COCOPEAT MULTI USES

WHAT IS COCOPEAT?. It was a common question by many farmers and extension agent during my farm technical visit. For me cocopeat is a byproduct of the extraction of coconut fibers from the husks or shells. It is also called “coir fiber pith” or “coir dust”. It is the spongy binding material that comes from a fibrous part of coconut husk. They are brown particles that fall down while dehusking the coconut (See diagram above). The coconut is embedded in a husk which forms 35-65% of the whole fruit when it is ripe. There is an outer skin called exocarp. Inside this layer is mesocarp which is around 3 inches of fibrous pulp. Fibers recovered from this layer is called coir and dust collected while removing fibers is called cocopeat or coir pith. Generally about ⅓ collected is coir fiber and ⅔ is coir pith from a single coconut. In olden days from ny observation the coconut shells were submerged in water bodies for 2-3 months and then the fibers were removed by hand. Anyhow, ib the modern era, a machine easily removes the fibers which are commercially used. During the process of removal of these fibers, coco peat which looks like light dust used to come out as a by-product and it used to be a menace to discard it in factories in such large quantities. In the 1980s, cocopeat was first commercially used in Holland to grow roses and lilies. The results were excellent. It is now extensively used in horticulture and gardening. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology" blog I share an important about cocopeat multi uses as planting medium for fertigation, hydroponic and other uses.

Many asked about how to make cocopeat as compost. For this, a shaded place is selected in which the first 100 grams of coir pith is spread out over this Pleurotus 300gm.(available as PITH PLUS). On top of this again 100gms of coir pith with 1 kg urea. This sandwiching of layers is repeated until 1-meter height. Water the area every day. Than allow the heap to decompose for a month. So coir + pith plus urea+ water= C-POM (coir pith organic manure). A good organic manure is formed in 30-40 days. This cocopeat manure is rich in micro and macronutrients. It is also used as a soil conditioner. The uses of cocopeat as being 100 percent natural and organic, it is an excellent growing medium for hydroponics. It is an excellent potting soil mix and can be mixed with any variety of soil owing to its neutral ph. The plants grown in cocopeat are healthier producing strong and fibrous roots. They make excellent bedding for the growth of earthworms an as being resistant to harmful microbial and fungal growth, they are great for seed starters and seed raisers. They provide quick rooting and faster germination. They are mostly used in place of soil due to its high water absorption and good aeration. Due to cocopeat being nutrients rich, this growing medium is replacing everything from soil to water to fertilizer. One can reuse cocopeat for up to 4 years.

Records shows that an average coconut tree produces 150-180 coconuts per year so there is a continuous supply of this by-product. Likewise, one coconut gives approximately 100 grams of coco peat ang thereby making it cheap and also affordable. It is used as a mulch for soil remediation. Because of its high nutrient content, it increases the fertility of the barren land. This cocopeat property makes it an excellent soil conditioner. At home farmers able to use it as surface mulch in all kinds of soil. This will preserve moisture and improve soil conditioning. It is biodegradable and disintegration is a slow process completing at 10 years. It is used as compost for growing plants. Lignin which is naturally present in coco peat does not allow natural composting. Mushroom Pleurotus spp is used along with coco peat as it degrades the lignin level (75%). A fully mature coconut has more amount of lignin and less amount of water-soluble salts. It is used as a growing medium for greenhouse and intensive agriculture. It is also used profusely by the horticulturists and floriculturists for the cultivation of exotic flowers and vegetables. Cocopeat is not only is it a substitute for soil, because of its ability to hold the plant, but it is also being made into pots and pans along with coir fibers. These pots can be arranged on screens in vertical gardening and can even be hung on balconies. It is able to increasingly being used for nonterrestrial plants mainly for urban homes and there is a lack of available land space. Roof gardening, balcony gardening, and kitchen gardening are where cocopeat is increasingly being used.

Cocopeat is reusable up to 4 years in which it can be rewetted. It disintegrates slowly over a period of 10 years.  Coco peat is also used as bedding in animal farms and pet houses to absorb waste animal waste and keep the farm or pet house clean and dry. It can also be used in poultry shed. As being a good absorbent it can be used as an oil absorbent on slippery floors. It is also used in lawns and golf course construction. Gold greens and other commercial lawns are constructed with sand. They use Coco peat mixed with sand as it requires less nutrition and requires less maintenance. It helps conserve water and prevents leaching out of nutrients. Retention of water slows down the evaporation rate. This results in fewer watering even in hot summer. It can be used as a base to make green coco lawns for your garden. First coco fibers are set in a netted pattern. Over which coco pith is arranged in a layer. Grass slips are planted in coco peat layer. Over which c-pom is sprinkled. One can choose which type of grass one wants for home lawns. It can be rolled and transported easily. It can also be set up for vertical or terrace home garden. Soil erosion and degradation are proving a threat to the environment. Geophysicists are now using techniques involving coco peat to prevent soil erosion, sediment runoff, and degradation. The high tensile strength of coco pith prevents steep surfaces from the heavy flow and debris movement. Its high durability causes land stabilization.  Coco peat has a high calorific value of 3975 kcal/kg. Hence it can be used as a fuel block. Price of Cocopeat and availability online and cocopeat can easily be bought from Amazon. It can be purchased online from private websites as well as from government showrooms present in different cities. Owing to its excellent properties and good availability, coco peat is the ideal choice for growing plants whether hydroponically or as a potting mix or as a soil conditioner or as a mulch. So next time you bring home coconuts, store them, make coco peat and use it while keeping in mind all the points mentioned above. Enjoy your gardening with coco peat!

Thanks...

By,

M Anim,

Senior Agronomist,

Melacca City, Malacca,

Malaysia.

(December 2020).