PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/BAFPS 74: 2009

Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat

FOREWORD

The Philippine National Standard (PNS) for Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat
was adopted from the Draft Import Health Standard for Importation of Coco Peat and
Coir Fiber Products of New Zealand. Modifications were made based on existing
commercial practices in order to tailor fit the standard to Philippine requirements,
particularly on the grading, packing and labelling.

A memorandum was circulated requesting comments from industry stakeholders,

responsible agencies and competent authorities for the finalization of the draft PNS.
Accordingly, relevant comments and inputs were included in the standard.

The PNS for Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat aims to provide common
understanding on the scope of the standard, product description, minimum requirements,
grading, packaging, sampling and labelling requirements for product lot acceptance.
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/BAFPS 74: 2009
Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat

1. SCOPE
This standard specifies requirements and establishes a system of grading and
classifying coco peat, a product from extraction of fiber from coconut husks. This
standard covers coco peat intended to be used as a growing medium in various
grades and finished products for horticultural/agricultural use. This excludes coco
peat used for animal bedding.

2. REFERENCES
The titles of the standards publications referred to in this standard are listed on the
inside back cover.

3. DEFINITIONS
3.1 bale
Refers to the volume and manner of packing the coco peat traded commercially

3.2 coco dust

A product produced when coconut husks are processed for the extraction of coir.
This also refers to coir dust.

3.3 coco peat

Decomposed and processed coco dust.

3.4 breakout volume

The final volume of coco peat when fully unpacked, decompressed and
rehydrated

3.5 contamination
Unwanted presence in a commodity, storage place, conveyance or container, of
any material (including a regulated organism) that may pose a biosecurity risk.

3.6 foreign matter

Shall include, but not limited to dust, plastic, stone which are extraneous

3.7 grade
Shall refer to the designation of coco peat quality according to the established
government standard

3.8 pest
Any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal or pathogenic agent injurious to
plants or plant products [FAO, 1990; revised FAO, 1995; IPPC, 1997]
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/BAFPS 74: 2009
Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat

3.9 treatment
Official procedure for the killing, inactivation or removal of pests, or for
rendering pests infertile or for devitalization [FAO, 1990, revised FAO, 1995;
ISPM No 15, 2002; ISPM No 18, 2003; ICPM 2005]

4. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
• Coco peat must be kept clean and free of seeds, pests, soil, animal material
and any other contamination.
• Coco peat processing areas must be free from loose animals such as chicken,
dogs, pasture animals and pets which may excrete manure to the coco peat
material.
• Coco peat must absolutely be free from salmonella and E. coli bacteria

• No coco peat is to be produced from the traditional method of retting husks in

open troughs or ponds.

• Washing or rinsing of coco peat, chips or crush must be carried out with bore
clean water with EC of not more than 0.5mS/cm and /or rain water (direct
rainfall), pond or dam water free from impurities.

• Coco peat drying areas must be buffered underneath from contact with soil.

• A weed free buffer zone of 3 meters must be maintained around the coco peat
drying areas unless concrete walls are built on the perimeter of concrete pads.

5. GRADING
There shall be six (6) types of grading system for coco peat:

Grade A: Fine Special Grade

Coco peat sieved finer than 5mm mesh
At least 6 months old
Washed/leached
pH : 5.5 to 6.5
EC 1 (1:5 test): Below 0.5mS/cm
Moisture Content: = 20%

Mostly used for seed raising substrates and green house hydroponics growing and
salt sensitive plants and horticultural potting mixes.

1
Electrical Conductivity expressed as microSiemens per centimeter
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/BAFPS 74: 2009
Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat

Grade B: Fine Standard Grade

Coco peat sieved in 5mm mesh
At least 6 months old
Washed/leached
EC(1:5 test): Below 1.0mS/cm
pH : 5.5 to 6.5
Moisture Content: = 25%

Mostly used for seed raising substrates, mushroom grow medium- mix, golf
courses, green soil medium mix and special potting mixes

Grade C: Standard Grade

Unsieved Cocopeat with approx. 10-15% short fibers
At least 3 months old
Washed/leached
EC(1:5 test): Below 1.0mS/cm
pH : 5.5 to 6.5
Moisture Content: = 25%

Mostly used for export for potting mixes, hydroponics and soil conditioning

Grade D: Partially Dried Regular Grade

Unsieved Cocopeat with approx. 10-15% short fibers
At least 3 months old
Unwashed/unleached
EC(1:5 test): Below 2.0mS/cm
pH : 5.5 to 6.5
Moisture Content: = 30%

In its pure state, mostly used for direct application for soil conditioning, increase
of organic matter content in upland crops, for moisture retention purposes for turf and
potting in nurseries;

Grade E: Regular Gra de

Unsieved Cocopeat with approx. 10-15% short fibers
At least 3 months old
Unwashed/unleached
EC(1:5 test): Below 2.0mS/cm
pH : 5.5 to 6.5
Moisture Content: = 60%
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/BAFPS 74: 2009
Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat

In its pure state, mostly used for direct application for soil conditioning, increase
of organic matter content in upland crops, for moisture retention purposes for turf and
potting in nurseries;

Grade F: Fresh Coco Dust

Undried
Less than 3 months old
EC (1:5 test): Below 2.5mS/cm
pH 5.5-6.5
Moisture Content: = 60%

In its natural state, mostly used for direct application for plants with high salt
tolerance/high chloride requirement.

6. PACKAGING STANDARDS

There shall be four (4) types of packaging for coco peat:

A. Coco Peat Brick (650 gm)

Dimension : 20X10X5 cm (+/- 2cm)
Unit Weight : 650 gm
Expansion : Above 8 liters
Compression : 7:1

B. Coco Peat Block (5 kg)

Dimension : 30X30X13 cm (+/- 2cm)
Unit Weight : 5 Kg
Expansion : 70 to 80 liters
Compression : 5:1

C. Coco Peat Bale (25 kg)

Dimension : 80X40X33 cm (+/- 2cm)
Unit Weight : 25 kg
Expansion : Above 250 liters
Compression : 2:1
Packing: 3mils Polyethylene (PE) opaque white bag

D. Uncompressed coco peat (bagged)

60 liter PE bag with minimum breakout volume of 70 liters
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/BAFPS 74: 2009
Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat

7. SAMPLING
Coco peats will be randomly sampled at the following rates (for a full 40- ft
container load:

Product No. of Units

Bricks 585
Blocks 50
Bales 4
Uncompressed coco peat Use sampling plan for coir
(bagged) products

Parameters and methods of analysis for coco peat are found in Annex 1.

8. LABELLING

The following shall be printed on the PE Plastic packaging of the bale or the
package (optional):

8.1 The words “PRODUCT OF THE PHILIPPINES”;

8.2 The name of the company;
8.3 The name of the municipality or city where the establishment is located;
8.4 The initial of the station, the registered mark of the establishment, and the
letter designation of the grade, the three (3) forming one line separated from
each other by bars; and
8.5 The establishment number and lot number, the district of production and the
date of pressing, the three (3) forming one line separated by bars.

9. INSPECTION
The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) will grade, classify and inspect coco
peat to check for the presence of pests signs or symptoms, soil, seeds or any other
detectable contaminants. For domestic movement of coco peat, PCA shall issue
certificate of origin and permit to transport prior to issuance of quarantine
certificate of DA Regional Field Units – Plant Quarantine Service. Accordingly,
PCA shall issue commodity clearance for all coco peat intended for export. The
commodity clearance shall be a pre-requisite to issuance of phytosanitary
certificate by the Bureau of Plant Industry.

PCA can tap the services of its recognized laboratories for analysis subject to
agency rules and regulations.
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/BAFPS 74: 2009
Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat

10. COMPLIANCE AND SPECIFICATION

When found to comply with the requirements specified in this Philippine Standard
Specification, the lot, the batch, or the consignment from which the samples have
been drawn, shall be deemed to comply with the Philippine National Standard
Specification.

BAFPS shall monitor the implementation and compliance to this set of standards.

REFERENCES:

Biosecurity New Zealand. (2008). Draft Import Health Standard for Importation of Coco
Peat and Coir Fibre Products.

Evans, M. R. and Stamps, R.H. (undated). Development of Philippine Coir Dust as A

Productive Substrate for the Horticultural Market (A Final Report), Manila,
Philippines. 46pp

Fiber Industry Development Authority (1999). Revised Administrative Order No.1,

Chapter 3: Baling, Tagging, Marking and Inspection of Fibers.
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/BAFPS 74: 2009
Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat

ANNEX 1: Method of Analysis for Coco Peat

Parameters Method of Analysis

1. E. Coli. Bacteriological Analytical Manual

2. Salmonella Bacteriological Analytical Manual
3. Moisture Content Air Oven @ 105o C
4. pH Potentiometric (1:5 test)
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/BAFPS 74: 2009
Grading and Classification of Coconut Peat

Technical Working Group for the Development of Philippine

National Standard on the Grading and Classification
of Coconut Peat

Chairman Co-Chair

Gilberto F. Layese Carlos B. Carpio

Director Deputy Administrator for Research,
Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Development and Extension
Product Standards Philippine Coconut Authority

Members

Severino S. Magat, Ph.D Chalito P. Dizon

Manager OIC-Manager
Agricultural Research Management Department Trade Management and
Philippine Coconut Authority Accreditation Department and
Concurrently Division Chief,
Market Regulation Division
Elizar M. Montemayor Philippine Coconut Authority
Supervising Science Research Specialist
Product Development Department
Philippine Coconut Authority
Rodolfo N. Panganiban
Senior Science Research Specialist
Loreta C. Dulce Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries
Senior Agriculturist Product Standards
Bureau of Plant Industry

Special Participation of:

Justiniano Arbuleda
Juboken Enterprises

Secretariat:

Ibrahim Racmat Marvin Apduhan

Science Research Specialist II Planning Officer III
Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries
Product Standards Product Standards