What you need to know about coconuts? Part 1

Introduction
THIS week NAREI in Focus begins a series on growing coconuts in Guyana. The coconut (Cocos nucifera) is an important commercial crop in Guyana, contributing significantly to the overall economy. Several cultivars of coconut palms are grown. The ‘Jamaican Tall’ and ‘Panama Tall’ cultivars are tall, robust with a large diameter crooked trunk, rapid growth rate, and either green or bronze-coloured fruit.

The ‘Malayan Dwarf cultivar has three different selections that vary in the colour of the immature fruit (green, yellow, or gold). It is smaller and slower-growing than the ‘Jamaican Tall’ and has a straight, non-swollen trunk.

The ‘Maypan’ is a hybrid between the ‘Malayan Dwarf and the ‘Panama Tall’. The coconut palm starts fruiting 3 to 5 years after planting, depending on the type. A normal-bearing, adult palm produces at least one mature ready-to-harvest bunch of coconuts every month. Depending on the variety, the number of nuts per bunch can vary from 5 to 15. Mature trees continue to produce fruit regularly throughout the year.

The chief product is copra (dried kernel), the source of coconut oil used for making soap, shampoo, cosmetics, cooking oils and margarine. A significant quantity of fruit is also consumed fresh as a refreshing drink made from the water inside immature fruit. These fruit are often referred to as water coconuts. Water coconuts should be opened carefully, by chopping the blossom end, in order to preserve the uncontaminated drink. The jellylike endosperm is also typically eaten, by scooping out with a spoon.
Harvest Maturity Indices

Coconuts are harvested at two different stages of development, depending on the intended use. Coconuts intended to be consumed fresh for the water content and jelly-like meat should be harvested when the fruit have reached full size, but at an immature stage with soft inner white meat (endosperm). Fruit intended to be harvested for copra and further processed into oil should be harvested at a mature stage when the inner white meat has thickened and hardened. Several different indices can be used to determine coconut maturity. These include time from flowering, fruit size, external appearance, and amount and texture of the meat. Water coconuts should be harvested soon after the fruit has reached full size, but while it is still immature. This coincides with maximum water content and occurs about 7 months after flowering. In immature coconuts, the skin surface around the cap on the top of the fruit is typically whitish-yellow. AIso, the short stem above the individual coconuts that originally contained the male flowers will have partially dried.
Coconuts intended for copra production should be harvested fully mature, which requires about 12 months from flowering. The skin will have turned mostly brown. The stem on top of the coconut is also brown at full maturity. At this stage, the coconuts will have their maximum copra content and oil recovery. At the fully mature stage, the meat is firm and is eaten without processing, or may be shredded, dried to produce copra, and then squeezed to produce coconut milk, a water-oil emulsion. Although the fully mature stage is ideal for copra-production, in practice, immature coconuts are sometimes included during harvest if the entire bunch is picked. Immature coconuts will produce rubbery copra with low oil recovery. Rubbery copra is also susceptible to insects and mould due to its high moisture content.

External fruit appearance is an indicator of maturity. Depending on cultivar, coconut fruit are green, yellow, or gold in colour when immature. The fruit will turn a brownish colour as they become mature. Fruit size is also indicative of maturity. The fruit should be fully developed in size before being harvested, either as a water coconut or for copra.
The amount and texture of the meat is a destructive index of harvest maturity. Several randomly selected fruit of different sizes are cut open to determine the amount and firmness of the meat. Other fruit of similar size from the same cultivar are assumed to be in the same stage of maturity. The meat of water coconuts should be thin, soft, and jellylike. The water content of immature fruit is higher but is gradually absorbed into the meat with increasing fruit maturity. The meat of coconuts harvested for copra should be thick and firm with limited water content.

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