PALM WOOD PRODUCT AND DESIGN

Basically it is true to say that apart from a few exceptions (e.g. bentwood parts for furniture), all of the classical solid wood products can be processed from coconut palm wood. As with all other types of wood, it is necessary to take into account the fact that coconut palm wood must be dried down to a wood moisture content corresponding to the surrounding atmosphere (= a function of the prevailing air temperature and air humidity). For example this wood moisture content is about 8% for wood used in heated rooms. Such wood moisture content values are achieved only by kiln-drying of the kind described in Chapter 6.

A further criterion that must be taken into account when using coconut palm wood is its limited resistance to weathering. It is usable to only a limited extent for products in the outdoor area. In addition to design (structural) protection of the wood, chemical wood protection is indispensable when using palm wood out of doors.

The possibilities for using coconut palm wood will be demonstrated below with the aid of photographs from various areas of use.

Coconut wood has been successfully used to build houses of different standards (low-cost - Photos 2, 3 - as well as executive-type), for industrial and office construction as well as buildings for recreation (Photo 4) and worship (chapel) in Zamboanga and Davao, Philippines (Photo 5). In executive houses (Photo 6), e.g., all structural parts are made out of coconut wood. Where exposed to weathering, they have been treated before construction. The coconut wood framework is, on the inside, covered with tongued and grooved (t & g) coconut wood boards, the outside is covered with pressure-treated coconut wood panelling (Photo 7). Stairs and floors as well as door-and window frames (Photo 8) are made of high density coconut wood. The porches are ornamented with turned coconut wood balusters (Photo 9). Attractive furniture and accessories for offices, living-rooms and classrooms have been manufactured (Photos 10, 11,12,13, 14,15,16, 17). Tool handles of coconut wood are in use (Photo 18), as well as fence posts (Photo 19), house posts, transmission poles (Photos 20, 21) and crates (Photo 22).

Not feasible:

-   face veneer for plywood (coconut veneer sheets disintegrate during drying).

Technically feasible but uneconomical:

-   manufacture of pulp and paper

-   manufacture of chipboard and fibreboard (recovery too low due to high percentages of fines and high consumption of glue/resin).

Photo 2: Low-cost house

Photo 3: Handplaning of coconut beam for low-cost house construction

Sources FAO Report, Assessed on 21 February 2016

PRODUCT AND DESIGN

Defects in palm stems

Coconut palms are attacked by insects (rhinoceros beetle, palm weevil), mycoplasma-like organisms, and fungi.

Insects usually attack the growing point of the palm, reduce its vitality and finally lead to its death. Rhinoceros beetle attack can easily be detected visually. It results in palm fronds being cut in a diamond-shape.

Mycoplasma-like organisms attack the phloem and clog it. They result in the final death of palms. The diseases are known as Lethal Yellowing and Cadang-Cadang.

Fungi usually attack the palm stem, when its vitality is diminshed due to insects or mycoplasma-like organisms, or after physical damage, be it through hurricanes, or due to human impact. While the other two agents have no direct impact on the timber quality, fungal attack does. Most commonly fungi find entrance into the stem through harvesting steps cut into the outer, hard portion of the stem in some countries in order to facilitate harvesting of the nuts (Figure 4). Rainwater and dirt collects in the wounds, and fungi (and later also insects like termites) find their way into the stem and feed on the parenchymatic tissue. The attack appears as brown spots on a cross cut or as a string spot on a longitudinal cut, where the parenchyma is gone and only the bundles remain intact. This attack reduces both the properties as well as the appearance of the timber.

Products

Taking certain pre-conditions into account, almost the entire stem (trunk) of the coconut palm tree can be used to manufacture structural components, furniture and other utility articles.
The essential things that must be considered are:

-   density group and wood structure

-   the climate where it is to be used

-   the woodworking conditions.

The three density groups discussed in the first chapter must be taken as a basic pre-condition in utilization. A list of recommended uses is given in Table 3.

Table 3: End-uses for coconut wood

Use	Density group
	High	Medium	Low
Structural
- loadbearing	X
- studs, beams	X
- roof trusses	X	X
- gangnail trusses	X	X
- glulam beams	X	X
- floor joists	X	X
- internal members	X	X
Door and window frames	X	X
Staircases	X	X
Stairs	X
Flooring	X
Parquet	X
Wall-panelling (t & g)	X	X	X
In/outside cladding	X	X	X
Roof shingles	X	X
Furniture	X	X	(X)
Tool handles, tools	X
Kitchenware, bowls	X	X
Turned products	X	X
Curios	X	X
Crates, pallets, boxes	X	X	X
Charcoal	X	X
Briquettes			X
Transmission poles	round, hollow stem
Fence posts	quarter split, upper third of stem

As can be seen in Table 3, wooden products are manufactured mainly from medium-density and high-density coconut palm wood. The low-density wood does not achieve adequate strength values and surface qualities and therefore has only a very limited range of uses.

Sources FAO Report, Assessed on 21 February 2016

COCONUT PALM STEM

Cross section of coconut palm stem with density zones

Source:Sulc, 1984, 1

Only when palms are over 60 years of age (that is, when the copra yield declines, and they are of less interest to the farmer), is enough “wood” built up and therefore of use to the sawmiller. This implies that there is no conflict between the use of the palm for its primary production (oil and fat) and the later stem use for timber. On the contrary: the use of the timber generates a windfall profit to the farmer.

It also implies that only stems of tall varieties can be used for timber, not those of dwarf varieties.
The percentage of the various density groups per stem depends on variety, site, age, sweep of palm, human impact (harvesting step, Figure 4), and the extent of fungus and insect damage.

Harvesting steps in coconut palm stem

With 80-year-old palms of the San Ramon Tall variety in Zamboanga a distribution of

High density	40 – 50 %
Medium density	20 – 30 %
Low density	20 – 30 %

was observed.

All mechanical properties which define the use of a timber are closely related to its density (weight/volume at given moisture content). This inhomogeneity influences the methods of processing as well as the uses for the coconut palm stem. Sulc (1983, 3) has assessed the mechanical properties for the different density groups (Table 2) of 80-year-old coconut palm stems from Mindanao, Philippines.

Table 2: Mechanical properties of coconut wood, 12 % mc

Basic density	(g/cm3)	0.25 – 0.39	0.4 – 0.59	>0.6
Strength	(MPa)
Modulus of elasticity		3633	7116	11414
Modulus of rupture		33	63	104
Compression parallel to grain		19	38	57
Shear		n.a.	8	13

Source: Sulc, 1983, 3

Sources FAO Report, Assessed on 21 February 2016

USE OF THE COCONUT PALM STEM

Source: Jensen and Killmann, 1981
Depending on its oven-dry density, coconut wood can be segregated into three different groups (Figure 3):

High density timber (HD)
(> 0.6 g/cm³)
Timber from lower periphery of stem. Can be used for load-bearing structural purposes, framing, flooring, staircases, tool handles, furniture.

Medium density timber (MD)
(0.4 – 0.59 g/cm³)
Timber from upper stem periphery and lower middle section. Used for limited load-bearing structural purposes, furniture, wall-panelling, curios.

Low density timber (LD)
(< 0.4 g/cm³ )
Timber from core sections. Indoor use only, where no load is applied, e.g. wall-panelling.

Fig. 3: Cross section of coconut palm stem with density zones

Source:Sulc, 1984, 1

Only when palms are over 60 years of age (that is, when the copra yield declines, and they are of less interest to the farmer), is enough “wood” built up and therefore of use to the sawmiller. This implies that there is no conflict between the use of the palm for its primary production (oil and fat) and the later stem use for timber. On the contrary: the use of the timber generates a windfall profit to the farmer.
It also implies that only stems of tall varieties can be used for timber, not those of dwarf varieties.
The percentage of the various density groups per stem depends on variety, site, age, sweep of palm, human impact (harvesting step, Figure 4), and the extent of fungus and insect damage.
Sources FAO Report, Assessed on 21 February 2016

THE SOURCE OF COCONUT PALM

Cocos nucifera L, the coconut palm, is an agricultural crop widely spread throughout the tropics. It has been cultivated by man for 4000 years. The main produce is copra, the dried kernel of the nut. Converted into oil, it becomes the base for a wide range of products, from cooking oil to soap and shoe polish.

Traditionally, coconut palms were found around hamlets in the tropics, in rather small stands to provide the villagers with basics such as:

-   vegetable fat (from copra)

-   roofing material (leaves)

-   ropes and strings (coir from the husks)

-   beverage (coconut juice)

-   alcoholic drink (from the inflorescence - tuba or toddy)

-   fuel (from the husks and nuts)

-   timber (from the stem).

At the end of the last century, coconut palms were planted in larger plantations, especially in the Pacific and on the Philippines, Ceylon, East Africa and the Caribbean, for large-scale copra production. Presently, more than 10 million ha are worldwide under coconut palms. According to stem height, tall and dwarf varieties are distinguished. 45 tall and 18 dwarf varieties are known. All older plantations are planted with tall varieties. Once these palms are 50 – 60 years old the copra yield declines rapidly. When the plantation-grown palms reached this age in the 1960s, replanting programmes were developed and the question of economic removal and disposal of old palms arose.
Removal was necessary in order to make space for new plantations. If the material was left to rot, the rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) would start to breed in the decaying material and attack the young seedlings. Subsequently, various coconut-growing countries started to investigate the economic disposal or use of the stem. The research activities started were partly funded and backed by the governments of New Zealand and the Philippines, as well as by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). In Zamboanga, Philip-pines, a research station was established and the utilization of the coconut palm stem as a timber resource was assessed and proven.

Properties of the palm stem
Although inappropriate, the term “coconut wood” has been established for the material of the coconut palm stem, and will therefore be used in this handbook as well. Unlike “conventional” trees, palms, like many other monocotyledons, have vascular fibre bundles (red-brown spots on a cross-section) scattered in a yellowish parenchymatic ground tissue. These bundles contain the water and nutrient transport system (xylem vessels and phloem) as well as thick-walled fibres giving the stem its strength, and paratracheal parenchymatic cells. The ground parenchyma has mainly a storage function and contains starch among other things. The anatomical features result in a rather non-homogenous distribution of physical properties both over cross-section and height, and thus in a very non-homogenous raw material. Principally, the density decreases towards the centre of the stem, and over stem height. Figure 1 gives a qualitative impression of the density distribution over the stem from five 80-year-old Philippine palms, Photo 1 shows its distribution (dark = high density) over a cross section.

Fig. 1: Schematic density distribution in mature coconut palm stem

Source: Killmann, 1983

Sources FAO Report, Assessed on  21 February 2016

COCONUT WOOD

Coconut timber is a hardwood-substitute from coconut palm trees. It is a new timber resource that comes from plantation crops and offers an alternative to rainforest timber. 


Coconut timber comes from farmed plantations of old coconut palms. The coconut palm was planted as a crop in large plantations throughout the tropics in the early half of the 20th century in order to harvest the coconut fruit. The tree bears fruit until approximately 70 years of age, at which point it is considered to have reached the end of its economic life and is felled to make way for future crops. Each year, several million palms are felled throughout the tropics. Traditionally, the trunks have been wasted by-products from this process.

Only in very recent years have people begun to explore the potential commercial uses for this vast, alternative supply of timber. This led to the commercial launch of coconut timber in a range of different products, from flooring to posts to furniture. With these products performing at equal to or even better than conventional hardwoods, coconut timber represents a viable substitute for endangered hardwoods from an ecologically-sound source.

Coconut timber has many applications as both a structural and interior design material. The harder, high-density timber is suitable for general structural purposes such as pillars, trusses, rafting, furniture, window and door frames, floors, decking and floor joists. Medium density coconut timber can be used for walls, ceiling joists and horizontal studs. Low density coconut timber is used in non-load bearing applications like wood paneling, internal trim and ceilings, as well as homewares.”

                                                    Coconut wood furniture

Coconut wood flooring

Wooden coffee and tea cups made out of coconut wood

www.naturalbuildingblog.com

VIRGIN COCONUT OIL BENEFITS - POWER FOOD HEALTH AND HAIR CARE

Although there is no standardized definition of virgin coconut oil, several companies are labeling, "virgin coconut oil" on their products. Even from the ancient times, coconut oil has been used extensively in many countries. It is considered to be very healthy, because it is obtained from the natural source.

Constituents:

It is considered to be beneficial for health despite its high saturated fat content. Researches reveal that saturated oil in virgin coconut oil is not the same as in other oils. It contains some healthy compounds like caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid.

In this post we will look into some of the virgin coconut oil benefits:

Strengthens Immune System - If you are battling with any viral and fungal infection, them you can start using virgin coconut oil in our food preparations. The saturated fatty acid in it has antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties, which help in strengthening your immune system.

Preventing cardiovascular Disease - Using coconut oil for cooking is beneficial for health. Despite having high amount of saturated fatty acids, virgin coconut oil reduces the risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Lauric acid present in coconut oil reduces the chances of injuries in arteries. Hence it helps in preventing arthrosclerosis.

Stimulation of thyroid glands - Thyroid is a common disease affecting many people. One of the biggest virgin coconut oil benefits is that it has the characteristics to improve or reverse hypothyroidism up to the level that the medication can be slowed down and eventually stopped.

Weight Loss - Women who used coconut oil regularly noticed a significant reduction in their abdominal weight. It increases the rate of metabolism, where the body uses it for converting into energy, rather than storing it as fat.

Skincare - It acts an effective moisturizer for all type of skin, and does not give any side effects. It protects infected body parts by forming an antibacterial layer. It is used as a basic ingredient in various body and hair care products like soap, lotions, cream etc. It is helpful in healing skin problems like rashes, dermatitis, spots, wrinkles, and eczema.

Overcoming digestive problems - Use of coconut oil in cooking helps you in overcoming various digestion related issues. Saturated fats of coconut oil have antimicrobial properties, which help in dealing with various bacterial and parasitical diseases. It helps in absorption of food nutrients like vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Prevents osteoporosis - Daily oil massage will help you in getting pain relief. It is also known to increase the calcium level in your body.

Fighting Infection - Due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, it kills disease causing agents of influenza, measles hepatitis, pneumonia and gonorrhea.

Enriches milk supply in breastfeeding mothers - Daily consumption of 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut oil is recommended for breast feeding moms, as it enriches the milk supply.

Preventing kidney disorders - It is also known to prevent kidney and gall bladder diseases. It helps in dissolving kidney stones.

Insulin management - Virgin coconut oil controls blood sugar, which in turn improves insulin secretion. It promotes effective utilization of blood glucose, and therefore it is used for preventing and treating diabetes.

Dental Care - It helps in maintaining strong teeth by facilitating the absorption of calcium from our body, as calcium is the main element of our teeth. It also prevents tooth decay.

Eliminating stretch marks - If you have been operated and have stretch marks on your body, then massaging with coconut oil can help in reducing their appearance.

Conclusion

Virgin coconut oil is obtained from fresh coconut meat, and the process involves quick drying and wet melting. The virgin coconut oil benefits have given a big boost of its demand in the world market.

You can look into some indicators to check its purity. If it is pure it would remain in a liquid state at room temperature. It solidifies at temperatures lower than its melting point. It is widely used in tropical countries like India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines, etc. Coconut oil is being manufactured in abundance in those areas.

- www.coconut-info.net

Coconut Oil Benefits and Properties

The coconut along with its products is widely famous for a range of health benefits. Coconut oil does not make an exception. This oil is a nutritious oil obtained from the flesh of ripe coconuts. Coconut oil is utilized worldwide not only in food, but in industrial and cosmetic purposes.

The oil is rather popular due to its various useful qualities. It can resist heat, high temperatures during cooking and rancidification. The range of coconut oil benefits is staggering. Though coconut oil contains highly saturated fat, it does not, in fact, do any harm, and on the contrary is one of the healthiest oils. Its healthy properties favor many aspects: weight loss, taking care of your teeth, hair and skin, speeding up metabolism, alleviating kidney problems, heart issues, improving digestion, boosting immune system, strengthening bones, and even fighting off such serious illnesses like cancer, HIV, diabetes. Coconut oil contains a variety of acids, including lauric, capric and caprylic acids. Coconut oil is also a strong antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agent.

Taking hair care, using coconut oil may have a favorable effect. Oil of the coconut provides nutrition for your hair. It is instrumental in growing hair and making them healthy and shiny. Applying coconut oil on your hair every day provides damaged hair with nutrients, helps hair grow better. Coconut oil applications also can keep your hair from dandruff and lice.

Applying oil on the skin has an incredible effect as well. Using it daily, your skin will eventually become soft, sleek and smooth. Coconut oil can be used for all types of skin. It moisturizes it, softens it, prevents skin ageing and sagging, smoothes out wrinkles. Moreover, coconut oil does not cause any side effects. The oil is also used in treating various skin problems and infections like dermatitis, eczemas. Due to its antioxidant properties it also aids in preventing precocious skin ageing.

Thus, coconut oil is often utilized in cosmetic industry, manufacturing different shampoos, creams, lotions and conditioners.

Using coconut oil is known to be efficacious in treating heart conditions. Due to high levels of the lauric acid and saturated fat, it can be beneficial for heart issues. It is helpful in keeping your cholesterol level and blood pressure in balance, reducing the incidence of diseases.

For those struggling with weight issues, coconut oil is a wonderful way to help you out. It speeds up metabolism in the organism, favors digestion processes, normalizes the thyroid gland functioning, helps burn extra calories. Coconut oil helps in preventing digestive disorders, bowel issues and other stomach problems. Coconut oil kills various fungi bacteria that cause digestion problems.

Coconut oil is beneficial in improving your immunity. Due to the abovementioned content of lauric and capric acids, which possess antiviral qualities, coconut oil strengthens your body resistance abilities to various bacteria. It also helps fight off diseases, infections and other ailments including herpes, hepatitis, measles, pneumonia, gonorrhea. The oil is effective in accelerating wound healing activity and soothing pain. It rapidly repairs affected tissues. That is why it is recommended to apply oil coconut onto the bruises.

Improving the release of insulin and controlling the level of sugar in the blood, the oil is effective in treating diabetes. Illnesses of urinary tract can also be treated with coconut oil.

If you are experiencing a stressful situation, the oil of the coconut can contribute to soothing stress. Applying the oil onto your head and massaging it brings considerable relaxation. It is especially effective after hard mental work. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, the oil alleviates joint and muscle tension, reduces inflammation.

- www.coconut-info.net

Coconut Oil - The Miracle Oil That You Can Include In Your Health Regimes

Coconut oil is used extensively in most parts of the world and is applied topically on the skin and hair. However, most of us do not know that this incredible oil has many health benefits too. When used in cooking, it can be treated as a health tonic with the potential of curing some serious diseases.

Adding coconut oil in cooking

Using virgin coconut oil in organic form for cooking can be one of the wisest choices. When the natural oil is hydrogenated, it changes into a chemical form and thus turns into trans-fat. Trans-fat is extremely unhealthy and can also lead to heart diseases.

However, virgin coconut oil comes in the form of unprocessed, hydrogenated or refined form and contains saturated fat, which is good for your health. It is important to understand that though virgin coconut oil contains 90% of saturated fat, it is actually medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) that is beneficial and can improve your health in various ways.

MCFA is digestible and also burns off easily. This is in contrast to most of the oil we use and eat everyday, which are made of LCFA or long chain fatty acids. LCFA cannot break easily and thus finally ends up accumulating as fat in our bodies.

Health benefits

The presence of caprylic acid, lauric acid, and capric acid attributes to the health benefits provided by coconut oil. These make coconut oil complete with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal and soothing properties. I allows for enhanced metabolism and proper digestion. It also helps in getting relief from dental problems and provides bone strength.

Some of the coconut diseases cures are:

- Heart diseases
- Hypothyroidism
- Problems related to kidneys
- Controlling Diabetes
- Balancing high blood pressure
- Alzheimer`s disease

disease

Coconut oil is highly beneficial in reducing weight as well. The MCFA present in it is easily digestible and hence, allows good functioning of enzymes and thyroid systems. It also increases body metabolism, removes stress, which burns energy and helps people to lose weight. 

The presence of lauric acid in coconut oil helps in prevention of many heart related problems. Intake of this oil:

- Reduces high blood pressure
- High levels of cholesterol
- No increase in the LDL levels
- Reduces injury in the arteries
- Prevents atherosclerosis

Enhances digestion and immune system

Coconut oil when used in cooking can help in the coconut diseases treatment by improving digestion and developing a better immunity system in the body. Apart from keeping your skin healthy and glowing, it also treats various stomach and digestive problems like irritable bowel issues. 

The saturated or good fat (MCFA) in coconut oil has many anti-microbial properties that help in treating different fungi, bacteria and parasites, which are responsible for indigestion. The lauric acid of this oil is converted as monolaurin in our body, which deals with bacteria and viruses causing diseases like:

- Herpes
- Cytomegalovirus
- Influenza
- HIV

Harmful bacteria like helibacter pylori, listeria monocytogenes and harmful protozoa like giardia lamblia are eliminated with the intake of coconut oil.

Alzheimer`s disease

Coconut diseases therapy is also quite popular. The oil is said to help with Alzheimer`s disease, which is an age-related ailment. It has high levels of antioxidants that prevent weakening of brain cells leading to dementia and Alzheimer`s disease.

The polyphenols existing in coconut oil soak up the free radicals that allow the cells to carry out its function effectively. Cell generation accelerates, which help in replacing the old cells with new and healthy ones. As a result, the brain can also operate in a much better way.

The list of benefits can go on and it has earned the title of "miracle oil" due to the wonderful treatments and the effects that the coconut oil provides us. You take it topically or in food, it surely gives you amazing benefits to make you feel young and healthy.

- www.coconut-info.net

INTRODUCTION OF COCONUT PALM

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera, L.) has multifarious uses. It is often described as a tree of life and is one of the most important crops in the tropics. It is also considered as one of the world's most beautiful trees. Practically all parts of the coconut can be manufactured into commercial products. The coconut provides food, shelter and fuel especially in countries in Asia and the Pacific where it is abundantly grown.

Unlike the many uses of the coconut fruits and the leaves, it is perhaps not very well known that the coconut stem is equally useful. Annex 1 gives some characteristics of the tree and its wood relevant to utilization. The possibility of utilizing the coconut palm wood on a commercial scale has been recognized only in the last decade or so, although usage of wood from palm species has been known by people in the villages since time immemorial. In more recent times, coconut palm wood has been successfully utilized in a number of coconut growing countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Fiji, the Tonga Islands and many others.

It has been used in boat making in many islands in the Pacific. Relatively large and elaborate church structures and roof components have been constructed early in this century from round or hewn coconut palm wood, and these materials are reported to be still in good condition. These roof structures have been reported to have survived many tropical high wind storms including the hurricane "Isaac" (Tonga Islands) in 1982 which was responsible for considerable damage to many contemporary buildings.

As a result of the heavy reliance on utilization of traditional wood species without adequate provision for resource renewal, the wood-using industry now faces scarcity and prohibitive cost of conventional wood. The need to look for lesser-known indigenous wood material that can be used as a good substitute for commercially-known wood species to overcome the inadequate supply of logs and at the same time help conserve the remaining forests led to a serious consideration of the many uses of the coconut trunk.

The growing number of old and senile palms in coconut growing countries especially in Asia and the Pacific necessities large-scale replanting. In some countries, the occurrence of strong hurricanes usually fells thousands if not millions of coconut trees on a yearly basis. Still in other countries, the move towards urbanization or coconut plantations being transformed into residential areas requires the cutting of coconut trees and thus, necessitates efficient utilization of the trunks².

2When old palms are felled, proper disposal of the trunks should be done. Otherwise, if they are allowed to rot in the field, they would serve as breeding places for beetles which would ultimately create serious infestation problems to the newly - established coconut palms.

It has been widely recognized that the most effective way of disposing the felled trunks is to convert them to saleable wood products which not only provides a system of proper disposal but can generate employment and give an additional source of income in coconut producing countries. Furthermore, coconut wood utilization can supplement the supply of raw materials for the wood industry and provide low-cost but equally durable construction materials for the housing programmes in these countries and for export.

Cognizant of the value of the coconut trunk as a wood resource with various applications, efficient coconut wood utilization technologies have been developed by a number of research institutes in Asia and the Pacific. The main purpose of this paper is to make an assessment of the existing and potential resources of coconut wood in the Asia-Pacific region with focus not only on resource availability trends but also on the technologies and facilities that are available for efficient coconut wood utilization and the driving forces that affect them. The paper will also describe and analyse the current situation as well as the prospects of utilization and marketing of cocowood products in the region highlighting on the value that could be added by processing coconut wood and the actual as well as the potential financial and social impact such operations could bring to the region.

Sources FAO Report, Assessed on 21 February 2016

RESOURCE INVENTORY

Magnitude of resource and potential yields
Indonesia and the Philippines followed by India, Papua New Guinea and Thailand showed large areas with senile palms which are no longer productive and are therefore due for cutting or replanting. Indonesia as well as some of the Pacific Islands (Fiji, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu) have 50 to 60% of their coconut area with over-aged or senile palms. Among the Pacific countries, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Fiji have quite large numbers of coconut trees that need replanting with so much trees that could be processed into coconut wood.

With Indonesia's estimate of about 50% over-aged palms, the country has a coconut wood resource of approximately 185.6 million senile trees which could be cut down and replaced with hybrids and other high yielding varieties. Based on a sawn lumber recovery of 0.30 cubic meter per tree, around 55.7 million cubic meters of sawn wood are available for economic utilization. Assuming that the sawn lumber shall be used for the construction of a typical 60-square meter, 2-bedroom low cost house with a lumber requirement of 15 cubic meters per house, a total of 3.71 million housing units could be constructed out of these wood materials. And if this cocowood resource were spread in a 40-year replanting cycle, still a yearly cocowood resource of 4.64 million senile trees or 1.4 million cubic meters of sawn wood would be available yearly in the next 40 years for economic utilization. This cocowood resource could be used to build some 93,000 housing units per year.

In the Philippines, where coconut wood is becoming widely used in house construction, a cocowood resource of 95 million senile trees would give 28.5 million cubic meters of sawn wood for economic utilization, or a potential of 1.89 million housing units.

The age of a coconut tree can be visually estimated by counting the leaf scars while the volume of the stem is derived in the usual manner from its height and diameter. A typical coconut farm is estimated to have 100 trees per hectare. Coconut wood resource assessment in a given/region area can be done by estimation of the percentage area considered overmature or senile, the tree population per hectare, the replanting or felling rate per year and the wood volume per tree. Other methods of resource assessment involve actual survey in a given area or aerial photography.

It should also be noted that since coconut is basically a smallholder's crop, adequate incentives from government and appropriate policies on cutting and replanting senile and unproductive coconut trees must be in place. To make the resource available, coconut smallholders must be predisposed to cut and replant senile trees, given the necessary incentives, policy support end the required facilities and infrastructure. The investment both from government and the private sector necessary to enable productive use of this resource would certainly use of this resource would certainly contribute to better employment, and additional income for the coconut smallholders and overall economic development in coconut growing countries.

Supply

Totalling the country level availability reported in the sections which follow, the whole Asia-Pacific region has an estimated number of senile trees of about 371.3 million or 111.4 million cubic meters of sawn coconut wood. This coconut wood supply level would be enough to build a total of 7.4 million housing units. However, it must be noted that the actual availability of this resource depends on the magnitude of the replanting/coconut cutting programmes of the coconut producing countries in the region. These must be adequate incentives for coconut cutting/replanting in terms of income derived from the sale of logs, government and private sector assistance in actual logging operation and subsidies for the new planting of high yielding coconut varieties by the price derived from the sale of the trunks. This led to the Philippine government's policy of regulating the cutting of coconut trees only in the case of senile, diseased and typhoon-damaged trees. The price of the trunks even encouraged smallholder coconut farmers to indiscriminately cut productive trees.
Coconut cutting or replanting in the many coconut producing countries in the Asia-Pacific region has been proceeding at a very slow rate per year, if at all. Some countries do not yet have an institutionalized coconut replanting programme. Given the necessary boost and with the provisions of adequate incentives, coupled with the pressure of a dwindling conventional wood resource, coconut cutting could proceed in a grand scale thereby making available a tremendously supply of coconut trunk for lumber.

Sources FAO Report, Assessed on 21 February 2016

TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE CHAINSAW-TABLE SAW COCOLUMBER MANUFACTURING SYSTEM AND PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT BY SOAKING METHOD

Technology Description
Lumber production from coconut trunk has been commercialized in the Philippines since early 1970's. Cocolumber is used for low-cost construction, furniture/handicraft, pallets, etc.
FPRDI studies show that coconut logs can be processed into lumber with different sawmilling equipment. One of the most efficient processing technique is the chainsaw-table saw lumbering system.

Round coconut trunks are sawn into halves or smaller dimensions as in flitches using a 10HP chainsaw at the cutting site. The flitches are transported to the lumber yard for resawing into desired dimension using a table saw.

The table saw may be stationary or mobile-type with 20 HP diesel engine. The sawblade is circular and the diameter is 510 millimetres.

The chainsaw-table saw lumbering system is designed for rural application. It involves relatively unskilled labour and the processing system may not be capital intensive. The lumber production per 8-hour operation is around 1,500 bd. R. The manufacturing cost is P5 38 per bd. ft. (Table A3.1).
Coconut lumber has a service life ranging from 4 (soft portion) to 18 months (hard portion) when used in contact with the ground. Coconut wood is susceptible to decay-causing organisms such as fungus, termites and powder-post beetles.

Treatment of cocolumber by soaking for 3-6 days in 6% copper-chrome-arsenate (CCA) preservative provides adequate protection from fungal and insect attack. This treatment could extend the service life of coconut lumber by ten times, thus, reducing maintenance cost for the end-users.
The cost of chemical and labour in the preservative treatment of cocolumber is P2.00 per bd. ft.

Outstanding Features Of The Technology

· Chainsaw-table saw lumbering system requires lower investment cost and relatively unskilled labour compared to traditional sawmilling system.· The system entails higher lumber yield/quality and lower processing cost compared to pure chain-sawing operation, the table saw provides an efficient system for resawing the flitches into smaller lumber sizes.
· Preservative treatment improves the durability and prolongs the service life of the cocolumber.
· Production and utilization of cocolumber broadens the raw material base of the wood industry and reduces the pressure on the exploitation of timber from the forest.
· Cocolumber is 3 to 4 items cheaper than traditional lumber.

Target Beneficiaries
Entrepreneurs, cocolumber processors/traders.

Status Of Technology
Commercialized since 1988.

Users Of The Technology
The chainsaw-table saw lumbering system was piloted in Southern Leyte in 1988. Lumber produced were used for school building construction. A similar test was conducted in San Pablo City in collaboration with Mr. Roman de Castro, a chainsaw processor/producer of cocolumber.
The coconut log sawmilling technology was adopted in 1989 by the Quezon Cocolumber Co. in Lucena City; Daraga Agri-business Venture, Inc., Daraga, Albay, Rances Construction Enterprise" Bagacay, Tinambac, Camarines Sur; and the MCB Construction and General Services in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. The technology was also delivered in 1990 to the Guinan Development Foundation, Inc. (GDFI), Guinan, Western Samar and Leyte-Samar Rural Workers Association, Inc. (LABRADOR), Marasbaras, Tacloban City. However, these organizations were unable to commercially apply the technology for reasons beyond the control of FPRDI.
To date, the sawmilling technology is being utilized by some hardware business entrepreneurs in Los Banos, Bay, Sta. Rosa, San Pablo City and Lucena City in Laguna province. The cocolumber processors in these areas usually buy coco-flitches for resawing to required sizes in a stationary and electric powered table saw.
The cocolumber preservative treatment technology was adopted in 1988 by the Maquiling Cocolumber and Trading in Los Banos, Laguna. The MCT has its own treating facility which was constructed with the technical assistance of FPRDI.

Sources FAO Report, Assessed on 21 February 2016

COCONUT WOOD UTILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES

Efficient processing and utilization of coconut trunks are aimed at solving technical and socio-economic problems especially when the coconut farmer decides to replant his senile palms. Being a monocotyledonous plant, its anatomical, physical, chemical and mechanical properties are different from the conventional woods. Hence, processing techniques and equipment including appropriate machinery have been developed, modified and improved to process cocowood more efficiently and produce comparatively good quality products.

Logging
The technology required for harvesting or logging coconut stems is almost the same as in traditional forest trees. However, the conveniently straight and branchless stems, and their nearly uniform volume and dimension allow the use of comparatively light and simple tools and transportation equipment. Logging operation in a coconut plantation is therefore easier and cheaper than logging under forestry conditions especially in mountains with steep terrain.

Sawmilling
In sawing coconut logs, the most important factors in selecting the milling equipment are profitability and ability to be relocated if this is required; simplicity of design to avoid breakdowns which are difficult to repair in isolated situations; ease of operation as skills of operators will often be limited; an inexpensiveness as the industry is often situated in poorer and underdeveloped areas.
Different type of mills have been tested at the Zamboanga Research Centre in the Philippines and the Timber Industry Training Centre in New Zealand and information gathered could provide a guide to the selection of mills for different conditions. These mills include the medium-size portable sawmill, a larger transportable sawmill, light/general purpose portable sawmill, a mini mill, a breast bench with light weight carriages and a chainsaw with guide attachments.
Problems of sawing coconut logs are similar to the ones encountered by sawmillers when using high density species of tropical hardwoods.

Grading
It has been established that no importer is prepared to make a commitment to purchase large volumes of coconut wood unless both quality of material and reliability of supply are guaranteed. Uniform grading standards for coconut wood are therefore highly desirable. A system of grading coconut wood and the mechanics of its implementation and control should be established in the producing countries. The mechanism for quality control should not restrict efficient management but should aim to protect and rosier the interests of the country, the coconut wood industry, and its customers.
Quality control of coconut wood starts during the logging operation. Coconut wood should be graded hard, intermediate or soft, corresponding to high, medium and low density: high density is above 600 kg/m³; medium density between 400 and 600 kg/m³; and low density less than 400 kg/m³. Because of the widely varying density of material within each log, and the difficulty of differentiating these by superficial inspection after sawing, it is essential that a grading, sorting and identification system be established to track the wood from different parts of a log and from different logs along the length of a tree; this should start in the plantation at the time of felling. Systems of this sort have been designed and are implementable.

Machining
Another important phase in cocowood utilization is machining or the process of cutting and milling the cocowood into various shapes and patterns with the use of woodworking machines.

Seasoning and Drying
Coconut wood must also undergo seasoning process to minimize if not completely avoid problems in its utilization: the appropriate moisture content levels of coconut wood for various uses are as follows: furniture - 10 to 12%; flooring - 11 to 17%; framing timber -15 to 18%; joinery - 12 to 16%; and weatherboards - 15 to 18%. The common drying methods include air drying wood under shed, forced-air, and kiln drying. Depending on existing conditions, 25mm and 50mm coconut boards take 4 to 11 weeks and 16 to 21 weeks to air dry, respectively to attain equilibrium moisture content of 17% to 19%. Drying schedules have been worked out (Tables 8 and 9) for kiln drying coconut wood to avoid drying defects such as collapse, twist, wrap and check.

Preservative Treatment
Coconut is not naturally durable when used in situations favourable to attack by decay fungi and wood boring insects particularly in ground contact and exposed to the weather. The low natural durability can be overcome by the application of suitable wood preservative treatment, for which appropriate prescriptions and dose rates have been developed. Choice of treatment depends on hazard level and cost which can be borne.
The recommended treating processes are presented in Table 10. The treatment schedules of the different processes have been established for coconut wood through a series of laboratory experiments, field and service tests of treated materials.

Finishing
Good quality finish for cocowood involves sanding the surface to remove the knife marks and produce a smooth surface. The use of mechanical sanders instead of manual sanding facilitates finishing the surface of the wood.
Coating involves the sequence application of stain, filler, sealer and top coating materials such as lacquer, polyurethane, polyester and oil finish to enhance the natural beauty of the grain, colour and figure of cocowood products. Usually two or more coats of finishes are applied to cocowood to improve the appearance and quality of the wood products.

Sources FAO Report, Assessed on 21 February 2016

PALM CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO UTILIZATION

Structure/Anatomy
The coconut palm is a monocotyledon; it has an erect pole-like stem and symmetrical crown; the trunk is 30-40 cm in diameter sometimes reaching a meter at the base. Once formed, it does not increase in diameter due to the absence of a cambium. The slender and branchless trunk reaches a height of 20-25 meters or more. Tall coconut varieties take 3-4 years to develop a stem above the ground. It bears leaf scars showing the insertion of the fallen leaves. The distance between leafscars indicates the rate of growth. Leafscars are closely spaced at the top and at the bottom of the trunk but distantly spaced at the middle portion.

In cross-section, the coconut stem has three distinct zones, namely the dermal, sub-dermal and the central zones with the dermal as the most peripheral portion just below the cortex, the sub-dermal between the dermal and the central zone or core. Its main anatomical elements include the fibrovascular bundles, fibrous bundles and the ground tissue.

The fibrovascular bundles consist of phloem, xylem, axial parenchyma and thick-walled schlyrenchyma fibres. The latter element serves as the palm's major mechanical support. The cell walls of the schlyrenchima fibres become progressively thicker from the centre to the cortex of the stem. The xylem is enveloped by parenchyma cells usually containing two wide vessels, a combination of wide and small vessels or clusters of several small and wide vessels.
The ground tissue is parenchymatous and its cell wall thickness decreases from cortex to the inner zone of the central cylinder.

Physical Properties
The physical properties of cocowood depend largely on its density, moisture content and shrinkage (Table 3).
The oven-dry weight-green volume or basic density of cocowood decreases with increasing height of the stem and, at any given height, increases from the core to the cortex. In addition, the basic density at any particular height increases with the age of the palm. Overall, the basic density ranges from 100kg/m³ at the top core portion to 900 kg/m³ at bottom dermal portion of old coconut palms.
The moisture content is negatively correlated with the basic density, i.e. moisture content decreases with increasing basic density and vice versa. The amount of moisture in coconut stem increases with increasing stem height and decreases from the core to the cortex. The moisture content ranges from 50% at the bottom dermal portion to 400% at the top core portion of the stem.
The dimensional stability of the wood is determined by its shrinkage or swelling which accompanies a decrease or increase in moisture content below fibre saturation point. Shrinkage and swelling cause drying defects such as checks and split. Unlike conventional wood where tangential shrinkage is almost twice the radial shrinkage, the tangential and radial shrinkage of cocowood are not significantly different.

Mechanical Properties
The mechanical properties of coconut which define its end use are positively correlated with the basic density. As a result, cocowood has been classified according to three basic density groups as follows: High density wood (dermal) 600 kg/m³ and above, medium density wood (sub-dermal) 400 kg/m³ to 599 kg/m³, and low density wood (core), below 400 kg/m³.
Table 4 presents the mechanical and related properties of the three density groups of cocowood based on green and dry samples. All values of the strength properties decrease with decreasing basic density. Except for impact bending, the values of the other mechanical properties of cocowood at 12% moisture content are significantly higher than in green condition.
The strength properties of high density cocowood compare favourably with Dipterocarpus grandiflorus, Pentacme concorta, and Shorea polysperma (Table 5) which are commonly used as structural materials for building construction. High density cocowood almost exhibits superior strength properties over the aforementioned conventional wood except modulus of elasticity which shows lower strength values as far as compression parallel to grain is concerned.
The medium density cocowood is comparable to Pentacme concorta in terms of modulus of rupture, stress at proportional limit and maximum crushing strength but it is slightly inferior in the rest of the properties. In contrast, the low density cocowood cannot compare with these wood species hence, it should be used only for non-load bearing structures.

Chemical Properties
Coconut wood is comparable to Philippine hardwood/softwood and bamboo as far as holocellulose, lignin and pentosan content are concerned. However, it contains higher ash than Philippine woods. The proximate chemical composition of coconut wood are the following: holocellulose (66.7%); lignin (25.1%) and pentosans (22.9%).

Sources FAO Report, Assessed on 21 February 2016