Where the coir fiber comes from?coir fiber substrates, substrates manufacturers, coir fiber, compressed coir fiber, coco peat, hydroponics growing, horticulture supplies, coir bag, coco peat, coir growing media, cocopeat substrates, coir fiber substrates, soilless media, coco pithWhere the coir fiber comes from?
The coir fiber is a vegetal material derived from the coconut shell processing. After its processing, different coir fractions are obtained for horticultural use with different physical properties: the coconut chips, the coir fiber and the coconut dust. The coir with fine structure retains water very well, while the standard and coarse coconut provide a good drainage and aeration.
In concrete, the inner shell (Cocos Nucifera) is a sub product of the coir industry, so its horticulture exploitation allows its reuse and prevents it to be a potential residue.
One of the advantages of coir fiber is that is a high-quality renewable material. It contains a high percentage of lignin (natural substance that is part of the cell wall), which favours the presence of beneficial microorganisms in the root zone and prevents decomposition. Thanks to this, its lifetime can be lengthened as a material for other agricultural purposes once it does not accomplish with the production needs.
The use of coir fiber as an agricultural growing media dates to the late forties. It was not until the early 1990s that the Dutch horticultural industry introduced it as a substitute for potting soil and as an alternative to rock wool.
At present, the coir fiber is widely used in soilless production and as raw material in substrate mixes.
India and Sri Lanka are the main exporters of coir fiber for agricultural use. Projar has factories in both countries for the coir processing. Our knowledge and expertise with this raw material allow us to give agronomic advice about coir fiber behave in soilless cultivations to producers all over the world.
