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On a global scale, the coconut industry is an important crop as many smallholders depend on it for their livelihoods. ln the larger context of food security, climate change and growing populations, the coconut is utilised as an important food source for marginalized communities in many countries. Coconuts are hardy, drought tolerant and can grow on a range of soils.
However, there is a chronic need to manage pests and diseases to reduce crop losses and prevent pre-mature palm die-offs (eg. bud rot disease). There are numerous documented evidence on the socio-economic impact of coconut pests and diseases in coconut producing countries. With the current increasing global demand for coconut products, many countries have embarked on massive replanting programs which will soon see the increasing problems of pests and diseases and their management.
Cognizant that the industry is relatively underserved and not supported well, it is important that initiatives and programmes be carried out to add to the knowledge domain (besides other equally important measures like funding, incentives and other resources) to enable smallholders and other potential commercial growers to undertake the process of planting coconuts on a bigger scale armed with the requisite information and knowledge especially on pests and diseases.
A plethora of information is available in literature on pests and diseases of coconut. However, these information are spread across several information resources such as journals, books, abstracts etc. making accessibility to these information in a timely and efficient manner rather challenging. Cocopest is an e-information portal of key coconut pests and diseases and their management in coconut growing countries.