By R. Bourdeix, 2019.
The Federated States of Micronesia (abbreviated FSM) is an independent republic associated with the United States. It consists of four states – from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae – that are spread across the Western Pacific Ocean. Together, the states comprise around 607 islands.
CIDP project did not fund activities related to coconut seed system in Micronesia. We did not receive any information from the country about the seed system presently implemented in Micronesia.
Coconut varieties
Miss this book: coconut varieties in Micronesia
Leo Migvar, 1965. Coconut in Micronesia. Agricultural Extension Circular Number 3. Division of Agriculture , Department of Resources and Development , Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Saipan, Mariana Islands.
Here is the list of Agricultural Extension Circular Series from Micronesia.
1964 The Cacao Canker Disease
1964 How to Establish a Pepper Garden
1965 The Coconut in Micronesia
1965 Coconut Varieties in Micronesia
1965 How to Process Black and White Pepper 6
1965 How to Thin Coconut Groves
1968 How to Plant Coconuts
1968 Tips on Transplanting
1968 Growing Healthy Bananas
1971 Pandanus in the Marshall Islands
1971 ???
1971 Rats and Coconuts in the Marshall Islands
Other references
The Federated States of Micronesia (abbreviated FSM) is an independent republic associated with the United States. It consists of four states – from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae – that are spread across the Western Pacific Ocean. Together, the states comprise around 607 islands.
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, composed of thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. There are five main archipelagos - the Caroline Islands. the Gilbert Islands the Line Islands, the Mariana Islands, and the Marshall Islands - along with numerous outlying islands. Politically, the islands of Micronesia are divided between six sovereign nations: the Caroline Islands are divided between (1) the Republic of Palau and (2) the Federated States of Micronesia, the latter often shortened to "FSM" or "Micronesia" and not to be confused with the overall region; the Gilbert Islands and the Line Islands comprise (3) the Republic of Kiribati, except for three of the Line Islands that are United States territories (Palmyra Atoll being noteworthy as the only current incorporated U.S. Territory); (4) the Mariana Islands are in union with the United States, divided between the U.S. Territory of Guam and the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Nauru (5) is a fully sovereign nation, coextensive with the island of the same name; and (6) the Republic of the Marshall Islands is coextensive with that island group.
Coconut production
In a recent study, the area of the island Pohnpei was mapped with very high resolution image data (VHR), which allows: a) a stratification of the coconut area into three different densities; and b) a counting of coconut palms from the image data. Forty two field inventory plots were established where the palms were counted, measured and yield and age was estimated. The result was that the age was very young and the productivity of coconuts per palm was less than FAO states as standard.
The coconut area was divided in
- Dense coconut: 4195 ha, with an average of 210 palms/ha, covering about 18% of the land withvegetation)
- Medium dense coconut (285 ha with an average of 96 palms/ha)
- Scattered coconut (509 ha, with an average of 31 palms per hectare).
To be noted that an average density of 210 palms per hectare (dense coconut) is too high for optimal production (normally reached at about 143 palms/ha for pure stand). It probably indicates that many coconuts ware not harvested and grow by themselves without human control. The average production was estimated at 31 coconut/palm/year for dense plantations, 37 for medium dense and 47 for scattered plantations.
For measuring palm age, Therefore the length of 11 leave scares were measured from 1.5 metres onwards. The total length of the trunk was divided by this length and a factor of 5 was added. This age estimation was said to be the praxis of LRD Division of SPC. In the expert opition (R. Bourdeix), this method strongly underestimate the age because the vertical growth strongly reduce after 20 years. It was found that a large mojority of palms were less thann 20 years old.
Past coconut Seed systems
Before World War II, Japan established six agriculture stations
in Micronesia. All of these agriculture stations were destroyed during the
war except the Ponape Agriculture Station. Between 1926 and 1944
outstanding agricultural research was conducted there. After the war, the
United States established six agricultural stations in the Trust Territory of
the Pacific Islands. Dr. David Lorence, National Tropical Botanical
Gardens, believes that there was a second peak of research during the
TTPI Period under Manuel Sproat and Leo Migvar.
Yap was said to had the best genetically suitable coconut seeds. according to USA Dept. of State, (1959, p. 63) during 1959, 220,000 selected
coconut seed nuts were sent to Rota, Truk, Ponape, and the Marshalls from Yap.
Present coconut Seed system
Coconut varieties
The expert (R. Bourdeix) did not visited the country, and did not receive information from officers in charge.. They are several varietal descriptions existing in old books that we did not succeed to find and read (see the reference section). It would be interesting to make a balance of what was described in the past and what is now remaining. in 2018, a chinese researcher (Dr Haikuo Fan) spent time in the country and started to gather information about coconut varieites.
Other coconut-related topics
In the past, the coconut tree was closely related to religious and spiritual practices, such as special techniques of divination. It would be interesting to carry out a study of these traditions in order to contribute to their preservation or their memory
References
We found references of old books that seems to contains many crucial information about coconut varieties and seed systems. Up to now, it was impossible to locate and read some of these old books:
Miss this book: coconut varieties in Micronesia
https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/47239/How-to-thin-coconut-groves-1965.pdf
Pacific Coconut Production and Processing Interchange at Metalanim, Ponape, July, 1964. (plenty information on varieties and past seed systems.)
Old books available online
Leo Migvar, 1965. Coconut in Micronesia. Agricultural Extension Circular Number 3. Division of Agriculture , Department of Resources and Development , Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Saipan, Mariana Islands.
Here is the list of Agricultural Extension Circular Series from Micronesia.
1964 The Cacao Canker Disease
1964 How to Establish a Pepper Garden
1965 The Coconut in Micronesia
1965 Coconut Varieties in Micronesia
1965 How to Process Black and White Pepper 6
1965 How to Thin Coconut Groves
1968 How to Plant Coconuts
1968 Tips on Transplanting
1968 Growing Healthy Bananas
1971 Pandanus in the Marshall Islands
1971 ???
1971 Rats and Coconuts in the Marshall Islands
Other references
Anonymous, (1964). Coconut Types in Truk. Coconut Culture in Micronesia. East-West Center Institute for Technical Interchange and the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. pp. 69-70. (Excerpts from papers at the Pacific Coconut Production and Processing Interchange at Metalanim, Ponape, July 1964.)
Balick, M. J., Lee, R. A., De Gezelle, J. M., Wolkow, R., Cohen, G., Sohl, F., ... & Trauernicht, C. (2019). Traditional lifestyles, transition, and implications for healthy aging: An Example from the remote island of Pohnpei, Micronesia. PloS one, 14(3), e0213567.
De La Cruz, Edward T. and Albert M. Toves 1964 “Palm Trees and Sugarcane: The Island of Rota.” Coconut Culture in Micronesia. EastWest Center Institute for Technical Interchange and the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. July,pp. 47-49. (Excerpts from papers at the Pacific Coconut Production and Processing Interchange at Metalanim, Ponape, July 1964.)
Forstreuter,W., Bataua, K., Wortel, O. (2013). Coconut Resource Assessment Using Pan-Sharpened QuickBird Image Data and Field Inventory Sample Plots. SPC, Fiji. Retrieved from: http://prdrse4all.spc.int/sites/default/files/coconutresourcepohnpei_fsm_d.pdf
Levy, J. (2018). Ideal Coconut Country: Commodified Coconuts and the Scientific Plantation in Pohnpei, Micronesia. The Journal of Pacific History, 53(4), 436-453.
Linton, R. (1926). Ethnology of Polynesia and Micronesia. Guide (Field Museum of Natural History), (6), 1-191.
Manner, H. I. (1993). A review of traditional agroforestry in Micronesia. In In: Raynor, Bill; Bay, Roger R., technical coordinators. Proceedings of the workshop on research methodologies and applications for Pacific Island agroforestry; July 16-20, 1990; Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-140. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture; p. 32-36 (Vol. 140).
Morgan, W. N. (2010). Prehistoric architecture in Micronesia. University of Texas Press.
Perkins, R. M., & Krause, S. M. (2018). Adapting to climate change impacts in Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia: the importance of environmental conditions and intangible cultural heritage. Island Studies Journal, 13(1), 65-78.
Rody, N. (1978). Things go better with coconuts—program strategies in Micronesia. Journal of nutrition education, 10(1), 19-22.
Sairam, C. V., & Jayasekhar, S. (2018). World Coconut Economy: Sectoral Issues, Markets and Trade. In The Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera L.)-Research and Development Perspectives (pp. 801-820). Springer, Singapore.
Spennemann, D. H. (2019). Trial and Error: The Introduction of Plants and Animals to German Micronesia 1885–1914. The Journal of Pacific History, 1-22.
Valentine, P. S. (1993). Ecotourism and nature conservation: A definition with some recent developments in Micronesia. Tourism management, 14(2), 107-115.
Willyander, M. (2018). Coconut Production for Food Security, Economic Development, and Health: A Comparative Study of Two Communities in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 12(4), 28.
