Biological conversion of coir pith into a value

Review Article
Journal of PlanWJ~on Crops, 2002, 30 (1) : 1-17
Biological conversion of coir pith into a value-added organic
resource and its application in Agri-Horticulture:
Current status, prospect~ and. perspective
S.R. Prabhu* and George V. Thomas**
Microbiology S~ction
Ce11tral Plantalum Crops Kes~arch Institute
(lmliun Cmuu:il <if Agricrtltnrall?eseatch)
Kasa1Y1god, Kerala, India.
Introduction
India currently produces over 15,000 million
coconuts per year. In addition to the utilization of
endosperm for edible purposes and extraction of oil, the
outer non-edible fibrous portion of the nuts (coconut
husk) is used for extracting coconut. fibre or coir, which
is commerciality utilized for making value-added
products such as mats, geotextiles etc. In the husk.
coconut fibres are seen tightly packed along with nonfibrous, fluffy and light weight croaky material known
as coir pith or coir dust, which constitutes about 50-70
percent of the husk. The composition and properties of
coir pith vary (Moorthy and Rao, 1998) depending on
maturity of coconut, method of extraction and disposal,
peliod between ex:ttaction and use and environmental
factors. Wide variations in C:N ratio of coir pith from
58:1 to ll2: 1 has been reported (Savithri and Khan,
1994). Retted husks yield coir pith with less nutrients
Lhan that obt.a ined by mechanical processing of unretted
husk. Coir pith obtained from fully mature nuts has bigher
amounts of lignin and cellulose and Jesser amount of
watet soluble salts compared to younger nuts. When
busks of 10,000 coconutS are utilized for coir extraction,
one tonne of cqir pith is obtained as a by-product. If all
the coconut husks available in lndia are processed, it is.
estimated that about 1.5 million tonnes of coir pith conld
be obtained a.onually. But in reality, aU the available
coconut husks are not diverted for coir extraction and it
has been reported that only 5 lakh tonnes of coir pith is
produced in India annually (Joseph, 1995).
•e-mail : •prabhueo<:[email protected], ••[email protected]
Because of high fertilizer prices andenvirom11ental
concerns associated with its use and with the enhanced
emphasis on commercial horticulture and organic
farming, recent years have witnessed growing interest
in utilizing coir pith in a more productive way in agrihorticulture (Pmbhu and Thomas, 2001). Coir pith has
got many enviable characteristics. making it a highly
potential resource if used after proper composting. Coir
pith has very high moisture retention capacity of 500600 per cent and can be as high as 1100% of dry weight
(Evans er al., 1996). In a comparative study with coir
pith and three types of saw dust, coir pith retained the
maximum moisture after 90 days of composting (MlY.lh
and Pdili, 1998). It has high potassium content and low
bulk density and particle density. The low particle density
is due to high specific surface and high specitic surface
gives it high cation exchange capacity (CEC) (Mapa.and
Kumara, 1995). High CEC, which varies from 38.9-60
meq/lOOg (Evans e.t aL, 1996) enables it to retain large
amounts of nutrients and the adsorption complex. bas high
contents of exchangeable K. Na, Ca and Mg (Verhagen
and Papadopoulos, 1.997). All these characteristics make·
it ideal for use as a mulch and soil amendment, especially
for dry and sandy areas with low water retention. The
stabilized, compostcd co.ir pith resemb1es peat and has
got many chardcteristics as that of sphagnum peat, !he
most common potting media used in horticulture and
hence it is commercially koown as coco peat. With the
development of commercial horticulture and reduction
in the availability of sphagnum peat, coco peat has
S.R. Prabhu and Gco.rge V. Thomai
become internationally recognised as an ideal soil
amendment and component of soil-less container- media
for horticulture plants. Coco peat find.<; use in gemrination
of seeds, nursery raising, rooting of cutting and other
vegetative plant propagation methods, hardening of tissue
and embryo cultured plants, hydroponic systems of plant
cultivation, cultivation of glass house plants, soil
conditioning, lawn making etc. (Bavappa and
Gurusinghe, 1978, Ani.tha Karon et al., 1999, Rao, 1999).
important plants. Possibilities of improving composting
techniques, quality of compost and utili1.ation of coco
peat based on the recent developments in science and
technology have also been discussed.
Composting of coir pith
Problems associated with coir pitb eomposling
Plants use different nutrient cycling strategies to
their own advantage. It hus been hypothesized that
through an evolutionary selection process, some species
of plants developed characteristics that enhance the
fitness of their envirorunent for themselves at the expense
of other plant species (van Breemen. 1993; 1995). For
example. fast growing species tend to have residues rhat
decompose and mrn over nutrients rapidly. On the other
hand, slow growing species often have residues that are
high in lignin and secondary metabolities that slow
microbial decomposition and thus reduce competition
from fast growing species that require bigh levels of
available nutrietns in short time (Magdoff e1 a/., 1997).
Coir pith with high C : N ratio, lignin and polyphenol
contents is highly resistant to easy decomposition and
can be stabilized by .suitable composting techniques.
Composting of coir pith results in increased content of
N, P, K and micronutrients and reduction in lignin and
C:N ratio (Nagarajau et al., 1985).
Despite many advmttages and availability in large
quantities, coir pith is not fully utilized for productive
purposes and every year large amounts of coir pith
accumulate nearby coir processing units, causing severe
disposal problems, fire hazards and ground water
cont11mination due to the release of phenolic compounds.
Because of its high C:N ratio(about 100:1), high content
of lignin and cellulose (about 40% eacb) and high
polyphenol content (about 1OOmg/1 OOg coir pith), under
natural conditions its degradation and mineralization rates
are very slow, preventing its direct use as an organic
manure. The application ofraw coir pith with wide C;N
ratio can result in immobm1..ation of plant nutrients. In
addition; polyphenols and phenolic acids can be
phytotoxic and inhibit plaut growth (Wang et al., 1967}.
Bioassay using Lepidium sativum as indicator plant
showed that root growth was inhibited by raw coir pith
extracts (Yau and Murphy, 1998). Many farmers who
apply fresh coir pith. often complain that plants develop
toxic yellowing symptoms. The inhibitory effect can be
eliminated by using biodegraded coir pith (Yau and
Murphy, 1998). Coirpith can.be made suitable for use in
agri-horticolture after stabilization by proper composting
process of employing Sllitable organisms capable of
degrading lignin and polyphenols and bringing down C:N
ratio. According to Nagarajan et al., ( l985) coir pith
having a C:N ratio of 24: 1 or less could be used as a
good source of organic matter for agricultural use.
Sri L'\nka is the leading processor and exporter of
coir pith into a form suitable for horticultural applications.
But,.lndia with a capacity to produce over 2.9lakh tonnes
of coco peat. (Joseph, 1995) has the potential to become
the major source of this valuable organic resource for
internal use and for exports. With the increased emphasis
on organic farming and horticulture, coir pith is gaining
more i.mporta:nce and relevance.
· The intention of this paper is to review tbe recent
developments in various aspects of processing of coir
pith ~or agri-ho:rticultural use such as, composting and
enrichment technologies, and the utilization of the
stabilized product for use as a soil amendment, plant
propagation and growth medium for economically
Composting is the biological process of
decomposition of organic constituents of bio-waste
materials under controlled conditions (Golueke, 1972;
Hoitink and Keener, 1993). During this process, carbon
from organic molecules gets converted to carbon dioxide,
resulting in the reduction of bulkiness of the organic
forms, which can be absorbed directly by plants. Rates
of decomposition and mineralization of organic residues
differ among species having different plant chemistry
(Palm and Sanchez, 1991 ). Composting rate depends to
a great extent on C:N ratio, lignin and polyphenol
contents, presence or absence of suitable microbial agents
of decomposition etc. Lignin prevents the easy
decomposition and mineraliz:ation of coir pith and any
effective compostiug method devised should ensure
delignification to the maximum extent possible. Lignin
is a three dimensional aromatic amorphous
heteropolymer containing stable C-C, ether-ester linkages
between monomeric singly or doubly-rnethoxylated
phenylpropyl phenolic units making it a recalcitrant
biopolymer (Janshek:ar and Fiechter, 1983). In nattlre,
lignin is convetted to humic and fulv.ic ac.ids by many
microorganisms, but the process is very slow (Kawakami,
1980, Martin an'd Haider, 1980, Crawford, 1981;
Stevenson, 1982). The uri.ique structure of lignin
2
Biological conversion of coir pith into a value·added resource
requiring depolymerization by extracellular oxidative
mechanisms accounts for the recalcitrance of lignin
toward degradation by most mi<.:roorganisms (Kirk, 1980;
Gold and Alic, 1993). Laccase, manganese peroxidase
and lignin peroxidase are the main enzymes involved in
lignin degradation during secondary (ldiophasic)
metabolism, whose onset is triggered by depletion of
nitrogen, carbon or sulphur (Gold and Alic. 1993). Lignin
degradation also depends on the presence of a readily
metabolisable co~substrate such as glucose. In addition,
increasing the oxygen levels in culture has strong
activating effect ou the rate of lignjn degradation (Gold
and Alic. 1993).
Ma.ny microbes can metabolise lignins (Kirk,
1971, Crawford and Crawford, 1976, Crawford and
Crawford, 1980; Ulmer et aL, 1983). Basidiomycetous
fungi are well known for lignin degradation and most of
the studies on the biochemistry oflignin degradation were
focused on Phanerochaete chryso!>porium {Janshekar and
Fiechter, 1983). Bacteria are also capable of solubilizing,
transforming and mineralising a variety of lignin
preparations and lignin-like polymers and monomers
(Zimmermann, 1990). Actinomycetes such as
SttepJomyces sp. also have the capacity to attack and
degrade lignins (Crawford, 1978, Phelan et al., 1979).
Coir pith's yet another ch.emical nature which
adversely affects its decomposition rate is its polyphenol
content, as it contains phenolic compounds to the extent
of LO~g/ LOOg. It has been suggested that polyphenolic
content may affect N release pauerns from organic
residues by'fonning complexes with proteins, which are
resistant to decomposition (Basaraba and Starkey, 1966,
Vallis and Jones, 1973; Sivapalan el al., 1985; Palm and
Sanchez, 1991 ). The problems associated with
polyphenols are not that se1ious and there are reports on
humification of polyphe110l-rich plant residues
(Sivapalau, 1982). As many microorganh,,ns can utilize
and degrade polyphenols (Chan, 1986) and as many
polyphenols are water soluble, coir pith exposed to rain
for many years contain Jess polyphenols and can be used
directly whenever composted coir pith is not available.
Low C:N ratio of coir pith is also responsible for
low decomposition rate. As nitrogen is required for the
reproduction and activity of micro-organisms
responsible for degrading organic matter, only that.
quantity of organic matter as decided by the quantity
of nitrogen available wilt be degraded. As coir pith has
high C:N ratio of about 100: l, most micro~organisms
do not prefer to act on it.
Techniques for enhancing the decomposition of coir
pith
Coir pith can be made more amenable for
microbial attack and subsequent decomposition by
various chemical and biol.ogicallreatment methods. The
C:N ratio can be reduced by adding nitrogen fertilizers
or nitrogen - rich organic materials such as legume
biomass, oil cakes etc. Lignin can be degraded by
favouring the build u·p of native lignin degrading
microorganisms or by artificial introduction of starter
cultures of eftlcient lignin degrading microorganisms. ·
Treatment w:ith lime is yet another approach to enhance
the process of decomposition of coir pith. This is based
on the fact that liming can enhance humification process
in plant residues by enhancing microbial population and
activity and by weakening lignin structure. It call also
improve hum\IS quality by changing the ratio of humic
to fulvic acids. Liming has also been shown to decrease
the amount of bitumens and humins, thus enhandng the
humification process (Nowak and Nowak, 1990). Lime
treatment has been shown to make coir pith more su.itable
for the growth of ligninolytlc fungi (Eyini et al., 1995),
which subsequently ensures faster degradation of lignin
and humification of coir pith (Anand et al., 1998; 1999).
Pretreatment with .lime @ 5kg/tonne of coir pith is
sufficient to enhance the degradation of lignin.
Complex substrates such as lignins are not usually
fully degraded by a single organism. but arc degraded by
consortium of organisms or a mixed population, each
carrying out different degenerative steps. Co-metabolism
and conservative decomposition indicate that fostering
both diversity and latge population would be beneticial
in decomposition of complex molecules. The biodiversity
of microflora and saprophytic fauna and consequently
composting rate can be enhanced by blending coir pith
with more easily utilizable organic wastes such as
leguminous weeds, green manures, cowdung, oil cakes,
biogas slurry etc. during ~ompost preparation.
Enrichment of coir pith to enhance degradation and
nutrient content
As a nutrient source, coir pith bas not much value.
But, it can be enriched by addition of specific nuttients ·
and cultures ofbeneficial microbes capable of enhancing
the availability of nutrients. These enrichment techniques
would make coir pith compost better equipped to
influence plant growth and soiJ quality more efficiently.
Rockphosphates · and pyrites are gaining
importance in composting r.e.chnologies for the production
of phosphate-rich phosphocomposts (Manna and
Gangu·ly, 2000). Preparation of phosphate - enriched
S.R. Prabhn and George \: Thomas
compost is based on the concept of ~olubiliz:ation of
added rock phosphate during: the process of composting
(Bangar et aL, 1985, Mishra and Bangar, 1986). These
enriched composts not only suppJy more phosphates. but
also have the additional advantage that they prevent the
loss of nitrogen (Bangar et al., 1988). Partial acidification
of appetites of phosphate rock results in the conversion
of phosphates into soluble forms (Singh and Si.ngh, 1991).
The add produced by biological or chemical ox.idatiou
of sulphur from pyrites together with the organic acids
produced duting organic matter decomposition may help
in the dissolution of phosphate rock. Coir pith can also
be composted and enriched with phosphates using
rockphosphate (Biddappa et a/., 1998). Anand et al.,
(1998) reported thatenticlunent of coir pith compost with
rockphosphate resulted in more labile fractions of
phosphorus in the resultant compost In addition, use of
rock phosphate @ 20 kg per toiUle of coir pith during
composting resulted in greater percentage of carbon Joss
(Anand et al., 1999).
composting (Marimuthu and Nagarajan, 1993). This zinc·
enriched coir pith compost has been shown to be effective
in enhancing the yield of rice (Devarajan and
Krislmaswamy, 1996). Manganese is yet another
micronutrient, which can be enriched in coir pith
compost In addition to its value as a plant nutrient,
manganese is important in lignin degradation, and lignin
degradation by several white rot fungi is strollgly
dependent on the presence of manganese (Gold and Alic,
1993). This might be because of the involvement of
manganese perox.idases in lignin degradation. Hence the
addition of manganese 8alts during composLing may
additionally help to degrade coir pith better.
Coil.' pith Call also be enriched wil.h cultures of
beneficial microorganisms such as Trichoderma.
Azotobacter and phosphate solubilizers (Moorthy and
Rao, 1997), so that the compost could serve as a
biofertilizer and biopesticide.
BioJogicnl treatments for enhancing the rate of
composting of coir pith
(a) Use of microbial starter cultures for
enhancing the decomposition of coir pith.
The first approach in the use of microbial starter
cultures for enhancing composting rate is to isolate and
select microorganisms adapted to coir pith. The cultures
of efficient: species cau be multiplied in laboratories and
can be used for accelerated composting. Or, these
naturally occurring microbes in coir pith can be put into
action by making conditions favourable for thei.r
multlplication and activity. Ramamoorthy et al. (2000)
found rhat BaciUus sp., was numerically predominant in
raw coir pith. The other organisms encountered were
Streptomyces sp., Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Penicillium
sp., Trichodemu.1 sp .• and. Fusarium sp. In e.xperiments
using these microorganisms, it was observed that
Aspergillus sp. and Trichoderma sp. were effective to a
certain extent in degrading coir pith (Theradirnani and
Marimutb.u, l993a; Ramamoo.rthy t~t (1/., 2000).
Coir pith composts can also be enriched with
superphosphate, biogas slurry and cowdung slurry. This
treatment in addition to increasing nutrient content.
enhances the composting rate (VijayaJakshmi et al..
1989). It can also be enriched with nitrogen from organic
sources such as green manures, weeds etc and their use
@ lOOkg per tonne of coir pith has been found beneficial
(Anand et al., 1999). Composting can also be done along
with coffee husk (Moorthy et al., 1996). In addition to
increasing nitrogen co·ntent of the final compost,
ameudmem with organ:ic additives in coir pith during
composting results in more labile and aliphatic humic
acids (K.adalli et al. , 2001 a). Being less aromatic and
labile. these fractions form more labile chelated
complexes with tnicron.utrienr.s. Hence, with organic
amendments, more availability of mkronutrients in coir
pith compost has been observed. Coir pith compost
prepared with additives such ns cowdung, garden weeds,
green manures such as sunhemp. rock phosphate and
micronutrient& along with Pleurotus sa}or-caju recorded
the least lignin, lignin/nitrogen ratio, and C/N ratio and
was superior with respect to nutrient composition
(Kadalli et al.• 2001b).
Yet another approach to enhance the
decomposition rate of coir pith could be the use of wellknown and efficient microbial cultures capab~e of fast
degradation of lignin. Phanerochaete chrysosporium is
an efficient ligninolytic basidiomycetous fungus
employed for commercial delignification of higi1-lignin
organic materials, as it has got many advantages. It can
multiply rapidly on lignin-rich materials by producing
asexual spores and is highly thennotolerant. Uyenco and
Ochoa ( 1984) found thnt among sever<~l species of white
rot fungi. Phanerochaete cllrysosporium was the most
effective organism fo~ degrading Jignocelluloses of coir
Coir pith compost can also be fortified with
micronutrients (Kadalli et al., 200la). These metals can
be added to coir pith at the beginning of the composting
process. The trace metals get chelated with natural
ligands like humic acids and fulvic acids synthesized
duri-ng decomposition of coirdust (Kadalli et al., 2001 a).
Zinc can be chelated by mixing zinc sulphate @ 4kg per
750 kg raw coir pith and allowing the mixture to undergo
4
Biological conversion of coir pith into a value-added resource
dust; 31.37% of lignin was degraded in
4
weeks.
enhancing the sw'face area of organic matter by feeding
and casting activities, the gut microflora of many
invertebrates elaborate dioxygenase enzymes capable of
cleaving aromatic rings of lignin aud lignin-related
compounds (Neuhauser and Hartenstein, 1976). Among
the invertebrates, earthworms have attracted lots of
attention in recent years for composting a variety of
organic residues (Kale, 1998), and they have more
relevance in the degradation of hard-to-decompose
organic wastes than the easily decomposable ones.
Earthwotm castings have hormone-like activity (Tomati
el al., 1988) and are valued for their use i.n plant
propagation (Grappelll et al., 1985). Considering these
advantages and their role in humification process
(Bmssaard and J uma. 1996), the services af enrthwonns
have been utilized for composting lignin and polyphenolrich coconut palm. wastes including coir pith, and a local
strain of Eudrilus spp. has been found to be highly useful
for this purpose (Prabbu et al., 1998, Prabhu et al.. 2001 ).
A Technology for large scale vermicomposting of coir
pith has been standardised at CPCRI, Kasaragod using
this local earthw01m.
Other ep.igeic or compost worms such as Perionyx
excm•ates (Ramesb and Gunnthilagaraja, 1996) and
Eudrilus eugeniae (Patil et al., 1999) have also been
utilized for vermicomposting of coir pith.
Degradation was done with minimal nitrogen, coconut
water supplement and at 85-90% .moisture level.
Many species of Pleurotus can be utilized for coir
pith degradation, as the genus is we!J-known for its lignin
degradation capacity. The oyster mushroom, Pleumtus
sajor-caju wa.<; used for complete degradation ofcoir pith
(Nagurajan er al., 1985). Nallathambi and Marimuthu
(1993) evaluated Pleurotus citritwpileatus, P. sajor-c({ju,
P. platypus, P. sapidus and P. florida for degrading coir
pith and it was found that P. platypus was the most
effective. Theradimani and Marimuthu (1992) also found
that P. platypus was the most efficient degrader of coir
pith. It was found P. sajor caju elaborated more celltJlase
and laccase and mediated. a reduction of82.92% of lignin.
P. platypus inoculation resulted in 58.6% reduction in
cellulose and 78% reduction in lignin after 35 days of
inoculation and the C:N ratio was minimum with this
(18:1) as against the uncomposted coir pith (104:1).
The efficacy of various biocontrol agents such
as Trichoderma and Chaetomimn with cellulolytic
activities was tested for degrading coir pith
(Ramamoorthy et al., 1999a). Among a number of
species tested, Trichodemra harzianum brought about
maximum degradation. However, compared to
Pleurotus spp .• the efficacy of degradation of coir pith
using T. harzianum was tess. Nitrogen fertilization and
inoculation with Chaetomium globosum has been shown.
to enhance biodegradation of hemicellulose, cel'lulose
and lignin of coir pith and the action resembled soft rot
(Yau and Murphy, 1998).
Technologies for composting coir pith
A technique for decompos·ing coir pith into useful
organic manure using Pleurotul· has been developed
(Nagarajan et aL, 1985). For composting one tonne of
coir pith, 5 kg urea and 1.5 kg spawn of Pleurotus sajorcaju is required. Select an area of S meters length arid 3
meters width in a shady place and spread 100 kg of coir
pith. 300 grams of Pleurotus spawn is spread uniformly
over the coir pith 'layer. Cover the layer with ~nother 100
kg of coir pith. On this layer, spread 1 kg urea uniformly.
This process ofsandwiching spawn and urea alternatively
with 100 kg coir pith is repeated until the heap reaches
one meter height. The heap is periodically watered to
maintain a moisture level of 200 per cent. After 30 days
C:N ratio and lignin content reduces and the golden or
yellow coloured fresh coir pith turns into black coloured.
compost.
Anand et al., (1998) noted that mere addition of
nitrogen source and lignin degrnding fungal culture does
not encourage faste.r decomposition and optimum
humifi.cation. Coir pith <:an be made more responsive to
the attack of Pleurotus by using coir pith treated with
lime @ 5k:gl tonne and by using amendments such as rock
phosphate @20kg/tonne and organic additives such as
cow dung. and garden weeds @ 1OOkgftonne.
Pseucromonas species has been found to degrade
lignins of coir pith (Urna eta(., 1994). Streptomyces spp.
isolated from coir pith was tested and found to be a poor
degrader of coirpith (Ramamoorthy et al., 2000). lVIa:lliga
et al. (1996) reported that the blue green alga (BOA) or
cyanobacterium Anabaena azollae wh~n inoculated to
coir pith exhibited polyphenol oxidase and laccase·
activities and degraded lignin. These coir pith degrading
cyanobacterial cells we.re seen immobilized in the colr
pith matrix.
(b) Use of earthworms for composting coir pith
Even though the actual composting process is
carried out by microorganisms, so.il fauna can enha-nce
· the process of decomposition of hard organic materials
tlnough their role in mechanical destruction and partial
humification of organic matter. There is evidence that
they can demethylate and cleave various aromatic
compounds of plant origin (Neuhauser et al., 1978). In
addit·ion to their ability to enhance microbial activity by
5
S.R. Prabhu and George V. Timmas
The work done at CPCRJ, Kasaragod has resulted
in the isolation of an efficient ligninolytic
basidi.omycetous fungus,Marasmiellus troyanus capable
of degrading coi r pith treated with lime and
rockphosphate. A technology based on this fungus has
been standardised (Thomas et al., 2001).
to peat. A number of trials in many countries did reveal
that decomposed coir pith can be used us a cheap but
effective substintte for peat because of its peat-like
chamcteristics. Unlike sphagnum peat, it is a renewable
resource, as it c.an be sustain ably produced from coconut
husks regular~y available from well managed coconut
gardens. Decomposed coir pith has very high moisture
retention capacity and its wettability is much better than
peat (Evans and Stamps, 1996). The decomposition of
lignins present in coir pith results itl the fonnation of
humic fractions (Kndulli et al., 2001 a). which imparts
coco peat high no.trient retention capaci.ty. Additionally.
these humic substances in coco peat must have a role in
making it suitable for use in plant propagation and culture
of plants, as humic substances are known to have
hOLmone-like activity and can stimulate plant growth (Lee
an.d Bartlett, 1976) and enhance rooting (Schenitzer and
Poapst, 1967). It is light in weight, porous and
predetermined levels of air space in the potting media
could be obtained by mixing appropriate levels of coconut
fibre with coco peat (Prasad and Roeber, 1997). The pH
of coco peat is closer to the optimum for the growth of
most plants than that of sphagnum peat, which is highly
acidic. So, replacing sphagnum peat with coco peat can
also result in considerable saving, as lot of lime is
required for bringing down pH of sphagnum peat
(Cresswell, l9f:J7). Coir pith~ based growth medium shows
least changes in air porosity and water holding during its
use in comparison with sedge peat (Meerow, 1995). As
coco peat is a light weight material, it is convenient for
use in roof gardens. glass houses etc. Because of its
recalcitrant ligno-cellulosic nature, its decomposition rate
is slow, thus avoiding the unnecessary burden of replacing
potting media regularly. One of the most des.irable
qualities of media for container-grown plants and
composts in general is their plant disease-suppressing
ability. There are indications that coco peat can suppress
many fungal diseases (Kumar and Marimuthu, 1994;
Ramamoorthy et al., 1999b), and because of this
additional benefit, it is likely that it will become a part
of integrated disease management systems for
horticultural crops. In view of all these positive aspects,
coco ·peat is presently used widely by many commercial
horticultural companies worldwide and is in high
demand. Highly compresse.d. brickettes of coco peat are
now commercially available for easy transportation and
use hl horticulture. Also, composted coir pith can be
pelletted using pelletting equipment (Varadaraju and
Gothandapani, 1998).
The following method can be adopted for large scale
vennicomposting of coir pith. Coir pith treated wjth lime
and rock phosphate @ 0.5% each and incubated for three
weeks has to be mixed with cow dlrng @ 10%, fresh
vermicompost@ 10%. This mixture has to be layered with
uncut coconut leaves @ 20% to facilitate aeration in the
bed. The local earthworm Eudrilus sp·p. has to be
introduced at the rate of 1000 numbers/ton of organic
.materials and the bed should be mulched and protected
from direct sunlight. Sufficient moisture has to be
maintained by regular spr.aying of water. Earthwonns from
burrows in coir pith bed and vermicastings appear as
surface castings. A granular vermicompost with 1.2%
nitrogen and a C:N ratio of 16.7:1 can be obtained in two
months (Thomas et al., 2001).
Applications of coJr pith iD agri»horticulture
(i) Components of soil media for container-
grown plants
Suitability as a medium for growth of plants :
Throughout the world, with the development of
commercial horticulture, nursery and glasshouse.
industries, the emphasis on media for raising plants has
changed gradually from the exclusive use of mineral soil
mixtures to soil-less and completely artificial substrates
for producing an increasing proportion of containergrown plants. The productive field soils are not only
heavy. but also often give inferior results because of
compaction und inadequate drainage when confined to
containers. The components of artificial media may
ideally have lhe following characteristics: low cost, high
organic matter content, high moisture holding capacity.
fast drainage, resistance to easy decomposition, light
weight, and capability to support uniform growth of
plants. Sphagnum peat, sawdust and ground bark are
conunonly used in a variety of mixtures of artificial media
for container-grown plants (Maas and Adamson, 1982).
Among these, peat was the mainstay of the nursery and
glasshouse indnstries until recently. There is growing
realization that the availability of peat cannot be
sustained, as it is a non-renewable resource. In addition
to the declining availability, excavation of peat has been
legally banned in many countries thanks to environmental
reasons. AU these reasons demanded the quest for a
suitable substi.tute for peat with characteristics similar
Despite many positive aspects, one should be
vigilant when coir pfth composts are used as potting
6
Biological conversion of coir pith into a value-added resource
media, as some are deficient in certain nutrients and some
contain excess chlorides, which may adversely affect
plant growth. Chlorides have to be removed by leaching
if coir pith makes t1 high proportion of any media
(Handrock. 1993). When coco peat is used as a complete
replacement of sphagnum peat. it may have to be
amended with magnesh1m, calcium, sulphur, copper and
iron. Due to high potassium content of coir pith, K:Mg
ratio is unfavourable for magnes;ium uptake and hence
coir pith needs to be enriched with magnesium when it
is used as a potting medium (Mapa and Kumara, 1995).
Also, extra nitrogen may also have to be given regularly
to sustain good plant growth (Handreck, 1993).
effective in hydroponic cultivation of economically
important plants such as tomato (Caraveo-Lopez et al. ,
1996).
(ii) Other applications in horticulture : Because
of its high moisture holding capacity and porosity. coco
peat has a number of other applications in horticulture.
Some of them arc :
Compost : Pots known as compost for rearing
orchids such as Dendrobium and other plants and also
for propagation of plants can be made from coir dust,
using the stalks of banana and water lily as binders
(Catibod, 2000).
Rooting of cuttings : The use of coco peat in
vegetative propagation is gaining importance, as it is
known to give better percentage of rooting of plant
cuttings. Higher rooting percentage was observed when
coco peat was used as a medium for rooting of cuttings
of Acalypha and Bougainvillea. This pronounced effect
has been explained as being due to the presence of
phenolics (Lokesba et aL, 1988). Vegetative propagation
of Eucalyptus using single node cuttings was very
effective when coco peat was used as a rooting medium
(Wattier et al., 1998).
Air Jayerlng and hardening of air layers : Coco
peat is an effective root initiating medium for a nwnber
of plants which are propagated by air layering
(Krislmamoorthy and Rema, 1994~ Nazcem etal., 1984).
Additionally, coco peat can very well be used for
hardening air layers before transplanting to main field
(Shetty and Melanta, 1990).
Storage of scion : Coi.r p:ith can retain the viability
of plant materials used in vegetative propagation and this
has advantages, especially when the materials have to
be stored and transported. The scion wood of 'Qutmeg
used for graftiog, when preserved in polythene bags with
coir dust can effectively preserve the viability for more
than 10 days (Rema and Krishnamoorthy, 1998).
Storage of horticultural produce : Post-harvest
losses in many horticultural crops is an area of major
concern in India. Simple and low cost techniques for
reducing the rate of moisture loss and retaining the
freshness of fruits and vegetables are needed for fanns
in villages without any refrigeration facilities. Storage
of banana in cartons with. coir dust has been shown to
reduce moisture loss, weight loss, shrivelling and skin
bla.ckening (Thompson et al., 1974). This simple
technique could revolutionize post-harvest storage and
transportation of horticulture produce in villages.
{iii} Use as a son amendment: Coir p:ith has
gained importance and relevance as a soil amendment
Porosity and moisture holding capacity of the
growth medium intluences root growth, plant health and
establishment. Coir pith when added to other media
increases aeration, water holding capacity, CEC etc.
Eecause of all. these characteristics, coco peat has been
found to be better than peat in supporting seed
germination, and eady growth of plants (Cresswell,
1997). Enhancement of plant height and root fresh mass
in coco peat-grown plants is a frequent observation
(Evans and Stamps, 1996~ Evans and Des, 1997; Sreerama
eta/., 1999). Time require.d for flowering in plants such
as Tagetes grown in coco peat usually gets reduced (Evans
and Stamps, 1996). Coir pith has been shown to be an
adequate alternative to sphagnum peat i.n soilless
container media. (Pill and Ridely, 1998). Growth index
and root and shoot growth were more in Ravenea and
Anthurium grown in coir pith containing media (Meerow,
1995). Leaf number, plant height and flower nwnber were
more in anthurium grown in co.ir pith medium. Zinnia,
Celosia and marigold also perfonned 'better in coir pith
media (Awang et al., 1997). Bnre-·root viburnum
(Viburnumdentatum) and perston lilac grew better with
high fresh root and shoot biomass in coco peat when
compared to peat-based media (Evans and lies, 1997).
Pelargonium. hortorum, Tagetes patula and Petunia
hybrida also pe.rfonned better in coir pith medium (Evans
and Stamps, !.996). Pemas lanceolata and Jxora coccinia
exhibited higher growth index, top and root weight when
grown in coir pith medium as compared to sedge peatbased medium (Meerow, 1995). Coco peat. has been found
to be au ideal medium for Begonia semperflorms
(Saravanan and Nambisan, 1995) and Gerbera jamesonii
(PiUai eta/. l999a), Chrysanthemum (Sreerama et al.,
1999) and a numbe:r of other ornamental plams (Pillai et
al., 1999b). Use of coir pith as a potting medium for the
ol'chid Vanda rothschildiaml resulted in higher production
of flowers (Rajamani et al., 1999): In additioJJ to the use
of coir pith as a pott.ing medium, it has been found to be
7
S.R. Prabhu and George V. Thomas
for problem soils with poor moisture retentivity. drainage
conservation of moisture. Liyanage (1988) recommended
and aeration and also far soils affected with salinity,
layering of coir pitb in alte.rriatc layers of soils in pits taken
a.lkalinity rutd chemical pollutants. For normal soils. it is
in coconut gardens for conserving moisture in gardens.
usually applied. at the rate of 12.5 tonnes/ha. For sandy
Coir pith has a)so been found effectLve in
soils, it is best to apply ttt the rate of2lt/ha for maximum
remediation of soils affected with a variety of pollutants.
benefits (Arachchi and Somasiri, 1997). Application of
Crop growth and yields have been shown to increase in
coir pith to soil can improve hydraulic conductivity,
agricultural soils polluted with tannery effluents and
porosity. water infiltration rate. water holding capacity,
t1uorine water(Singarwn, 1994; Jnyakumar etal., 1997).
and nutrient storage capacity. lt can also suitably reduce
The
use of coir pith as an amendment was tded in
the bulk density of heavy soils.
reclaiming saline alkali soi.ls (Clarson, 1986). In these
If nutrients such as nitrogen and magnesium coold
soils, it reduces the encrustation by salts and aids in cation
be supplemented, coir pith compost would be a practical
exchange with its rich calcium and magnesium content
soil amendment for sandy and sandy clay loam soils with
(Marimuthu. and Nngarajan, 1993).
low specific surface (Mapa and Kumard, 1995) because
of its high spe--eific surface. The microstructural studies
(iv) Use as a mulch :The orgallic wastes intended
on coir pith showed the presence of plenty of open cells
for use as soil mulch should have slow decomposition
rates and high water holding capacity. High C:N ratio
with large empty cavities (ldicullaet al.. 1983; Pavithran,
and water holding capacity of co.ir pith makes it the best
1993), which can act as capiiJaries for absorption and
storage of water and nutrit-'llts. It has been reported that
material for use as a mulching material. Under rainfed
water holding capacity of soil increased by 40 percent
conditions and in sandy so.ils. where water retention
due to coir pith addition (Brian, 1975). As coir pith
capacity is minimum, plants perfonn well and yield better
decomposes slowly, all the beneficial effects could last
with coir pith mulch. If applied in dry areas coir pith
for 8-lO years (Liyanage. 1988). AI> the capacity to store
mulch helps to maintain high moisture regimes and
moisture increases with age of coir pith, it is best to use
reduces soil temperature. Its use has been shown to
old coir pith weathered for 20 years as a soil amendment
enhance the establishment of tree crops in dry areas
(Arachchl and Somasiri, 1997). So, if composted coir . (Singh et al.,1988). Application of coir pith around
pith is not available, old coir dust exposed to sunshine
cashew trees has been shown to enhance water retention
and rains for many years can very well be used instead
and suppression of weeds {Komar et al., 1989). Spreading
of fresh one as a soil amendment. Because of the
ofcoir pith as mulch up to one meter radius to a thickness
conservation of water, improvements in aeration and
of I 0 em around the bole of coconut palms was reponed
hormone-like activities of humic substances from coir
to conserve moisture for a very long time resulting jn
pith, its application usually results in enhanced rooting ..
enhanced growth (Uthiah et al., 1993).
May be because of this, many workers did observe
(v) Use of coir pith to enhance nutrient supply
reduced seedling mortality and enhanced seedling
to
plants
: Coir pith acts in many ways in ensuring good
establishment after the application of coir pith. Joshi et
plants. It is a good source of potash (about
nutrition
to
al. (1982) reported that application of coir pith and other
0.8%).
Coir
pith can curtail the loss of nitrogen tbrough
coconut sheddings when mixed with chemic<tl fenilizers
leaching
and
other ways by reducing the rate of
for 10 years increased water holding capacity and reduced
nitrification
thanks
to the presence of nitrification
bulk density of coastal sandy soil as compared to
in
it.
It
can
also prevent the loss of nutrients
inhibitors
inorganics alone. Nambiar et aL (1983) noted that the
because
of
its
high
nutrient
stordge capacity by virtue of
application of coirpith blended with fertilizers. enhanced.
high cation exchange capacity.
growth and vigour of seedlings as compared to fertilizers
alone. Reduced seedling mortality and early flowering
Application of coir pith can enhance the
was also noted.
availability of micro and macronutrients and increase
The use of coir pith is also considered to be very
yields. As coir pith is rich in potash and being acidic, its
useful for rain fed crops. as it serves more as a moisture
application can enhance the release offlxed and mineral
regulator and conservator rather than nutrient supplier.
potassium in soil and hence the quantity of potash
lnadvertently, the supply of potassium to soil through
fertilizers can be reduced in agriculture (Savithri et al.,
coir pith might indirectly have its own role in plant water
1993). As it decomposes slowly,·potash will be available
relationship (Savithri and Khan, 1994).
slowly for many years. Application of coir pith blended
muriate ofpotash has been shown to enhance potash use
In addition to the practice of incorporalion of coir
efficienc.y in flooded rice soi1s (Arnmal and
pith in soil, it cnn also be buried deep into soil for
8
Biological conversion of coir pith into a. value-added resource
Durairajamuthiah, 1996).
The viability of beneficial microorganisms and hence the
sto~age life of biofertilizers depends mainJy on tbe
mo~sture conten~ of canier materials. Because of its high
mo1sture retention capacity, coir pith can be used as
carrier maLerial for the delivery of beneficial microorganisms, as the product can be stored for several
months. The benefits of using coir pith as a carrier
material for beneficial micro-organisms was realised as
early as 1956 for inoculating legume cover crops of
rubber withRhiz:obiumin plantations situated in Malaysia
(Rubber Research JJ1Stitute of Malaysia, 1956). This
finding was later confirmed by many workers (John.
1966~ Iswaran, 1972, Faizah et al. ; 1980, Van
Nieuwenhove, et al., 2000). Research at CPCRI also has
shown that coir pith after composting can be used for
the preparation of biofertilzers based on Beijerinckia,
Azospirilium, Herbaspirillum, Arthrobacter and
Bacillus. Malliga et al. (1996) reported that when
nitrogen fixing Anabaena azollae was inoculated to coir
pith. _it invaded ~nd profusely sporulated in coir. pith
matnx and hence 1t can be used as an inexpensive carrier
for cyanobacteria for Rpplications in paddy fields.
Due to very low efficiency of nitrogenous fertilizer
use in soils, nitrification inhibitors of chemical and plant
oligin have gained relevance in agriculture (Prasad et
al., 1971 ), which can reduce the rote of nitrification and
loss of nitrogen from soils. Many polyphenols and tannins
of plant origin can retard. the nitrification process
(Basarba, 1964, Baldwin et al., 1983, Sivapalan and
Fernando, 1983). There are indications that coir pith can
be util.ized for reducing nitrification in soils (Nambiar et
a/., 1988). Joshi er al. (1985)found that polyphenol-rich
coirpith when blended with urea can make urea available
slowly, thus increasing fertilizer use efficiency. Retted
coirdust when blended with urea gave lower production
of NH4-N. Production of total mineralized N was
consistently lowest when urea was blended with retted
coir dust (1: l). The results indicated the usefulness of
urea + coir dust for controlled and gradual 'release of
urea nitrogen. In addition, because of its peculiar porous
microstructure, coir pith has the potential use in the slow
release for agrochemicals (Pavitlu·an, 1993).
Rao et al.• (2001) reponed that coirpith camposted
along with garden weeds, Glyricidla, rock phosphate and
micronutrients can be an effective component of
integrated nutrient supply system, and 50% of inorganic
fertilizers could be saved without sacrificing yields.
Application of coir pith compost prepared along with
cowdung. green manures, rockphosphate and
micronutrients along with Pleurotu.~ sajor-caju at the rate
of IOtlha along with 50% recommended dose of NPKfertilizers for maize, .resulted in 15 percent increase in
the grain yield over control which received recommended
dose (100%) of nutrients alone iJ1 the from of chemical
fertilizers. The studies showed that coir pith compost
application could be an important component of
integrated nutrient management with 50 per.cent savings
in fertilizer use (Kadalli et al., 200lb). For a number of
crops, coir pith application has been found to be highly
effective as an organic manure (Devarajan and
Krishnaswamy, 1996); Swarupa and Reddy, 1996;
R.anganathan and Selvaseelan, l997, Suharban eta/.,
1997). Coir pith application also increases yields of a
nwnber of cereals, millers, puls_es, oil seeds and fruit
crops (Ahmed, 1993; Marimuthu and Nagarajan, 1993).
Under natural conditions, the presence of active
nitrogen fixers is a necessary but often not a sufficient
condition for significant nitrogen fixation to occur. Lack
of appreciable activity in regions of soils where. beneftcial
microorganisms are naturally present or deliberately
added through biofertilizers is often attributable to abiotic
stresses that affect survival, proliferation or metabolism
of tb~se .orga.nism.s. Hence, it was opined that nitroge~
fuation m so11s is rarely limited by the absence, ofactive
or efficient nitrogen fix.1ng baceria (Alexander, 1982).
By improving physicochemical properties of soil~.
beneficial microorganisms can be put int.o action. As th~
application of coir pith in soil enhances aeration and
moisture holding capacity, coir pith enhances the survival
of biofertilizers applied in soil, and plants can derive
more benefits from the association. Better nodulation and
· yield in pulses has been obtained when Rhizobium
biofertilzers are used along witb composted coir pith
(Prabhakaran and Srinivasan. 1995~ Jayakumur et al.•
1997).
Disease oontrol in crops : Of late, the question
of susta.ina"bility of present.day chemical agriculture has
heeD: rai.sed and a number of organic amendments with
spe.cial qualities to improve soil and crop health are
getting recognition in world agriculture (.Thomas and
Prabhu, 2001). Composts and water extracts of composts
(compost tea) are highly effective in many cases for the
control of plant diseases (Hoitink and Fahy, 1 986~
Logsdon, 1993; Zhang et al., 1996), Zhang et al.• 1998)
(iv) Other emerging trends in utilization of coir
pi.tb in agriculture
P roduction and use or biofertilizers :
Biotcrtilizers are carrier~based microbial inoculants for
seed, root or soil treatment and are meant. for enhancing
the availability of nutrients in the root zone of plants.
9
S.R. Pmbhu and Geo~e V. Thomas
and because of this property, composts are being sold as
pest control products (Segall, 1995). This additional
service from composts would be of greater relevance in
high value container-grown floriculture und ornamental
plants grown commercially under controlled conditions.
The use of the.se disease - suppressive composts capable
of reducing soil-borne diseases such as root rot and
crown rot in tbese crops is gaining more importance
(Hoitink er aL, 1997; Hoitink et aL, 1991; Hoitink and
Kuter. 1986; Daft et al., 1979. Hoitink et al., 1977).
Composted bard wood bark has fungicidal properties and
is popular as a disease suppressive compost (Hotink,
1980). Sustainable supply of tree bark for compost
production is in question and coir pith compost which is
light in weight similar to composted bark could be a
suitable substitute. A number of workers did observe the
disease suppressing ability of coir pith compost and it is
likely that in years to come, it may find practical
applications in the management of plant diseases.
especially soil-borne diseases of field crops and
container-grown pl ants. Application of coir pith
composted using Pleurotus djamor at the rate of lOtlha
has been shown to effectively reduce the dry rot disease
of black gram caused by Macrophomina phaseolina and
was comparable to the appHcation of 0.1% carbendazim
(Ramamoorthy et al., 1999b). Root diseases of capsicum
and black gram reduced significantly by the application
of decomposed coir pith (Theradimani and Marimuthu,
1993b). When used in pouing mixture for raising
eucalyptus seedlings, coir pith reduced damping off
caused by Rhizoctonia so/.ani and Fusarium equiseti
(Marimuthu and Nagarajan, 1993).
Mushroom cultivation : Recent studies have
shown that a number of edible mushroo~ fungi such as
Pleurotus and Calocybe capable of degrading
lignocellulosic materials can be grown on coir pith for
producing protein-rich mushrooms (Quimio, 1978; Eyini
et al., 1995. Thomas et al., 1998). In addition to these
protein-rich edible mushrooms, the degraded coir pith
obtained after mushroom production can be used as a
soil amendment or as a component of potting mixtures.
Trichoderma is a potent antagonistic fungus
Conclusion and future line of work
It could be seen from the above discussion that
due to environmental and economic reasons, coco peat
Use in poultry farms : Due to its high moisture
absorption capacity, coir pith is an ideal organic material
for use as a bedding material in poultry farms
(Maheshwarappa et al., 2000).
(vii) Other uses of coir pith : A number of
possibilities exist for the exploitation of coir pith for a
number of commercial applications (Natarajan, 1995).
It can fmd applications in the following areas : generation
of biogas (Radhika et al., 1983; Mathew et al.. 2000),
energy source for electricity production and production
of particle boards (V.swanathan, 1998), production of
cellulase eozyme by solid state fermentation using
Trichodentul viride (Muniswaran and Charyulu, 1994),
preparation of activated carbon with .i ndustrial
applications for removing heavy metals from waste water
(Namasivayam and Kadirvelu, 1997; Kadirvelu et al.,
2001), component of concentrate feed mixtures for
crossbred calves (Ananthasubramaniam et al., 1982),
mass rearing of baculovirus infected grubs and adults of
rhinoceros beetle for material in verrnicomposting units
meant for the production of vennicompost from organic
wastes.
commonly used for the biocontrol of soil-borne plant
diseases. It is also valued for its competitive ability to
degrade cellulose. This f-ungus can be employed alone
or as a component of microbial mixtures for composting
coir pith, so that it wil1 not only help in the degradation
of cellulose, but also the compost obtained will be
enriched with the propagules of the fungus. This would
enable the direct use of the composted coir pith as an
effective biocontrol product with plant disease
suppressing capabilities. Ramamoorthy et al., (1999a)
used the biocon.trol agent Trichoderma harzianum for
degrading coir pith and the compost as a carrier for the
delivery of the fungus. The population of antagonist in
the compost after 30 days of composting was 128 x 104 /
gram. As composted coir pith f-avours good growth of
Trichodemw. (Kumar and Marimuthu, 1997), it can be
used for mass multiplication and distribution of
Trichodernw.- based biocontrol products.
·
has great potential to play an important role in agriculture
and botticulture h1dustry in future. Coir pith, a renewable
resource has solved the environmental problems caused
by excavation of peats and has proved to be another
source of income to coconut producers (Agbo, 1997).
Recognition of the importance of coir pith has already
resulted in international market demand for the valueadded processed coirpith and numy small a:p.d large scale
coir pith processing industries have come up in many.
parts of the countty.
As coir pith carinot be used fresh, more effective
and fasl composting techniques and methods for nutrient
enrichment and other quality improvements will be the
main areas ofresearch in coming years. An understanding
of the optimal culture requirements of lig.n inolytic fungi
may help to exploit these· organisms effectively, but
10
Biological conversion of coir pith into a value-added resource
usually this aspect is not giveu due priority while
developing composting technologies. Major cultural
parameters which affect lignin degradation by white rot
fWlgi include temperature, pH, presence or absence of
organic carbon co-substrate, nitrogen source and
concentration etc. (Penn and Kirk, 1979; Keyser et al.,
1978; Kirk. et al., 1978; Reid, 1979). Most lignin
degrading microbes require easily availabl.e carbon cosubstrate such as cellulose-rich organic wastes with coir
pith while composting, could be helpful in enhancing
the composting rate. Lignin is dcgmded better under
nitrogen starvation conditions (Leatham and Kirk, 1983),
as the degradation is as a result of the onset of secondary
metabolism triggered by nitrogen limitation. Nitrogen,
particularly in inorganic fonn strongly inhibits lignin
degradation by white rot fimgi Coriolus versicolor and
Plumerochaete chryso~poriu.m (Keyser et al.• 1978).
Reduced lignin degradation1n coirpith by Phanerochaete
chryJosporium was observed with nitrogen supplements
(Uyenco and Ochoa, 1984); No work has been done on
the effect of nitrogen on decomposition of ligniLl by
Pleurotus species. Work in this direction is worth
pursuing, as supplementation of 5 kg urea per tonne of
coir pith is recommended in the presently followed
procedures for compost production. In additiou to the
nitrogen regulated lignin degraders, non·nitrogen
regulated species also do exist. Streptomyces badius
degrades lignins in the presence of high amounts of
organic nitrogen (Phelan et al., 1979; Barder and
Crawford, .1981) and such species may be helpful in
certain circumstances for degradation of coir pith.
supplementation of urea has limitations. In addition,
application of higher amounts of nitrogenous fertilizers
for composting can result in the release of excess
ammonia, which can kill microbes responsible for
decomposition. Any composting technique using
nitrogen-rich organic amendments instead of urea would
be welcomed by al.l and research in this direction has
yielded promising results. Good coir pith compost can
be obtained by using organic additives such as cowd ung,
garden weeds and sunhemp instead of urea (Anand et
al., 1999; Kadalli and Nair, 2000).
Enrichment of coir pith with nitrogen fixing
bacteria capable of utilizing Ilgnin and Hgnin-related
aromatic compounds could be another approach to reduce
the use of inorganic fertilizers during composting. It is a
well known fact that many nitrogen fixing bacteria in
mixed cultures can fix nitrogen utilizing the energy from
tbe organic matter decomposition products (Gibson et
al., 1988), Awspirillum (Alexander and Bally, 1999;
Diamantidis et al., 2000) andArthrobacter (Sroyk, 1970)
possess the capacity to degrade Iignins/polyphenols/other
aromatic compounds. Use of cultures of these bacteria
along with other organic wastes and green manures
during coir pith composting process may help to reduce
lignin content and avoid the necessity for addition of
inorgauic nitrogen. Additionally, the compost obtained
will have beUer nitrogen content and higher counts of
plant-beneficial bacteria and can be as effective as
biofertilizers.
Enhancement of specific nitrogenase activity of
many nitrogen fixing bacteria by aromatic compounds
such as phenols has been demonstrated beyond doubt
(Werner et aL, 1982; Krot.zky et af., 1983; Werner er al..
1989). In the light of this finding, coco peat with plenty
of aromatic degradation produC:ts is likely to gain further
importance in agriculture and when applied to soil in
sufficient quantities, may help to enhance the capacity
of native and introduced nitrogen fixing bacteria to fix
atmospheric nitrogen. Encouraging results have been
obtained in this line and experiments have clearly shown
that amendment with coir pith can enhance nitrogenase
activity of acidic coconut soils (Thomas and Prabhu,
1998).
Use of coir pith compost for suppressing plant
diseases is gaining more imp~e and relevance. With
increasing awareness of the adv:erse effect'i of pesticides
on environment and growing use of coco peat for
container grown~plants, their influence on the
suppression of plant pathogens would be of additional
advantage. Specific groups of microbes developing at
specific stages of decomposition of organic matter are.
Uyenco and Ochoa (1984) found that coconut
water supplement enhanced lignin degradation in coir
pith by Phanerochaete chrysosporum, opening up the
possibility of enhancing the rate of composting of coir
pith using coconut water available in plenty from coconut
processing industries, which is otherwise unutilized.
Lignin degradation can be enhanced at high oxygen
supply rates (Kirk et al., 1978) and the development of
simple techniques for enhancing aeration in compost pile
could be helpful in getti-ng better quality compost. The
research work at CPCRI, Kasaragod did reveal thatcoir
pith becomes a hard mass after some days of watering,
preventing th~ free movement of air in the compost pile.
Inclusion of full coconut leaves along with petiole in
different layers in compost pile has been successful in
enhancing ae~ation and activity of organisms including
earthwonns responsible for composting.
In organic farming, the use of inorganic nutrient
sources such ·as urea is not permitted. So. the present
technique of coir pith composting, which require$
11
S.R. Prabhu and George V. Thomas
known to be associated with the suppression of plant
pathogens (Boehm et al., .1.993). Such studies in coco
peat would be of practical implications and would enable
pollutants. C'..oir pith compost which conta.ins aromatic
polyphenols and lignin degradation products may fi~d
applications in bioremediation of agricultural and non-
us to select coir pith at particular stages of decomposition
for use in plant disease management pesticidal propetties
in the bulk organic mattel' used for composting (Shaji,
2000), Coir pith compost having insecticidal properties
prepared in similar way would be of additional advantage
and should find applications in organic farming for the
management of soil~borne insect pests. Composts rich
in tartuins and polyphenols are known to control plant
patasitic nematodes (Mian and Rodriguez-Kahana, 1982)
and composted hard wood bark is commonly used fot
controlling plant parasitic nematodes in container-grown
horticultural crops (Malek and Gartner, 1975). Coir pith
comp'ost is likely to find wider applications in this
dire~tion due to its unique chemical composition.
agricultural soils polluted with ammatic compounds. In
agricultural soils, where a number of harmful aromatic
agrochemicals are \lsed for pest and weed control, the
use of coir pith as a soil amendment may be of help in
the detoxification process. It can be concluded from the
information accumulated to date that compos ted coir pith
with its multi-functional qualities attracted a lot of
scientific attention in recent years and bas become
popular is various spheres of agricultural operations. It.
deserves much more applications in agri-horticulture and
in ensuing years, it will become one of the most sought-
Coir pith from different areas differ in physical
(Evans et al., 1996) and chemical (Mapa and. Knmara,
1995, Konduru et al.• 1999) properties. Hence proper
quality control should be ensured whHe utili;dng coir pith
in large. quantities for horticultural and agricultural
purposes. Dangerously high salt levels have been
recorded in coir pith samples from India (Cresswell,
1997) and this problem has to be addressed seriously
before India could become a major supplier of coco peat
internationally. The problems with chlorides is more
serious and frequently it reaches toxicity levels of above
1000 ppm, which can affect plant growth adversely. Easy
techniques for complete leaching of salts may have to be
evolved, so that it can be adopted even by small-scale
compost producers.
Ahmed, S. R. 1993. hlfluence of composted coconut coirdust (coir
pith) on soil physical propertie3. growth and yieldoftomaro.
South Indian Hort. 41: 264-269.
AleXIUKier, M. 1982. Research to enhance nitrogen fixation: misplaced
emphasis '? In : Priorities in Biotec:ll11ology Research For
lnternntional Developmmt. National AcQdemy of Sciences,
USA, pp. 208-229.
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