pictures courtesy of Roland Bourdeix (CIRAD) and Au Wai Fong (Ulu Dusun Agricultural Research Station, Sabah, Malaysia).

COGENT 16

ReferencesBeen, B.O. 1979. Observations on field resistance to lethal

yellowing in coconut varieties and hybrids in Jamaica.Cyclostyled. Research Dept., Coconut Industry Board,Kingston, Jamaica. Pp. 9 – 12. Oléagineux, 36, 1981.

Calvez, C., J.F. Julia and M. de Nuce de Lamothe. 1985.L’amélioration du cocotier au Vanuatu et son intéretpour la région Pacifique. Pp. 477 – 490. Oléagineux, 40.

Handover, W.P. 1919. The dwarf coconut. Pp. 295 – 297.Malayan Agricultural Journal Vol III.

Julia, J.F., and D. Mariau. 1979. Nouvelles recherches en Côted’Ivoire sur riophyes guerreronis K., acarien ravageur desnoix du cocotier. Pp. 181 –1 187. Oléagineux, 34.

Lebrun, P., Y.P. N’cho, M. Seguin, L. Grivet and L. Baudouin.1998. Genetic Diversity in Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Asrevealed by restriction fragment length polymorphism(RLFP) markers. Pp. 103 – 108. Euphytica, 101.

Feature Articles

Nuce de Lamothe, M. de, and Francois Rognon. 1977. Lescocotiers nains à Port Bouêt, Côte d’Ivoire. Pp. 367 –375. I. Nain Jaune Ghana, Nain Rouge Malaisie, NainVert Guinée Equatoriale et Nain Rouge Cameroun.Oléagineux, 32.

Romney, D.H. 1980. Agronomic performance of “MalayanDwarf” coconut in Jamaica. Pp. 551 – 554. Oléagineux,35, 12.

Sangare, A., G. de Taffin, Hubert de Franqueville, E.D.Arkhust and M. Pomier. 1992. Le Jaunissement morteldu cocotier au Ghana. Pp. 699 – 704. Premiers résultatssur le comportement au champ du matériel végétal.Oléagineux, 47.

Schuiling, M., A. Mpunami, D.A. Kaiza and H.C. Harries.1992. Lethal disease of coconut palm in Tanzania – lowresistance of imported germplasm. Pp. 693 – 697.Oléagineux, 47.

Coconut-based farming systems: a strategy to increaseincomes of coconut smallholders

Severino Magat1 , Tom Osborn2 , P.K. Thampan3 , and Shalizahanim Shukor4

Coconut palm is one of the mostimportant food and cash crops grownin the world. It is a major contributorto the economies of many Asian andPacific, and other coconut-producingcountries. It plays a significant role inthe global edible oils market. Althoughcoconut as a monocrop is profitable,there is a need to demonstrate ways ofincreasing the income of coconutfarmers in order to make coconutproduction more competitive andsustainable. One way to achieve this isto promote coconut-based farmingsystems (CBFS).

Coconut-based farming systems canhave several components such asintercropping or multistorey/mixedcropping; livestock raising; under-planting of young coconut palms foredible pith (harvestable after threeyears from field-planting); nurseryfarm to produce planting materials;and aquatic farming. This is possiblebecause the morphology andarchitecture of the coconut palm allowadequate sunlight to penetrate thepalms for other plants to grow.Cultivation practices associated withthe production of these understoreycomponents also favor the coconut.

In the Southeast and East Asia region,coconut-based farming systems areviable options for smallholdersbecause they enable them to fullyutilize large areas under coconut;diversify their enterprise with aminimum risk strategy; minimizeresource demand; and encourage theadoption of improved husbandrypractices. Sustainable farming systemsalso encourage the replanting of senilepalms and diseased plantations as theyminimize loss in incomes during thepre-bearing period.

In the Philippines, a hectare of coconutwith 100 – 150 palms, producing 60 –90 nuts per tree per year only generatesP21 000 (US$525) gross income throughcopra production compared to amaximum income of as high as P100000 (US$2500) per hectare per yearwith intercropping. For example,coconut intercropped with durian isestimated to generate P819 800 (US$20400) per hectare per year; with banana,P85 000 (US$2125); with capsicum orsweet pepper, P150 000 (US$3750); andwith root crop gabi (taro), P75 000(US$1875).

In South Asia, the benefits of coconut-based farming systems includeefficient resource conservation; lower

production cost as a result of sharingof labour and fertilizer inputs; highercoconut yields; and enhanced farmers’incomes. In a study conducted at theRegional Coconut Research Station,Ratnagiri in Maharashtra State, India,six perennial spice crops were plantedin separate blocks of 0.2 ha each undercoconut. The nutmeg block generatedthe highest net profit of Rs. 53 951(US$1245) per ha, followed by thecinnamon block with Rs. 37 128(US$857) per ha. The profit from thecoconut block alone was only Rs. 12 346(US$285).

In the South Pacific, the threat to thelivelihoods of smallholders caused bythe decline in copra prices hasencouraged them to adopt coconut-based farming systems. These haveenabled the farmers to intensify landuse; enhance incomes; increase yields;achieve product diversity; and ensureeconomic stability. In Fiji, for example,the total area under coconut isapproximately 65 000 hectares with 28000 hectares (44.5%) in pure stand, and27 000 hectares (42.2%) under pastureand 8600 hectares intercropped.

In the South Pacific region, the practiceof intercropping with coconuts isincreasing because of higher economic

COGENT 17

returns achieved from CBFS. Kava, forexample, is intercropped with coconut inVanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. At aplanting density of only 500 – 1000 plantsper hectare, the crop can yield about 1500– 3000 kg of dried roots, which have avalue of US$7500 – US$15 000.

There are other benefits of practisingcoconut-based farming systems. Theseinclude increased organic matterbuild–up in the soil and consequentimprovement in the increased waterholding capacity; control of soil erosionin sloping lands; and effective weedcontrol by replacing it witheconomically useful crops and bettercoconut root aeration through soilcultivation for the intercrops.

Livestock raising under coconut is alsoa viable option because it helps regulategrasses through grazing; increases soilfertility through animal manure andurine; provides fodder from crop residue,and forage crops; and increases thefarmers’ incomes through productdiversification.

In the South Asia region, single standcoconut holdings utilize only 25 percentof the soil mass. The remaining 75percent, when utilized efficiently cansupport higher on-farm income for thefarmers. The large amount of light, whichreaches the ground due to interspacesbetween the palms, can be fully utilizedby the intercrops. Coconut-based farmingsystems also improve soil fertility. InIndia, microbiological studies conductedin coconut gardens devoted to mixed

cropping, showed enhanced activities ofsoil fauna and microflora. Higher ratesof nutrient transformation were recorded.In Sri Lanka, there was a significantincrease in earthworm population andimprovement in physical and chemicalproperties of soil consequent in gardenswith mixed cropping of cocoa, coffee,clove and banana.

In the South Pacific region, coconut-based farming systems thrive becausethe intercrops receive adequate shadefrom the coconut palms, and protectionfrom the wind, sand and salt spray;erosion and flood control; andencourage the activities of coastalreclamation. Fertilizer used by theintercrops improves soil fertility asresidual nutrients can be taken up bythe coconut. Pasture under coconut isa major coconut-based farming systemin the Pacific, especially in Vanuatu,Fiji, and Samoa. The cattle providesmanure to the coconut and keep theundergrowth to a minimum.

The coconut-based farming systems inthe Asian and Pacific countries facecertain limitations, namely, paucity ofadequate resources; lack of clear policyor strategy to deal with intercrops; lackof adequate fund for research anddevelopment purposes; limited produc-tion resources (land, labour and capitol)which are not judiciously used; lack ofguidance to farmers in selecting appro-priate crop combinations; inadequatecredit facilities for the farmers; and lackof overall support to integrated farmingas a strategy to help coconut farmers.

Coconut intercropped with kava in the South Pacific region

Steps which can be taken to encouragefarmers to adopt coconut-based farm-ing systems include, strengtheningextension education and services at thefarm-household levels; assistingfarmers in selecting suitable cropcombinations that are appropriate forthe local edaphic and climaticconditions; and providing access torecommended planting materials anddependable market. Other suggestionsinclude replanting the unproductivecoconut gardens and introduction ofappropriate intercropping system atthe same time; and ensuring that theselected intercrops match the existingneeds of the local market.

During a Farmer Participatory studyconducted in India, the farmersexpressed their views that even a smallcoconut holding of 0.4 ha can sustainthe livelihood of four to five familymembers when it is devoted tointensive integrated farming. Hence,coconut-based farming systems have tobe promoted in all coconut-growingcountries to ensure resourceconservation, sustainable levels ofcoconut production and, mostimportantly, enhance on-farm incomeand employment.

1 Scientist, Philippine Coconut Authority,Philippines2 Agriculture Adviser, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity, Fiji3 Presidant, Peekay Tree Crops DevelopmentFoundation, India4 Communication Assistant, COGENTSecretariat, Malaysia.

Feature Articles

Coconut intercropped with durian in the Philippines

COGENT 18

The Asian and Pacific CoconutCommunity is 30 years old this year.The 30 th anniversary celebration washeld in the Federated States ofMicronesia on 27 September 1999.Representatives from its membercountries and observers participated,including BUROTROP and COGENT.

Dr. Mary Enig, the internationallyknown nutritionist, formerly ofMaryland University, United States ofAmerica, who defended coconut oilagainst the soya lobby, was honouredat the celebration with a special awardof recognition from APCC for hercontribution to the advancement ofresearch on the medical and nutritionalbenefit of coconut. Awards of recognitionwere also given out to those who hadcontributed to the development of thecoconut industry in the membercountries. In conjunction with theanniversary celebration, APCC hasproduced a souvenir publication for theoccasion and published a special issue ofits technical journal CORD which hascompleted 15 years of publication.

APCC Secretariat designatedSeptember 2 as the Coconut Day, theday the Coconut Community met forthe first time in 1969. It was designatedto be an annual event that wouldhighlight the importance of coconut

and help focus world attention on thiscrop in order to enhance its potentialin alleviating poverty, and promotetotal development of the industry.Among the activities carried out in themember countries were the introductionof new varieties of coconut and newproducts, publicity campaigns, variouscontests, seminars, workshops, etc. Twoposters released by the Secretariat werewidely distributed to member and non-member countries as a publicity material.

APCC’s 36th COCOTECH Meeting washeld on 21-25 June 1999 in Phuket,Thailand, under the theme “Promotingcoconut products in a competitiveglobal market”. Eighteen resourcespeakers from coconut-producing andconsuming countries presented paperswith 120 participants representing thedifferent segments of the industry. Anumber of recommendations weremade which included the proposal thatan International Coconut Conferencewithin the framework of COCOTECHbe held next year in collaboration withBUROTROP and COGENT.

A project proposal on Coconut IntegratedPest Management which was submittedto the Common Fund for Commoditieswas approved by its Board in October1999. The project with a budget of US$1 300 000 of which US$800 000 will come

from the CFC will be executed by theAPCC. The three-year project isscheduled to come into operation in early2000. The project will develop cost-effective, environmentally friendlyintegrated pest management strategies inrespect of two economically importantcoconut pests, namely, Oryctes rhinocerosAceria guerreronis .

The Coconut Information Networkingthrough Electronic Media project, incollaboration with the IDRC, wascompleted in June 1999. The objectiveof the project, which came intooperation in January 1997, was to buildon the information service programmeof APCC. It also aimed to furtherdevelop and sustain the coconutinformation network among APCCmember countries by providing themwith the necessary resources and skillsto utilize and operate moderninformation and communicationstechnologies based on the Internet asa means of improving networkingactivities and the efficiency of thenetwork. Under the project, assistancewas provided to APCC membercountries and one non-membercountry in setting up their e-mailconnection. They were provided withcomputer equipment and training,together with the initial cost ofinstallation and maintenance. Selectedcountries were also given assistance inestablishing their own homepages.

The following publications wererecently released by the APCC:1. CORD Vol. 15 No. 2 (special issue)2. Advance in Plant Physiology and

Biochemistry of Coconut Palm3. 36 th COCOTECH Proceedings -

“Promoting Coconut Products in aCompetitive Global Market”.

4. Proceedings of the Workshop onLethal Diseases of Coconut Causedby Phytoplasma and theirImportance in Southeast Asia

1 Executive Director, Asian and PacificCoconut Community, Indonesia

COGENT Partner Institutions

Recent activities of the Asian andPacific Coconut Community (APCC)

P.G. Punchihewa1

Participants of the 36th COCOTECH Meeting held on 21 - 25 June 1999 in Phuket, Thailand.

COGENT 19

The Secretariat of the PacificCommunity, formerly the South PacificCommission, was established in 1947as a regional technical , advisory,training, and research organization. Itscurrent membership includes all 22countries and territories in the Pacificas well as France, Australia, NewZealand, United States and the UnitedKingdom. The headquarters of the SPCis in Noumea, New Caledonia but thereis also a sub-regional office in Suva andfield offices in many countries. TheSPC has programmes in fisheries,health and agriculture.

Under the SPC’s Land ResourcesDivision is the Agriculture Programme,being implemented under the directionof its member countries. It providesregional projects for the benefit of itsmember countries, technical assistance,training and information. It alsoresponds to emergencies related to itsactivities.

There are four services within theagriculture programme. The AnimalHealth & Production Service whichconsists of veterinary services fordomestic animal; legislative services ofdrafting quarantine and, animal andpublic health-related legislation. Otherservices include advice and training forquarantine procedures related toanimal diseases; the RegionalParaveterinary Training VeterinaryPublic Health assistance throughtraining and improving facilities;disease surveillance and control incollaboration with nationalprogrammes; animal productionimprovement through nutrition,management, and genetics; and theAnimal Health Information Systemscoordinated for the region and to assistnational animal health systems.

The Crop Improvement Servicemaintains and supervises seed andplanting materials, and maintainsexternal linkages with otherinstitutions for crops such as coconuts(regional link to COGENT andBUROTROP); bananas (regional link to

INIBAP for distribution of plantingmaterials); taro (AusAID, ACIAR,IPGRI Taro Genetic ResourcesConservation and Utilization Project);yams (collaborator in the EU fundedSouth Pacific Yam Network); vegetableseed (EU funded regional project andlink to the Asia Pacific SeedAssociation); and kava (technical, tradeand IPR aspects of this importantregional crop).

The Regional Germplasm Centre ofSPC is an essential service for thecollecting, multiplication anddistribution of disease-free plantingmaterial . SPC is also involved inprojects with the EU, for example, theFarming Systems Research project inthe lowlands and atolls for testing andextension of new technologies. Itsobjective is to improve quality andprocessing of agricultural products.

The Plant Protection Service isinvolved in several projects such as theEU Pacific Plant Protection Servicewhich aims to improve national plantprotection and quarantine services inPolynesia and Melanesia; the AusAIDPlant Protection in Micronesia toimprove plant protection andquarantine services in Micronesia; theNZODA Plant Protection in non-ACPstates to improve plant protection andquarantine services in Cook Islands,Niue and Tokelau; the Taro BeetleControl project for research andextension on ways to control the pest;the GTZ Biological Control project toprovide training and technicalassistance to control agricultural pestsand minimize pesticide usage; and theAusAID/UNDP Regional Fruit FlyProject: for research into management offruit flies, training and technicalassistance. It also serves as the Secretariatto Pacific Plant Protection Organizationand organizes the regional technicalmeetings for plant protection.

The components in the ResourceEconomics and Agricultural Infor-mation Services include resourceeconomics; household food security;

gender issues; disaster impactassessment; library services andsearches; publications’ editing andproductions; and national agricultureinformation strategy development andimplementation.

The regional approach is an importantstrategy in the Pacific where there aremany small island countries. The fourservices of the SPC agriculture pro-gramme work together in consultationwith its member countries for thedevelopment and implementation ofregional projects to facilitate the deve-lopment of agriculture. Coconut is oneof the many areas in which SPC isinvolved with since coconuts andcoconut-based farming systems are anessential element of agriculture in theregion. SPC is the link for COGENT inthe region and also works withBUROTROP, CIRAD and the donors,along with the member countries todevelop the coconut industry.

1 Agriculture Adviser, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Fiji.

COGENT Partner Institutions

Secretariat of the Pacific CommunityTom Osborn1

Coconut oil andconfectionery

In the confectionery preparations,coconut oil finds extensive use as aningredient in ice-cream, imitationcream and whipped cream andsimilar other products. Because ofthe very sharp melting behaviour(23°C to 26°C), coconut oil makes thepreparations pleasant to eat. Whenused as a coating of ice cream bars,it remains very hard during storagebut melts quickly and completely inthe mouth when eaten. Similarly,when used as surface spray forbakery items like crackers, it gives aglossy appearance and provides amoisture barrier to the product.

P. K. Thampan “Facts and Fallaciesabout Coconut Oil” Revised Edition1998.

COGENT 20

Ongoing Projects

The second annual meeting of the ADB-funded projectentitled “Coconut genetic resources strengthening in Asiaand the Pacific” was held on 16 – 18 September 1999 in HoChi Minh City, Vietnam. The meeting was attended by theproject leaders, donors, and representatives from IPGRI andpartner institutions. It was hosted by the Oil Plant Instituteand funded by ADB and IPGRI. The keynote speech andofficial opening was delivered by Mr. Le Quoc Khanh,Deputy Minister, the Ministry of Industry. In his speech, Mr.Le Quoc Khanh highlighted several achievementsaccomplished by the ADB-funded project in coconut geneticresources. Among them is the establishment of a permanentforum and network on germplasm collection and exchange,training courses and workshops for the transfer oftechnologies.

The meeting reviewed the 1998/1999 accomplishments and1999/2000 proposed work plans of the 20 countries involvedin the projects. Progress reports on human resourcedevelopment component were presented, together withreports on the biotechnology and embryo culture research.Three host countries (Indonesia, India, and Papua NewGuinea) presented reports on the activities of theInternational Coconut Genebanks (ICGs).

Based on the issues presented and discussions made duringthe meeting, it was recommended that:• fifteen countries to provide 178 accessions for exchange

through the three ICGs in the Asia Pacific region;• CIRAD to prioritize traits for characterization in order

to fast track characterization of accessions;• prioritize request for germplasm accessions from other

countries in accordance with the needs for relativelysimilar environments;

• plan human resource strategy to retain and strengthenthe present research capability of some South Asia andSouth Pacific countries;

• review collecting and conservation strategies for theSouth Pacific due to their various limitations andpotentials;

• collect seednuts of identified ecotypes conducted inisolated islands or locations for initial conservation andsubsequent regeneration, and to produce materials forfuture field evaluation;

• conduct a survey on genetic erosion as soon as possibleto identify urgent threats or collecting gaps forappropriate interventions;

• develop a strategy for each country to address the lackof planting materials (hybrids and talls), currently themost critical issue affecting the sustainability of coconuthectarage and production;

• prepare a bulletin on coconut germplasm, containing somepassport information and evaluation data about eachgermplasm, and coloured pictures of the whole plant,inflorescence, fruit bunch and fruit components to documentthe national collections of COGENT member countries;

• develop a research proposal to verify whether diseases ofunknown etiology, apart from viroid and mycoplasma, couldbe transmitted through embryos;

• recommend that the Coconut Genetic Resources Database(CGRD) be placed into the public domain, both in the Internetand in hard copy to disseminate this useful information tococonut breeders and to create public awareness; and forma task force to advise COGENT on the IPR requirements toimplement this recommendation; and

• standardize technical terminologies relating to germplasmnomenclature and use to be adopted COGENT-wide.

Field tripA field trip to the coconut-growing Ben Tre Province wasorganized on 19 September 1999, in conjunction with theannual COGENT project meetings in Vietnam. COGENT countrycoordinators, project leaders and members of the COGENTSteering Committee participated. Places visited included the BenTre Provincial Office to meet the Chairman of the People’sCommittee of the Province, the Dong Go Experimental Centerand coconut seed garden, a coconut decorticating factory,coconut geotextile making and fibre-mat making co-operatives.It was a good opportunity for the participants to see thedevelopment of the coconut industry in Vietnam.

Coconut Genetic Resources Network and HumanResources Strengthening in Asia and the Pacific (Phase II)

Participants of the ADB-funded project Second Annual Meeting in HoChi Minh, Vietnam.

Coir fibre factoryin the Ben Treprovince

COGENT 21

The second annual meeting of the IFAD-funded project entitled “Sustainable useof coconut genetic resources forenhancing the income and nutrition ofsmallholders in Asia and the Pacific”was held on 13 – 15 September 1999 inHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Themeeting was attended by the projectleaders, representatives of donors,IPGRI and partner institutions. It washosted by the Oil Plant Institute (OPI)and funded by IFAD and IPGRI. Thekeynote speech and official openingwas delivered by Mr. Le Quoc Khanh,Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry.In his speech, Mr. Le Quoc Khanh saidthat Vietnam appreciated its involvementin the IFAD-funded project because it isuseful and practical in uplifting theincome of coconut farmers.

The meeting reviewed the 1998/1999accomplishments and 1999/2000 workplans of the 17 projects in 14 countries.Reports were presented on farmerparticipatory research; projects onincreasing incomes through coconut-

based farming systems palm sugarproduction, tender nuts, and other uses.

During the meeting, it was recom-mended that:• member countries further identify

appropriate technologies that havepotential for income generation sothat feasibility studies can beconducted, and bilateral projects canbe formulated;

• marketers, exporters and the govern-ment be given appropriate roles asstakeholders in the development ofthe coconut industry as a whole, asthey determine policies and activitiesin support of the industry;

• the project provides funds in order toreturn information and results of thefarmer participatory research tofarmers and the general public of theparticipating countries in the IFADproject;

• adopt a number of strategies to gen-erate funding and help maintain theInternational Coconut Genebanks(ICGs), which include, where feasible,

production of high-value products,appropriate coconut-based farmingsystems (CBFS) and superimposingfunded research and training activitieson the germplasm block and materials;

• create a task force on palm sugarproduction to streamline and shareinformation on improved processingand packaging technologies, suitablevarieties, economics of production,and developing and promoting nichemarkets;

• create a task force to provide adviceon intellectual and material propertyrights, access and benefit sharing tofarmers whose varieties are beingcollected and utilized as germplasmmaterials;

• link IFAD projects with concerns andactivities related to nutritionalbenefits, and food systems, directly orindirectly within ongoing or futureprojects; and

• identify and promote, in projectactivities, options and opportunitiesfor enhanced role for women in thecoconut industry.

Sustainable Use of Coconut Genetic Resources toEnhance Incomes and Nutrition of Coconut

Smallholders in the Asia-Pacific Region

Ongoing Projects

Thirteen laboratories in 11 countries are conducting a 2-yearresearch to refine the coconut embryo culture andacclimatization technology. Participating countries includeBrazil, China, Cuba, France, India, Indonesia, thePhilippines, Papua New Guinea, Mexico, Sri Lanka, andTanzania. On 20 – 23 March 2000, the participatinglaboratories will present their results at the 2nd InternationalCoconut Embryo Culture Workshop to be held at Centro deInvestigacion Cientifica de Yucatan (CICY), in Mexico. Theresults of this project will be used to further upgrade andstandardize the technology which will be used to traincoconut researchers worldwide. The DFID-funded project hasalso organized a Coconut Embryo Culture Project Network. Thesecond issue of the project newsletter has just been released.

Coconut GermplasmUtilization and Conservation

to Promote SustainableCoconut Production

The project is funded by the Common Fund for Commodities(CFC). Six countries are participating in the project, namely:Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Brazil, Jamaica, and Mexico.The 5-year project will undertake multilocation trialsinvolving 6 common hybrids (four Dwarf x Tall hybrids -MYD x WAT; CRD x RLT; MRD x VTT; MRD x TAGT, andtwo Tall x Tall hybrids - VTT x TAGT and SLT x TAGT) and4 national hybrid/variety per participating country. Theproject will also evaluate germplasm x environmentinteractions to widen the possible application of results fromthe project. In addition to the multilocation trials, the projectalso supports training courses, workshops and meetingsworldwide.

Improvement of In VitroTechniques for Collecting andExchange of Coconut (Cocos

nucifera L.) Germplasm

COGENT 22

A training workshop on “TechnicalWriting, Seminar Presentation and Pub-lic Awareness” was held on 30 August to4 September 1999 at SEARCA, Los Baños,Philippines. The workshop was a collabo-rative activity of IPGRI, COGENT andthe Southeast Asian Ministers of Educa-tion Organization Regional Center forGraduate Study and Research in Agricul-ture (SEAMEO SEARCA), and funded byADB and IFAD. Eighteen coconut re-searchers from 13 countries attended theworkshop. The objectives of the work-shop were to enhance the participants’ability in writing quality technical reportsand project proposals, presenting semi-nars, and developing and implementingpublic awareness campaigns to generatesupport for coconut research.

In his opening speech, Dr. Soekartawi,SEAMEO SEARCA Deputy Directorfor Academic Affairs, emphasized theneed for skills in technical writing notonly for the researchers to attaingreater success in their work butalso to effectively disseminate and

Research Capability Enhancement

Training workshop on technical writing,seminar presentation and public awareness

popularize research outcomes andundertaking. A researcher must beattentive to details and logic inpresenting ideas and fact.

The importance of effective communi-cation was further emphasized by Dr.Dimyati Nangju, ADB, who stressedthat there is a need to make the publicaware that coconut has many uses andplays a key role in the economies ofmany Asia and Pacific countries. Dr.Paul Stapleton, IPGRI, also stressedthat a researcher must have skills inwriting, communication,presenting oneself inpublic, creating publicawareness and in publicrelations.

The main topics of thecourse were effective reportwriting and seminar pre-sentation; project proposalformulation; and publicawareness strategy. Theparticipants also received

The “Coconut Data Analysis Course”was conducted on 6 – 10 September 1999at the Southeast Asian Center forGraduate Study and Research inAgriculture (SEARCA), Los Baños,Philippines. The course is a collabora-tive activity of IPGRI, COGENT andSEARCA, and funded by ADB and IFAD.Nineteen participants from 14 countriesattended the course, which consisted ofproject leaders of the ADB- and IFAD-funded projects. The objectives of thecourse were to train coconut researcherson methods of data analysis and tofamiliarize them with new developmentsin softwares for data analysis anddatabases interchange.

In his welcoming speech, Dr. Percy Sajise,SEARCA Director, emphasized the primeimportance of coconut as a commodity.He added that data analysis and inter-pretation, depending on the analysis tool

valuable information from two resourcepersons from the International Rice Re-search Institute (IRRI), Dr. DuncanMcIntosh and Ms. Sylvia Inciong.

The participants were also taken on fieldvisits to the International Rice ResearchInstitute (IRRI), the Philippine Councilfor Agriculture, Forestry and NaturalResources Research and Development(PCARRD), and the Institute of Biotech-nology and Microbiology, University ofthe Philippines at Los Baños.

used, could influence the result of thestudy, rendering it useful or misleading.With the acquired knowledge, coconutresearchers can have a reliable analysisthat will help expand the frontier ofknowledge in coconut.

The topics covered were on basic statis-tical concepts; frequency distributionand graphic representation; samplingmethods; analysis of experimentaldesigns; genetic diversity analysis; otherstatistical analysis; and demonstration ofsoftwares. Resource persons were Dr.Prem Mathur (IPGRI, APO-New Delhi),Dr. Connie Reaño (UPLB Institute ofPlant Breeding) and Ms. Susan Rivera ofthe Zamboanga Research Centre,Philippine Coconut Authority.

In his summary of the course activities,Dr. Pons Batugal, COGENT Coordinator,stated that the participants have been

exposed to various topics, namely, howto estimate variance and co-variance inorder to know the variability of thepopulations collected; measure popula-tion differences between two germplasmpopulations collected; cluster coconutpopulations based on the variousclustering techniques; measure thegenetic distance between two clustermeans using Mahalanobis D2; and howto estimate direct and indirect effect ofyield components on the total yields byapplying several selection process ofcharacters and ranking them on the basisof priority characteristics. The partici-pants were also exposed to differentsoftwares for developing databases andstatistical analysis such as SAS, SYSTAT,Agrobase, CGRD, DIP and DIPVIEW. Inorder to enhance the multiplier effect ofthe course, the participants are expectedto share this knowledge with their col-leagues in their respective institutions.

Coconut Data Analysis Course

Participants of the training workshop on technical writing,seminar presentation and public awareness held in SEARCA.

COGENT 23

Enhancing the Income and Employmentin the Coconut Sector throughConservation and Use of SpecialCoconut Ecotypes in India

The publication is a report by the Peekay TreeCrops Development Foundation on the uses ofcoconut genetic resources by farmers in Kerala,India. The publication documents the variety ofuses, products, and coconut types. The contentsconsist of summaries of findings from farmerparticipatory surveys; format of study records;study of varietal diversity; and profitability ofcoconut.

For further information, please contact:Mr. P. K. ThampanPresident, Peekay Tree Crops DevelopmentFoundation, MIG141, Gandhi Nagar, Cochin,682 020, India.Tel: 91-484-360497Fax: 91-484-311393Email: [email protected]

Coconut Embryo Culture NetworkNewsletter

The Coconut Embryo Culture Newsletter is a semi-annual publication of the Coconut Embryo CultureProject Network. The network was establishedin October 1997 during the IPGRI/COGENT-sponsored First International Coconut EmbryoCulture Workshop held in the Philippines. Thenewsletter was established to facilitate exchangeof information and promote collaborative pxrojectsamong member countries. The newsletter reportson the progress of research of 13 laboratoriesworldwide currently undertaking collaborativecoconut embryo culture research, workshops andtraining courses on coconut embryo culture, andplans and proposals for further collaborative work.

For more information, please contact:Mrs. Erlinda RilloCoordinator, Coconut Embryo Culture NetworkPhilippine Coconut AuthorityAlbay Research CentreBanao, GuinobatanAlbay 4503PhilippinesTel: 63-52-484-6685Fax: 63-52-484-6687Email: [email protected]

Publications COGENT Bulletin Board

Hopes placed on high yielding varietiesand hybrids for the advancement ofproduction and productivity of coconut,at the end of nearly a half a century doesnot seem to have met the aspirations ofpolicy makers and farmers. There havebeen many shortcomings which havebeen now identified.

One factor responsible for this state ofaffairs was the limited availability ofgenetic material for the breeders. Incertain countries there was a reluctanceto import outside material for fear ofintroducing diseases not prevalent inthe country. This is understandable. Atthe same time there was the reluctanceof certain countries to part with theirgenetic material. This was difficult tounderstand. The only reason could bethe fear of competition.

It is gratifying to note that things arechanging for better. The initiatives takenby COGENT are making matters easy.One of the objectives of the APCC/COGENT/IPGRI project on theestablishment of a multi-site internationalcoconut genebank in the Asia Pacificregion to promote sustainable coconutproduction is to make germplasmmaterial available to interested coconutproducing countries. As transpired at therecently concluded COGENT steeringcommittee meeting, the protocol has beensigned by the three host countries of genebanks in the region, India, Indonesia andPapua New Guinea. The host country hasno claim of ownership over thedesignated germplasm or any intellectualproperty rights.

This should open a new chapter inexchange of germplasm. Even beforesigning the protocol some exchange ofgermplasm bilaterally has taken placebetween countries. With thetechnological advances made there is noneed now to import whole nuts. Safemovement of germplasm is assuredthrough embryo culture. The fears andsuspicions that the countries harbouredshould not inhibit the exchange ofgermplasm henceforth. The availabilityof diversity of germplasm should provideenough resources for the breeders to meetthe varying needs of their countries.

This is an area where South-Southinteraction can take place. All aredeveloping countries and they allstand to benefit. There is not much hightechnology and capital involved andthe countries could easily collaborateand benefit. In the past biggest threatto the coconut industry has been thestagnation of production andproductivity. If it continues, theindustry as a whole stands to lose.Apart from signing the protocol it isnow necessary to proceed with settingup of gene banks in the countries thathave agreed to do so. Even here someprogress has been made. It should begood news to all those who areinterested in the coconut industry.

From The Desk of the ExecutiveDirectorCOCOMUNITY, VOL XXIX NO. 19, 15October 1999

Exchange of Germplasm

Centre for Information on CoconutLethal Yellowing

The Centre for Information on Coconut Lethal Yellowing has been establishedon the Internet and can be accessed at http://www.cicy.mx/dir_acad/cicly/main.html. Among the topics featured include host/pathogen/vectortransmission; resistant and susceptible planting material; country information;sources of information about phytoplasma diseases of coconut and other palms;and a bibliography.

COGENT 24

COGENT Bulletin Board

InternationalCoconut Conference

The International Coconut Conference isscheduled to be held in July 2000 withthe theme “Promoting a sustainable andequitable coconut industry in the 21st

century”. The conference aims to reviewthe state of coconut research anddevelopment at the end of the 20 th

century and to formulate a renewedprogramme to address the challenges andopportunities of the 21st century. TheBureau for Research on the Developmentof Tropical Perennial Oil Crops(BUROTROP), Asian and Pacific CoconutCommunity (APCC) and COGENT haveagreed to co-sponsor the conference, inthe ambit of APCC’s XXXVIICOCOTECH Meeting.

For more information, please contact:Dr. P. G. PunchihewaExecutive DirectorAsian and Pacific Coconut Community(APCC)3rd Floor, Lina BuildingH. R. Rasuna Said Kav. 7,KuninganJakarta 12920IndonesiaTel: 62-21-5221712 to 13Fax: 62-21-5221714Email: [email protected]

2nd InternationalCoconut Embryo

Culture WorkshopThe 2nd International Coconut EmbryoCulture Workshop will be held inCentro de Investigacion Cientifica deYucatan (CICY), Merida, Mexico, on 20– 23 March 2000. The objectives of theworkshop are to report on the resultsof the COGENT-coordinated researchactivities of 13 embryo culturelaboratories worldwide and the workof other partner institutions; furtherupgrade the coconut embryo culturetechnology to be used in trainingcoconut researchers worldwide; and toformulate further research to refineand apply the technology in develop-ment-type project interventions.

For more information, please contact:Dr. Pons BatugalCOGENT CoordinatorInternational Plant Genetic ResourcesInstitute (IPGRI)P.O. Box 236UPM Post Office43400, SerdangSelangor, MalaysiaTel: 603 - 942 3891Fax: 603 - 948 7655Email: [email protected]

InternationalWorkshop on the

Biology and Controlof Coconut Mite

(Aceria guerreronis)The Coconut Research Institute (CRI) ofSri Lanka will hold a workshop on thebiology and control of coconut mite,Aceria guerreronis, which has become aserious threat to the coconut plantationsin the Indian sub-continent. The work-shop is scheduled for 6 – 8 January 2000and will be held at the Coconut ResearchInstitute. The objectives of the workshopare to identify the gaps in knowledge ofA. guerreronis with the assistance fromexperts involved in the control of the pest;formulate regional research programmesto effectively control the pest; and to alertthe other Asian and Pacific countries ofthe possible threat of the pest invadingtheir countries.

For more information, please contact:Dr. Priyanthie FernandoWorkshop CoordinatorHead, Crop Protection Division,Coconut Research Institute,Lunuwila, Sri LankaTel: 94 31 55300 or 94 1 253795Fax: 94 31 57391E-mail: rescri@sri. lanka.net [email protected]

This newsletter is published twice a year by the International CoconutGenetic Resources Network (COGENT).

For more information or order requests, please contact:

International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT)International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI)

Regional Office for Asia, the Pacific and OceaniaP.O Box 236, UPM Post Office

Serdang, 43400Malaysia

Tel: (603) 942 3891 Fax: (603) 948 7655Email: [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in the publication do not necessarilyreflect those of COGENT.

Articles may be reproduced with prior permission from COGENT.

Readers are welcome to

write about issues

affecting the coconut.

Readers are also

encouraged to

respond directly to the

writers

or through the COGENT

Newsletter.

Selected letters will be

featured

in each issue.

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