To illustrate this section, we can produce on request one or more high-definition posters (maximum size 180x100 cm). These posters should be adapted to each country, on a case-by-case basis, in order to prominently feature locally produced coconut products, and to promote the marketing of these local products. It is also possible to buy or rent objects from the personal collection of Dr. R. Bourdeix.
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| Toddy (Sap) harvesters in Sri Lanka stretch ropes between the coconut trees to be able to move from one tree to another without going down each time. R. Bourdeix, pers. coll. |
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| A Jamaican painted wood carving showing the climbing technique frequently used in Brazil (see the movie at the end). R. Bourdeix, Pers. Coll. |
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Climbing coconut palms is by no means child’s play! From the social and economic point of view, it is very challenging, especially for those who do it as part of their daily work.
The multitude of palm-climbing techniques used demonstrate amazing human inventiveness. These range from: climbing the palm with bare hands; climbing with just a piece of wild vine, rope, or fabric attached either to feet or hands; climbing with a system of two ropes as in Brazil, climbing with spikes attached to feet or legs (the spikes generally damaging the trunks); climbing with various kind of ladders; turning the trunks into kinds of staircases by carving steps in the trunk (damaging) or, as in Sri Lanka, by attaching coconut husks with ropes to the trunk; using a system of two platforms, one controlled by arms and the other by legs; using equipment based only on human power; using equipment with an extra source of power; using monkeys to climb the palms; and even harvesting the coconuts with a robot, as tested in India.
It seems quite simple to climb the coconut palm in order to stay beneath the leaf crown to harvest fruits and/or cut old leaves. It proves much more challenging to climb up the coconut leaf crown in order to reach the young inflorescences. This is needed for making controlled pollinations with bagging for research purposes, and for harvesting the ‘toddy’ (the sweet sap from coconut inflorescences) which serves to produce sugar, vinegar, wine and spirits.
For the purpose of conserving coconut genetic resources, the palm-climbing technique has a significant human and economic impact. For instance, for climbing the palms in Côte d’Ivoire, workers of the coconut genebank use large triple aluminium ladders which can reach a maximum height of 14 meters. Workers need to climb the palm to make controlled pollinations by bagging the inflorescences. Coconut varieties in genebanks need to be regenerated using this controlled pollination technique. This is the only way to ensure these varieties be conserved true-to-type during successive regenerations.
In many villages from the Pacific region, it is now forbidden to plant Tall-type coconut varieties. Tall-type coconut palms and Tall x Tall hybrids are considered as dangerous because of their rapid growth and their height. People may fall when climbing the palms. Fruits and leaves may fall on people. Coconut palms can fall on houses and people during storms and cyclones. A study conducted in the Solomon Islands has shown that 3.4% of all injuries recorded at the main hospital surgical department was related to coconut palm. Another study conducted in India showed that, among workers climbing coconut palms for more than 30 years, more than 40% have fallen and been injured. One of the most famous people to fall from a coconut palm is Keith Richards, the Rolling Stone guitarist, who tried to climb a palm on Wakaya, Fiji in 2006. Half-way Richards slipped and fell to the ground, severely banging his head in the process. He was then transferred to Auckland, New Zealand for a brain scan.
The multitude of palm-climbing techniques used demonstrate amazing human inventiveness. These range from: climbing the palm with bare hands; climbing with just a piece of wild vine, rope, or fabric attached either to feet or hands; climbing with a system of two ropes as in Brazil, climbing with spikes attached to feet or legs (the spikes generally damaging the trunks); climbing with various kind of ladders; turning the trunks into kinds of staircases by carving steps in the trunk (damaging) or, as in Sri Lanka, by attaching coconut husks with ropes to the trunk; using a system of two platforms, one controlled by arms and the other by legs; using equipment based only on human power; using equipment with an extra source of power; using monkeys to climb the palms; and even harvesting the coconuts with a robot, as tested in India.
It seems quite simple to climb the coconut palm in order to stay beneath the leaf crown to harvest fruits and/or cut old leaves. It proves much more challenging to climb up the coconut leaf crown in order to reach the young inflorescences. This is needed for making controlled pollinations with bagging for research purposes, and for harvesting the ‘toddy’ (the sweet sap from coconut inflorescences) which serves to produce sugar, vinegar, wine and spirits.
For the purpose of conserving coconut genetic resources, the palm-climbing technique has a significant human and economic impact. For instance, for climbing the palms in Côte d’Ivoire, workers of the coconut genebank use large triple aluminium ladders which can reach a maximum height of 14 meters. Workers need to climb the palm to make controlled pollinations by bagging the inflorescences. Coconut varieties in genebanks need to be regenerated using this controlled pollination technique. This is the only way to ensure these varieties be conserved true-to-type during successive regenerations.
In many villages from the Pacific region, it is now forbidden to plant Tall-type coconut varieties. Tall-type coconut palms and Tall x Tall hybrids are considered as dangerous because of their rapid growth and their height. People may fall when climbing the palms. Fruits and leaves may fall on people. Coconut palms can fall on houses and people during storms and cyclones. A study conducted in the Solomon Islands has shown that 3.4% of all injuries recorded at the main hospital surgical department was related to coconut palm. Another study conducted in India showed that, among workers climbing coconut palms for more than 30 years, more than 40% have fallen and been injured. One of the most famous people to fall from a coconut palm is Keith Richards, the Rolling Stone guitarist, who tried to climb a palm on Wakaya, Fiji in 2006. Half-way Richards slipped and fell to the ground, severely banging his head in the process. He was then transferred to Auckland, New Zealand for a brain scan.
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