ABSTRACT
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) may be the most extensively grown tree crop in the tropics. There are probably more than 6 million hectares of coconut in the world; about 90% of this crop area is in Asia and Oceania. Major producers of copra and coconut oil are the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Malaysia and the islands and territories of Oceania. Coconuts usually take 6 or 7 years to reach production from transplanting, although some of the newer dwarf varieties may begin producing in 4 years. The trunks usually do not form until 4 or 5 years after planting. Older palms may attain great heights, 20-25 m or more, bearing whorls of large fronds and fruit bunches at the top of the trunks. Coconut grows best in areas receiving 1,250 to 2,500 mm of well-distributed rainfall. Below 1,250 mm, unless irrigation is practiced or seepage of ground water occurs, periods of water stress can result.
