The 2025 Manual "Reproduction of coconut palms for breeding and seednut production", for farmers and gardeners!

The complete title of this new manual is:

Click on the image
to download this manual!

On-farm reproduction of coconut palms for breeding, seednut production, and in-situ conservation. A coconut farmers’ guide to better conserve, breed, use and market their seednuts. By R. Bourdeix, V. Johnson and C. Pilotti.

An FAO-ITPFRFA-supported, SPC-led project just published a Farmers’ Manual entitled:  "On-farm reproduction of coconut palms for breeding, seednut production, and in-situ conservation. A coconut farmers’ guide to better conserve, breed, use and market their seednuts. "

This manual proposes a participatory solution to remedy the ongoing global shortage of quality coconut seednuts. 

Most improved coconut varietal production is still conducted by national agricultural institutions, with little private-sector involvement. In most cases, improved seednuts are produced in volumes too scant to supply demand and sold at unrealistically high prices, in a market where farmers often wait months or years before accessing the planting material. Over millennia and despite biological constraints, farmers have created a wealth of coconut diversity. With little understanding of coconut reproduction biology, their on-farm selections are relatively ineffective over the short term. The varieties currently planted differ little from those they have been cultivating for centuries. For seednuts produced under natural, open pollination, the mother palm’s identity is known, but not that of the father palm. Often, less than 10% of the offspring reproduce the desired parental type and traits. We recommend a dual strategy based on 1) farmers’ seednut production, after being trained to use simple and inexpensive pollination techniques, and 2) establishing larger seed gardens to produce hybrids on a commercial scale, which will have higher production costs but will ensure a regular and large supply of seednuts.  Knowledge of coconut reproductive biology is a key factor for conservation and breeding by farmers. In the manual, we provide background on simple, alternative methods of controlled pollination suitable for farmers. These untested methods need to be fully developed and validated in the framework of new participatory projects involving farmers, scientists extensionists and the private sector. Information availability and accessibility are crucial for conservation and use of coconut varieties. This includes developing illustrated varietal catalogues, and exchanging knowledge on variety classification, reproductive biology, and seednut production methods. We also introduce the coconut eco-museum concept, combining tourism, agriculture, education, and business. Teaching farmers to produce their own seednuts will increase their acceptance of hybrids produced elsewhere.

To see and download this manual please Click on this link:
https://www.spc.int/digitallibrary/get/wk5u9
or you can also Click on the link and cover page of the manual at the top of this post.

Review of Coconut Research and Development Initiatives in Europe (2015-2025)

Projects Overview (Listed by Descending Start Date)

• Cooperation programme for protection and valorisation of coconut in French Polynesia, led by CIRAD (France) in partnership with the Directorate of Agriculture of French Polynesia (DAG) and the Institut Louis Malardé, during the period 2023-2026, with public territorial and national financing aimed at epidemiological surveillance, pest biocontrol, and conservation of local Polynesian coconut varieties.
• Cocopest Knowledge Portal for digital pest management, initiated by CABI (United Kingdom) and the International Coconut Community (Indonesia) during the period 2021-2022, with contributions from international experts to provide open-access database on coconut phytosanitary protection.
• International coconut genome sequencing and assembly initiative, coordinated by the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) in major collaboration with CIRAD and INRAE (France), during the period 2017-2021, resulting in the publication of the reference genome sequence enabling significant advances in varietal improvement facing climate change.
• Clonal propagation of coconut via somatic embryogenesis project, conducted by KU Leuven University (Belgium) in partnership with Alliance Bioversity International-CIAT and IRD (France) through specific collaborations on cryopreservation, during the period 2019-2021, funded by university and international grants to secure multiplication of elite varieties.
• International initiative for maintaining the COGENT network (International Coconut Genetic Resources Network), piloted by ICC and Bioversity International with strong technical involvement of CIRAD (France) for restructuring gene banks, during the period 2018-2023, funded notably by ACIAR (Australia) and partner funds.
• TROPICSAFE project focused on insect-borne diseases in tropical crops (including coconut lethal yellowing), coordinated by the University of Bologna (Italy) with active participation of CIRAD (France) and 21 other international partners, during the period 2017-2022, with a budget of €4 million via the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme.
• Coconut Industry Development for the Pacific (CIDP) programme, implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC) with technical expertise from CIRAD (France) for the training and pilot projects component, during the period 2016-2018, financed at €4 million by the European Union to boost the sector in small island states.
• Sustainable Certified Coconut Oil (SCNO) project for sustainable coconut oil production in the Philippines and Indonesia, led by GIZ (Germany) with private partners including BASF and Cargill, during the period 2015-2019, co-financed by the German federal ministry BMZ to improve smallholder incomes through certification.
• Development of the coconut industry in the Caribbean, executed by the ITC and CARDI with scientific support from regional and European partners, during the period 2015-2019, financed by the European Union (€3.5 million) to improve competitiveness and climate resilience of the coconut value chain in the CARIFORUM region.

General Analysis

Central Role of CIRAD: The French Agricultural Research Institute for Development (CIRAD) emerges as the primary European institution involved in structured coconut research and development initiatives over the 2015-2025 decade, participating in multiple international projects spanning genomics, genetic resources management, disease management, and value chain development across Pacific, Caribbean, and African regions.
Genome Research Breakthrough: The international coconut genome sequencing initiative (2017-2021) represents a milestone achievement through French-Chinese collaboration, with CIRAD and INRAE providing crucial expertise. This breakthrough has enabled advances in understanding coconut genetic diversity and supporting breeding programs for climate resilience, addressing one of the core challenges for the sector.
Limited European Academic Institutions: Beyond CIRAD and INRAE, relatively few European universities have been directly engaged in dedicated coconut research projects. KU Leuven's tissue culture work (2019-2021) stands out as a significant biotechnology contribution, while the University of Bologna's TROPICSAFE coordination (2017-2022) and University of Nottingham's diagnostic development work represent specialized technical contributions rather than broader breeding or genetic improvement programmes.
Concentration on Disease and Pest Management: The majority of European-supported initiatives focus on phytosanitary challenges, particularly lethal yellowing disease and insect-borne pathogens (TROPICSAFE), and emerging pest management platforms (Cocopest). This reflects the urgency of controlling economically devastating diseases affecting coconut production in tropical developing regions.
Value Chain and Sustainability Focus: Several projects (SCNO, CIDP, Caribbean Development) prioritize value chain development, market access, and sustainable production certification rather than genetic improvement per se. This pragmatic approach addresses immediate livelihood needs of smallholder producers while building institutional capacity in partner countries.
Fragmented Funding Landscape: Coconut R&D initiatives receive funding from diverse sources including EU Horizon 2020, European Development Fund, bilateral development agencies (GIZ, ACIAR), international organizations (ITC, SPC), and national governments, but lack a coordinated European research strategy comparable to other tropical crops such as cocoa or banana.
French Overseas Territories as Research Hubs: CIRAD's work in French Polynesia and historical involvement in Caribbean coconut development indicates that French overseas territories and former colonies serve as platforms for coconut research capacity building and variety conservation, particularly relevant for safeguarding endemic and locally adapted genetic resources.
Limited Integration of Modern Breeding Technologies: While genomics research has advanced significantly, the application of genomic selection and advanced breeding methodologies in coconut remains underdeveloped compared to other crops. Only the tissue culture initiative at KU Leuven represents a concrete deployment of modern biotechnology for coconut propagation, suggesting a gap between knowledge generation and practical breeding applications.