India is the third largest coconut (Cocus nucifera) producer (14 %) in the World, with Philippines (35 %) and Indonesia (25 %) occupying the first and second positions, respectively. The coconut processing industry is well established especially in the Southern States viz., Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The coconut processing industry has been predominantly concentrating on producing copra, coconut oil, desiccated coconut and coir fiber. Coconut coir dust is one of the major waste material that is produced by industries processing coconut husk for extracting coconut fiber and poses disposal problem besides making the land unfit for any other uses/activities.With environmental pollution becoming more stringent, processing of coir dust has become very essential.

COIR DUST

Coir dust consist of short fibers (2mm or less) and pith (dust), which are left behind after processing of coconut husk. Coir dust accumulates in large dumps outside the mills, which process the husk for extraction of industrially valuable long fibers. It is estimated that there is accumulation of one million ton of coir pith in the coconut growing states in our country. The high lignin and cellulose content in the pith makes it non-biodegradable. When burnt, it smoulders, emitting large quantity of smoke for several days causing air pollution. The Central Coir Research Institute, Allepey (Coir Board) has developed a technology for the bio-conversion of coir dust in to a very useful organic manure which has application in agriculture and horticulture industry.

The product obtained after bio-conversion has excellent properties of being used as growing medium especially in soilless containers for growing high value horticulture crops. Several companies in the Netherlands have in fact been using coconut coir dust in most of their plant production media since 1980's. The coir dust is available in huge quantities in our country, which needs to be processed in to a form suitable for agricultural and horticultural use especially for the floriculture production and landscaping. The coir dust could be an excellent substitute for various peat products since it also has high water holding capacity and ability to last long in the soil.