Cacao Production Guide

February 18, 2016 AgriBusiness 13 Comments

Philippines can be a potential producer of cocoa. The climatic conditions

and soil characteristics are conducive to growing cocoa. There is presently

an increasing interest from local farmers because local and international demand for
cocoa products is way beyond the production capacity of the country and world
prices have been constantly favorable. With a positive attitude towards sustainable
cacao production in the country, the Philippines can compete globally in the worlds
supply of cocoa products.
According to statistics, the countrys supply reached a deficit of 44,349 metric tons
a year (2005) against local consumption. Production was then nearly 5000 metric
tons in 2005. Local consumption then reached nearly 50,000 metric tons. There is
indeed a large demand for local production of cocoa beans. With the present civil
war happening in Ivory Coast which produces about 40% of the worlds cacao, major
buyers (mostly from the US and Europe) are seeking alternate supply elsewhere.
Cacao is considered an equatorial crop (crops that thrives well on regions occupying
the equator), the Philippines has a great potential growing cacao.
Selection of Varieties
There are many varieties of cacao but the National Seed Industry Council has
registered and approved only 9 varieties/clones of cacao. NSIC approved clones are
the following:
Some of the nine varieties are as follows:
1.

BR25 (CC-99-05)

Reddish (red with green) pod color when still young that turns yellow as it m
Leaves are elliptical in shape with wavy leaf margins.
Leaf length and width ratio is 11.0 cm is to 4.04 cm.
First flowering starts at 16.12 months and fruiting follows at 17.70 months.
Pod shape is AMELONADO characterized by an ovoid shape without a promi
It has superficial ridges, and a usually smooth surface, although they can b
beans. Pod length is 17.02 cm and has a width of 7.07. The number of beans per pod is
o
Resistance to insect pests and diseases is moderate.
o
o
o
o
o
o

2.

o
o
o
o

ICS 40

Leaf shape is elliptical with wavy leaf margin.

Leaf length and width ratio is 29.95 cm is to 10.01 cm.
Starts to flower at the age of 17.63 months and fruiting follows at 19.63 mon
Pod shape is Cundeamor describe as a variety with elongated cylindrical fruit

Pod length and width ratio is 16.02 cm is to 9.45 cm. Pod color is green when
Pod index is 16.2 pods/kg with 44 beans per pod. Canopy diameter is 195 cm
Moderately resistant to insect pests and diseases

o
o
o
3.

UIT 1 (CC-99-02)

It has an elliptical leaf shape with wavy leaf margin.

Leaf length and width ration 22.36 cm is to 8.13 cm.
It flowers at the age of 16.80 months in the stage of first fruiting.
Pod shape is Cundeamor. Pod length is 20.07 cm and width of 8.65 cm.
Pod is yellow when old from the original color of green color of green when st
Pod index is 21.69 pods/kg having 46 beans/pod. Bean is violet in color.
Canopy diameter is 278 cm. Moderately resistant to insect pests and disease

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
4.

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
5.

K1

It has en elliptical leaf shape with smooth leaf margins.

Leaf length is 31.31 cm with a mean width of 13.44 cm.
It flowers at 23.20 months and bears fruit at 25.10 months.
Pod shape is Amelonado with a superficial ridges and a smooth surface.
Rugosity also appear in some cases. Pod index is 19.20 pods/kg of dried bean
Pod length is about 17.97 cm and has width of about 8.67 cm.
Pod is red in color while still young and becomes yellow/orange when mature
It has a pod wall thickness of around 1.80 cm. Bean color is violet and a hund
diseases.
K2

Leaf shape is elliptical with smooth leaf margins.

Leaf length is 32.73 cm with a mean width of 12.52 cm.
It flowers at 21.10 months and bears fruit after three months or at 24.12 mon
Pod shape is Amelonado and is red in color while still young and becomes yel
It has a pod wall thickness of around 1.40 cm with 34 beans per pod.
Pod index is 25 pods/kg of dried beans.
It is moderately resistant to known insect pests and diseases.

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
6.

S5

7.

UF 18

Propagation and Nursery Establishment

In any crop, good production and income generation start with ensuring the best
quality available for the variety of the crop being produced. Aside from choosing the
variety, propagation techniques and nursery management will be described in this
section.
Propagation by seeds

Collect seeds only from ripe and healthy pods.

Select seeds that are uniform in size. Discard seeds that are swollen and of
different shape
Select bigger seeds since the possibility high that they would produce

vigorous and fast growing seedlings are high.

Remove mucilage that covers the seeds by rubbing the seeds with sawdust or

sand.

Wash the seeds to effectively remove the mucilage.

Cacao seeds are sensitive to fungal attacks and could lead to nongermination. It is best to soak cleaned seeds in fungicide solution for about 10
minutes. Follow strictly instructions indicated in labels.

Spread the seeds on wet sacks and cover with wet newspaper for 24 hrs.

Keep it moist but well ventilated to avoid formation of fungi.

Start collecting seeds that show sign of germination (a pig tail-like root
appears on one side). Usually, germination starts after two days.

Sow the pre-germinated seeds not more than 1 cm deep in prepared

polybags. Be sure seeds are sown with the pigtail-root pointed downwards.

Use select 8 x 10 polybags. The soil must reach 2 to 3 cm from the top of
the plastic bag.

Potting medium

mix completely composted organic materials to improve the soil

characteristics such as water holding capacity, nutrient content and soil texture.

If possible sterilize soil by boiling soil with water in drums or other convenient
containers. In some cases, spraying formaline solutions also help sterilize soils.
Cheapest way to sterilize soil is the use solar drying.

Loamy to sandy loam soils are the most suitable medium in terms of physical
property for raising seedlings.

Liming is used for soils with less than pH 5

Nursery Establishment and Management

Nursery establishment for cacao seedling are similar to most tree crop nurseries.
Young seedlings will require ample shading, constant supply of clean water and
drainage. There are also other requirements written in the books but the ones
stated here are general characteristics of nursery good for cacao seedlings.

Choose site which are near roads so that new roads will not be necessary

Choose flat grounds. Work area must not entail more effort from uneven
ground work place.

Availability of quality water sources like good water table for shallow wells,
presence of irrigation canals or other natural water source like river or creeks. Also,
free from saline waters.

Free from water-logging and presence of nearby drainage facilities

For cacao seedlings, shading material is a must. 0 to 2 month old seedlings

require 70 to 80% shade. However, gradual removal of shading is recommended to
prepare seedlings for field planting. Shading materials may use materials in the
vicinity of the nursery itself. This is to avoid additional expenditures.

The period of keeping the seedlings in the nursery affects the arrangement of
the bags. Polybag arrangement must be systematically carried out to facilitate
maintenance and grafting. Normally, a twin row with alternate path of 45 cm in
width is recommended. In order to enhance the seedling growth and to avoid the
seedling etiolation, the seedlings are usually spaced further apart from each other
when the seedlings are 2 to 3 months old.

The distance is 25 to 30 cm apart starting from the middle point of the

polybag. The distance gradually increases when the seedlings are kept in the
nursery for a longer period.

Weeding: Weeds do not normally cause problems in the nursery and those
that appear can be removed without much expenditure on labor. On the other hand,
weeds growing along spaces in between the blocks may be controlled by cutting
down with scythes. The use of herbicide is not recommended. Therefore weeding
could be done manually or by mulching with available materials such as rice hull.

Fertilizer application is carried out after the first leaf hardens and should
be based on the result of soil analysis. If analysis is not available, incorporate 15-35
grams of diammonium phosphate (18-48-0) per bag depending on the size of
polybag. The use of granular fertilizer is also done when the leaves are dry to avoid
leaf scorching.

Culling/Selection: To ensure uniform growth and development of the

seedlings to be planted in the field, cull out the poor-growing seedlings in the

nursery. This practice may be carried out by removing the bags containing seeds
which did not germinate and small, crinkled seedlings.
Transplanting: To reduce the seedling shock during transplanting, it is

necessary to rotate the polybag to a few degrees one week before field planting. It
is done for the seedlings whose leaves have hardened and especially for those
which roots have penetrated the ground. Watering has to be done for a few days
later. Field planting must be started at the onset of the rainy season. Unless
irrigation is available, field planting during the dry season is not advisable.
Vegetative Propagation
Vegetative propagation gives more advantage in terms of reproduction of true-totype trees, more uniform growth, early to bear flowers, and the clone perpetuates
most if not all important characters of the original seedling mother tree like pod
value, bean size, fruit wall thickness and others. Major consideration in vegetative
propagation is the use of the selected varieties mentioned above.
Types of Vegetative Propagation
Patch Budding This is the propagation of true-to-type trees using buds from any
of the nine NSIC approved clones.
Nodal Grafting Propagation on the sides of the seedling using nodes.
Conventional cleft grafting This propagation technique is similar to the
procedure used in grafting mangoes. Rootstocks are cut horizontally leaving only
two leaves behind. Scion of selected variety is attached to rootstocks with an
inverted V shape and fastened to each other using thin plastic sheet covering all
wounds to prevent drying.
The success factors for all types of grafting and budding are:
1.

Use healthy bud wood with active buds

2.

Use budwood within 2 days of collection and store and transport in

moist and cool conditions

3.

Do not collect bud wood from trees that are recovering from heavy
cropping\

4.

Make sure bud wood is of right age and thickness for the rootstock

5.

Only use a sharp knife and keep it only for grafting or budding- nothing
else.

6.

Clean knives and secateuers and other tools with alcohol, before and
after grafting and budding, to minimise disease transfer

7.

Do not place tools onto the ground

8.

Avoid grafting in very hot and very dry periods, and also in very wet
periods.

9.

Make sure rootstock are the right age and condition for grafting and
budding

10.
11.

Manage shade and water very carefully

Make a secure and evenly shaded nursery.
Planting and Farm Establishment
Soil Requirement
Best soil is made-up of aggregated clay or loamy sand with 50% sand, 3040% clay, and 10-20% silt.

Deep soil, about 150 cm, highly favors the growth of cacao.
pH = 5.0 to 6.5
Climatic Requirement
Ideal rainfall for cacao cultivation ranges from 1250 to 3000 mm per annum,
preferably 1500-2000 mm with dry season of not more than 3 months.

Temperature ideal for cacao lies between a mean maximum of 30-32C and
mean minimum of 18C.

Altitude of the area should lie between 300-1200 meters above sea level.
Suitable temperature is generally found in an altitude up to 700 m.

Cacao thrives best in areas under Type IV climate which has an evenly
distributed rainfall throughout the year.
Establishment of Shade Crops
The leaves of the cocoa seedlings are tender and will be burnt by direct sunlight.
Therefore, in order to protect them and ensure their survival and health, the
seedlings must be shaded from direct sunlight during the first few years. Direct
sunlight shuts off the ability of cocoa leaves to produce carbohydrates through
photosynthesis. Carbohydrate is the source of energy for growth. If no energy is
produced, the tree cannot grow or produce cocoa pods.
Only older cocoa trees can survive the direct rays of the sun. The upper leaves,
which receive direct sunlight, shade the lower leaves that provide energy for the
tree and the cocoa fruit to grow. However, if there is too much shade, cocoa leaves
cannot perform photosynthesis and there is no energy for growth.
Newly planted cocoa trees need 75% shade (25% direct sunlight overall) during
their first year. This can be reduced to a 50% level of overall shade in their second
year. After that, the pod bearing cocoa trees need to be shaded only about 25%
density of direct sunlight for the rest of the cocoa trees life span.

Permanent shade crops that have a thin canopy, tall trunk and do not defoliate
seasonally are ideal to intercrop with cocoa trees for long periods. Some suitable
crop bearing varieties are coconut, cashew, longan, durian, mango and
mangosteen. Both cacao and shade trees can be planted at 6 x 3 m as in Figure
below.

In the case that shade crops (both temporary and permanent) do not create enough
shade for cocoa seedlings growth, temporary structures can be made from other,
easily available materials such as palm fronds, sugar cane leaf, and etc.

Filipino or common name

Ipil-ipil
Madre de cacao (suitable pepper production)
Langka
Lansones
Marang
Durian
Kasoy
Mangga
Longgan
Pomelo
Niyog

rowing)
Sesbania
Crotalaria
Flemingia

Kamoteng kahoy or Balanghoy

Mais
Luya
Abaca
Papaya

Paminta
Dragon fruit
Vanilla

ROPS
Tanglad
Mani
Kamote
Table 1. List of some common and suitable plants to intercrops with cacao.
Staking and Spacing

Planting points are to be marked with stakes using suitable size and length of
cable wire or guide from straight line planting.

Most common distance :

High density 1.5 to 2.0 x 6.0 m = 2,300 trees/ha. Double hedge row

Low density = 3 x 2m = 1666 plants/ha or 2.5 x 2.5 m = 1600 plants/ha

Depending on the shade from existing trees and tree crops, and soil fertility, the planting
density of cocoa varies from 400-1100 plants/ha. In the case of intercropping in coconut and
cashew, the density of cocoa averages about 600 plants/ha. Basal fertilizers are very important
to enhance the growth of young cocoa trees in the establishment stage.
Planting

1.

Right time to plant is during early morning or late afternoon.

2.

It is not advisable to plant seedling with young and soft flush leaves as they
are susceptible to sunburn, planting shocks or stress.

3.

Best season to plant in the field is during the onset of rainy season.

4.

Size of the hole should be big enough to accommodate the ball of the soil
mass.

5.
6.

Normally, a hole of 30 cm wide x 30 cm long and 30 cm deep.

In holing, the surface of soil should be separated from the sub-soil.
Care and Maintenance
Weeding
Manual by ring weeding method 1 meter radius from the stem as removed with the
use of sickle.
Fertilization
In the absence of soil analysis (PCARRD, 1989) recommended rates of fertilizer
application for various ages of trees as shown below.

d planting

FERTILIZER APPLICATION/PLANT (g
N

6.4

6.4

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.5

12.8

12.8

17.0

17.0

27.0

27.3

80.5

80.5

Pruning
Pruning is done to increase cacao production

Reduce pest and diseases infestation

Control the shape and height of the tree

Control the shape and height of the tree, to ensure easy access for
harvesting.
Steps

e production, make tree maintenance easier, and reduce pest infestation and diseases
h regularly removing the low hanging branches or those that grow downwards.
upons on the stem.

tional branches that are within 60 cm of the jorquette. Removal of shoots is necessary to avoid produc
emove regularly all dead, diseased and badly damaged branches.
ches ( up to 4 meters) in order to keep the tree short for easy regular harvesting and maintenance.

nded to open the center of the tree by pruning in the shape of a champagne glass in order to reduce h
ke the sunshine and increased wind. The additional sunshine to the stem will increase flowering as we

g is after the high production cycle, approximately one month before the rainy season. After pruning it
y and correctly, results in more pods on the tree with less infestation and diseases.
Rehabilitation of Old Cacao Trees by Side Grafting
Rehabilitation can be carried out by removal or replacement of the existing
unproductive trees: through side grafting or through bark grafting. Side grafting
involves the utilization of scions from plants known for high yield and quality beans
to be side grafted to existing unproductive trees in the plantation.
Steps in Side Grafting
1.

Find the hard leaf flush from super trees.

2.

Prepare budsticks for side grafting.

3.

Close-up of prepared budsticks.

4.

Make first horizontal deep cut on the main trunk of unproductive tree.

5.

Shave bark downward into the cut.

6.

Make sure original cut is through the bark to the white wood inside.

7.

Make two cuts downward from the horizontal cut.

8.

Create window by peeling the bark neatly and cleanly downward to

reveal the white sapwood (cambium) inside.

9.

Insert budstick into window as illustrated

10.

Tie window closed with straw (younger tree).

11.

Here, graft is tied securely with straw (older tree).

12.

Cover side graft with plastic bag and tie tightly against the tree with
raffia. Remove plastic bag after one month.

13.

Another younger tree with side graft covered with plastic bag and tied
tightly against the tree with raffia. Remove plastic bag after one month.

14.

Repeat the same steps for the 2nd and 3rd. Each tree should have
three grafts to begin with. Be sure each graft are at least 30 cms apart and opposite
each other.

15.

Cut the main tree with chainsaw at least 1 foot above the ground in a
slanting manner.

16.

Apply Tar or paint on the cut portion

17.

Ringweed the stump 1 ft. around and and apply animal manure or
organic fertilizer in the stump holes.

18.

Apply organic fertilizer and control pest & diseases regularly.

Pest and Disease Management
Most common cacao pests in the Philippines are: Cacao Pod Borer, Vascular Streak
Dieback, Helopeltis and Cacao Stem Borer. Whereas, the most common cacao
disease is Black Pod.

1.

Cacao Pod Borer (Conopormorpha cramelerella)

Regular harvesting (weekly harvesting of all ripe pods) in order to

break the lifecycle of the pest.

Sanitation; which includes to bury all empty cacao pod husks, but also

to remove all other diseased pods, black pods, and pods eaten by animals from the
trees
o

Pruning; to increase the sunlight, which the pest does not favor.

Bagging or sleeving of the young pods with newspaper and stapler (or
plastic bag)

Fertilizer; to increase the general health of the tree and in addition

increasing cacao production.

2.
o

Vascular Streak Dieback (caused by Oncobasidium theobromae)

Sanitation pruning cut off infected branches at 30 cm below the
infected area, and burn the infested cuttings

Nurseries should use polyethylene roofing to ensure spores cannot

land on the seedlings

Shade on the cacao trees should be reduced to lower humidity

Plant VSD tolerant varieties such as hybrids PA 173 x SCA 9, PA 138 x

SCA 9, ICS 39 x SCA 6, PA 156 x IMC 67, PA 156 x SCA 9, ICS 95 x SCA 6, clones PBC
123, PBC 159, ICS 95 and others.

3.

Black Pod Rot and Canker Control Method (caused by Phytophtora palmivora)

Frequent harvesting to avoid pathogen sporulation.

Harvest all the infested, dead and mummified pods and ideally destroy
or bury them.

Prune the cacao trees and shade trees to reduce humidity.

Have a good drainage system so that the spores cannot spread in

puddles of water.
Trees that have died due to tree canker should be cut down and

destroyed.
Scraping off the bark from the infected area and put paint or soap on

it.
4.

Helopeltis Control method (Helopeltis: a sap-sucking bud)

Typically, Helopeltis likes open canopies and sunlight penetration. Still, one should
prune the trees carefully and reduce shade if it is too heavy this is to allow better
visibility on the disease and better application of control methods. (Note: if pruning
is too rigorous, new chupons will grow which are a feeding ground for Helopeltis).

General sanitation of farm

Regular harvesting

5.
o

Stem Borer Control Method (Zeuzera)

Cut off infested braches at 40 cm below the lowest larvae hole. These
branches should be destroyed.

After pruning of an infested tree, big branches, especially those with

stem borer holes, should be burned.

The hole can be covered or plugged with mud or wood to prevent the
larva to come out, so that it cannot feed and hatch, or cannot breathe.

Poking the larvae out with a piece of wire.

Squirt some soap solution in the exit hole. After a while, the larva will
emerge from the hole, probably driven out by the unpleasant soap fume. Catch and
kill the Stem Borer.
Other Pest and Disease
Leaf Eater Damage
Cause: Insects such as caterpillars, cocoa loopers, grasshoppers, locusts, leaf
cutting ants, leaf beetles.
Solution: Chemical control is effective. Shade management is also important. Some
shade trees such as Leucaena are often associated with more caterpillar problems.
Open sunny conditions attract locusts and grasshoppers. Red weaver ants may be
effective in controlling leaf beetles.
Leaf eater damage
Cause: Insects. Possibly Rhyparid beetle.

Solution: Chemical control, or biological with crazy ant. Control with light traps is
also possible.
BLISTERS and BLACK SPOTS
Sap suckers on young leaves
Cause: Insect such as thrips, aphids, leaf hoppers and pysillids.
Solution: Chemical control. Take care to spray underneath the leaves as well as on
top.
Insect sap suckers
Cause: Thrips or aphids.
Solution: Control with chemicals and shade management. Target spraying to
affected plants only. Thrips have natural enemies such as pirate bugs watch out for
them and avoid spraying them.
Harvest Management
Pod harvesting
Dont harvest green pods and avoid over ripe pods because bean size and quality
will be reduced. Use secateurs to harvest cleanly and safely, to protect flowering
cushions
Pod storage
We should collect pods and store for 7 9 days for quicker fermentation and better
flavor of cocoa beans.
Pod opening and bean removal
The best way is to use a non-sharpened steel blade to crack the pod then twist the
pod open. You can also use a wooden hammer or crack two pods together.
Discard the placenta, pulp and soft or empty beans, germinated beans and damaged beans
from the bean mass.
Correct pod disposal is important to avoid pest and disease buildup. The safest
ways are composting or burying after drying. Avoid leaving pod husks on the
ground, as insects and diseases can spread from these pods.
Bean fermentation
During cocoa bean fermentation, it is important to:

Turn the bean mass after 2 days (48 hours) and 4 days (96 hours)

Drain the juices (sweatings) from the bean mass

Only use properly constructed wooden boxes with slats, or baskets

Cover the beans with banana leaves and jute bags or cloth rags

Fermentation will be completed in about 5- 6 days

All mixing of beans should be made by wooden tools or hands

Bean drying
Once the beans have been fermented they must be dried immediately under the
sun on drying trays or baskets turned regularly. It is important to:

Cover with plastic shelters during rain or remove the beans to a dry spot.

During drying separate bean clusters, remove pod placenta, and flat,
damaged or germinated beans.

produce smoke- this is not an approved drying method and will result in smoke contaminat
Bagging and storage
Keep bags of beans on a wooden palette in a dry and ventilated place. Dont put hot
beans into plastic bags to avoid mould and moisture increased.
Record keeping.
Record all weight of pods harvested, wet bean fermented, beans dried in a record
book, and dates of harvest, fermentation and drying.

Read more at BusinessDiary.com.ph: http://businessdiary.com.ph/2191/cacaoproduction-guide/#ixzz4G8jNwmcS

CHOOSING AND PREPARING THE PLANTATION SITE

CHOOSING THE SITE
15. If a cocoa tree is to grow well, it needs more than anything else a soil

of good structure,

permeable and deep.

The cocoa tree has tap-roots.

The tap-root descends straight into the soil.
The branch roots go down very deep.
But many small branch roots also grow near the surface.
If the soil is of good structure and contains much humus, the roots penetrate well.
You can improve the soil structure by spreading manure and working it into the soil.
If the soil is deep, the roots can go down to a good depth.
Never plant cocoa trees in soil with a lot of stones, or in soil where there is some
hard layer.

CLEARING THE SITE

16. In Africa, cocoa is grown in forest regions.
To make a plantation, you must clear the site.
But the cocoa tree needs shade, especially when it is young.
17. The traditional method is to cut down all the trees and to burn everything.
But this is a bad method because:

You destroy all the organic matter in the weeds, the leaves and the branches.

You leave the soil bare to the sun or rain.

The soil becomes less fertile.

The cocoa trees are not protected from the sun when it is too strong.

18. Sometimes growers put banana trees or taros into the cocoa plantation, to give
shade for the young cocoa trees. If these are planted long enough before the cocoa
trees, they give good protection.
But if they are planted at the same time as the cocoa trees, they do not protect the
young cocoa trees well enough and they take nourishment out of the soil.
19. To give shade it Is better to keep a few of the forest trees.
You should cut first all the tall weeds, the creepers and the small trees.
Make heaps of what you have cut down and arrange the heaps in rows.
It is better not to burn all the vegetation you cut.
Leave it on the ground.
It protects the soil against erosion and sun.
It rots and makes humus.
If you have to burn the vegetation you have cut, you must sow a cover crop.
20. Next, go through the plantation a second time:
Now cut down all the trees which might give some disease to the cocoa trees.
And cut down also all trees that give too much shade.
But leave those large trees which can give no disease to the cocoa trees, and
which give a little shade.
When the cocoa trees have grown taller, they need less shade.
You should gradually give them less and less shade.
You should prune the big trees and cut off those branches that cast too much shade.
When the plantation is well cared for, you can cut down all the big trees.
When the cocoa trees have grown, it is better to get rid of the unwanted shade trees
by using tree-killing chemical products. This way causes less damage than cutting
them down.
21. In Cameroon, for example,

Farmers always remove the following trees:

Local name

Botanical name

Atui

Piptadeniastrum africanum

Tm

Erythrophloeum guineense

Eba

Pentaclethra macrophylla

Eyen

Distemonanthus benthamianus

Asam

Uapaca staudtii

Abem

Macrolobium or Berlinia

Esabem

Macrolobium limba

Engkm

Myrianthus arboreus

Aseng

Musanga cecropioides

Leave in the plantation:

Akom

Terminalia superba

Atol

Ficus vogeliana

Evouvous

Albizzia ferruginea

Esak

Albizzia fastigiata

Ekouk

Alstonia boonei

Eteng

Pycnanthus kombo

22. In Ivory Coast

Farmers always remove the following trees:

Dabema

Piptadeniastrum africanum

Samba

Triplochiton scleroxylon

Bla

Childovia sanguinea

Aiya, Kotib

Nesogordonia papaverifera

Cola

Cola nitida

Ehman

Corynanthe pachyceras

Cakoua

Cola spp.

Ntaba
Akeato
Aoussou
Boto, Kotoki

Sterculia tragacantha

Fromager

Ceiba pentandra

Akogaouan,
Oba

Bombax spp.

Grand Wounian Myrianthus preussi

Blblendou

Treculia africana

Inkichbi

Rauwolfia vomitoria

Glagla

Conopharyngia

Leave in the plantation:

Adashia

Trema guineensis

Iroko

Chlorophora excelsa

Figuiers

Ficus

Ouangrain

Allophylus africanus

Sipo, Tiama

Entandro phragma

Pri, Pousso ou Funtumia

Abalo

Combretodendron africanum

Emien

Alstonia boonei

Minghi, Bah

Fagara

Oualb Nda

Pycnanthus angolensis

Frak, Framir

Terminalia

Akoua

Antrocaryon micraster

Parasolier

Musanga cecropioides

Loloti

Lannea welwitschii

Tchiku,
Tchikubi

Bridelia

PREPARING TO PLANT COCOA TREES

23. With traditional methods, planting is most often done in a haphazard way.
The cocoa trees are not planted in rows.
There is not the same distance between them.
When the trees are too far apart, they do not use all the soil; when they are too
close, they grow badly.
Instead, you should always plant in rows.
First mark the rows for the cocoa trees, leaving about 2.5 to 3 metres between rows.
Along each row, mark out with pegs the spots where the cocoa trees are to go.
Leave about 2.5 to 3 metres between trees.
In this way you can plant about 1 000 to 1 600 seedlings per hectare.
24. Digging the holes
Before planting cocoa trees, the grower must dig holes in order to stir the earth and
loosen it.
Dig the holes two months before planting the cocoa trees.
When you are digging the hole, do not mix together the soil from above and the
soil from below:
Make two separate heaps.

PLANTING COCOA TREES IN A PLANTATION

Sometimes growers sow cocoa seeds straight away in the plantation.
This is a bad thing to do.
It is better to put into the plantation
either young cocoa seedlings from your own nursery beds,
or cocoa seedlings bought from a research centre.

25. A few hours before lifting the seedlings from the nursery beds, water the soil.
Then take the seedlings out of the nursery beds with a spade or a hoe.
Be very careful not to break the roots.
Next sort out the cocoa seedlings.
Throw away diseased plants and plants that have a twisted tap-root.
You can dip the roots of the seedlings in liquid mud, so that the cocoa plants take
root again easily.
26. When to plant cocoa trees
Plant cocoa trees at the beginning of the rainy season.
Choose a day when the soil is moist and when the sky is cloudy.
Plant the young cocoa trees when they are about 6 months old.
27. How to plant cocoa trees
A few days before planting, fill in the holes you have dug.
At the bottom of the hole, put the soil you have dug out from the top, and on
top put the soil you have dug out from below.
You may mix the soil with manure.

When you are ready to plant, make a small hole.

In this small hole place your young cocoa seedling.
If you have sown your seeds in baskets or bags, make a hole big enough to hold the
root ball with the cocoa seedling.
Be very careful not to twist the tap-root.
Do not cover the crown with earth.
Pack the soil down well around the tap-root.
For the first few days, protect the cocoa seedling from the sun.
If there are palm trees in your village, use a palm frond.

TAKING CARE OF THE PLANTATION

28. When the cocoa trees have been planted, the work is not finished.
The grower still has a lot of work to do to look after his cocoa trees.
A grower who does not look after his plantation properly cannot harvest big
pods and will not earn much money.
To look after your plantation properly you must:

Replace seedlings that have not grown

Remove weeds and keep the soil covered

Prune the cocoa trees

Apply fertilizer

Protect the cocoa trees from insects and diseases.

REPLACING MISSING SEEDLINGS

29. Sometimes certain cocoa seedlings do not grow well. They remain small or die.
During the months following the day when you planted your seedlings, you must
always look to see whether the cocoa trees are growing well.
If you see diseased or dead cocoa trees, pull them out and burn them, and also
those encircling them in case of swollen shoot disease (see paragraph 42). In their
place, plant other young cocoa seedlings, from among those that you have kept in
the nursery bed or in baskets.

WEEDING AND SOIL COVER

30. Many weeds grow among the cocoa tree rows.
You must not let weeds take nourishment away from the cocoa trees.
When the cocoa trees are young, you should weed 4 or 5 times every year.
When the cocoa trees are bigger, they cast a lot of shade and so few weeds will

grow.
It will be enough to weed once a year.
When you are cultivating be very careful not to damage the trunk and roots of the
cocoa trees.
31. Between the rows of cocoa trees, you should not leave the soil bare.
You should cover the soil either with cut weeds or with palm fronds, if available.
In this way the soil is protected against sun and erosion; it stays moist and cool.
When the weeds rot, they give the soil organic matter.
You can also sow a cover crop, for Instance legumes.
This will give the soil good protection against sun and erosion.

PRUNING COCOA TREES

32. The cocoa tree is a tree that develops well.
It has a single, straight trunk.
A crown of 3 to 5 main branches forms about 1.5 metres above ground level.
33. Sometimes, during the first year, several shoots form on the trunk.
Cut off these shoots and leave only the strongest.
Sometimes the crown forms too low down, at less than 1 metre above ground level.
Choose a shoot which grows straight up and let it develop.
A new crown will then form at a good height, and the first crown will stop growing.

Young well-grown cocoa tree

Young cocoa tree with two shoots

Cocoa tree which forms its crown too low

down

34.
35. Always cut out all dead branches, dry twigs and suckers.
A sucker is a twig that grows upward out of the trunk.
Cut off the suckers very close to the trunk.

36. When a cocoa tree gets old, it no longer yields many pods.
But you can make cocoa trees young again by letting one or two suckers grow low
down on the trunk where they can develop their own roots.
Then cut down the old trunk, and you will again have a cocoa tree that yields many
pods.

APPLYING FERTILIZERS
Fertilizers cost a lot of money.
So the grower should use fertilizers only when this will make him earn more money.
36. When you have tended your cocoa trees, when you have hoed the weeds, then
you should apply fertilizer.
Spread fertilizer around each cocoa tree, but be careful not to put any on the trunk,
the branches or the leaves of the cocoa tree: otherwise the fertilizer will burn the
tree.

Spread the fertilizer in a ring around the trunk at a distance of about 1 metre from it,
where most of its small roots are.
Apply fertilizer twice a year: in April and September.

37. It Is useless to apply fertilizers in a plantation that is not well cared for.
A grower who does not prune his cocoa trees and who does not hoe the weeds
should not apply any fertilizer.
If the plantation is not cared for properly, fertilizers do nothing except feed the trunks
of the cocoa trees, the suckers and the weeds.
The grower loses his money.
38. Different soils have different fertilizer needs.
Ask the extension service how much fertilizer to use.
For example, in Ivory Coast:

on the more sandy soils, along the coast, use compound fertilizer, which
contains nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash: fertilizer formula 13-10-15;

on the more granitic soils of the interior, use another compound fertilizer:
formula 12-15-18.

The quantities for each tree are as follows:

during the first two years:

in April: 125 grammes;
in September: 125 grammes.

during the third year and from then on:

in April: 250 grammes;
in September: 250 grammes.

PROTECTION FROM INSECTS AND DISEASES

The most dangerous insects are the following:
39. Capsids
These insects prick the twigs and pods.
At the place where they make a hole, the tree dries out and the sap no longer
circulates.
Young trees attacked by capsids often die.
To control capsids, use Lindane or Aldrin.
40. Borers
The larvae of these insects bore holes in the trunk or branches.
You can control borers with DDT or Dieldrin.

Capsid

Borer

The most dangerous diseases that attack cocoa trees are the following:

41. Black pod disease

This is caused by a fungus which chiefly attacks the pods.
If attacked, the pods rot and die.
Control this disease by picking off diseased pods and burning them.
You can prevent the disease from spreading by spraying the sound pods with copper
preparations.
42. Swollen shoot disease
This is a very serious disease, which has caused much damage in Ghana.
You will see that the leaves are mottled. Sometimes some twigs become very thick
and the tree soon dies.
Mealy bugs carried about by ants can transmit the disease from one tree to another.
Control this disease by cutting down diseased trees and leaving them to wither.
Remember that, when a diseased tree has been discovered and cut down, all the
trees circling it must be cut down also to avoid the spread of infection.

HARVESTING THE PODS

43. The tree makes its first flowers after two years. But in order not to tire the tree, you
should cut off the first flowers.
From these you will therefore get no fruit.
There are two harvests each year: a small harvest at the beginning of the rainy season, a
big harvest at the end of the rainy season.
44.
Do not pick all the pods at the same time.
Pick only pods that are ripe, whether yellow or red.
Leave on the tree any pods that are not ripe, that are still a little green.

Go through the plantation every fortnight to pick the ripe pods.

Never pick the pods by pulling them off: if you do, you will spoil your tree.
You should cut the stem of the pod with a machete.

PROCESSING COCOA BEANS

45. Opening the pods.
Do not wait more than 4 days to open the pods.
Open the pods by hitting them with a thick piece of wood.
Take the beans out of the pods and put them in baskets.
Then carry them to the place where they are to ferment.
Do not leave the broken husks on the field.
They can be used to make compost.
46. Why cocoa beans are fermented.
We have seen that the cocoa bean consists of a seed coat, a kernel and a germ.
Cocoa beans are fermented so as to destroy the seed coat, kill the germ and give
the cocoa a good taste.

Cocoa bean cut in two

47. How to ferment the beans.

Often cocoa growers ferment the beans in heaps. They chose a flat and dry spot,
cover it with banana leaves, make a heap of cocoa beans and cover the heap with
banana leaves.
The beans ferment well if the heap is stirred from time to time.
It is much better to ferment the beans in boxes.
Use boxes with holes in the bottom.
Place these boxes on supports, for instance stones.
The juice runs off at the bottom of the boxes through the holes.
After two days, take the beans out of the box, stir them around well and put them into
another box.
To make this work easier, you can stack the boxes one on top of the other.
Never leave the beans in the same box for more than two days.
Fermentation takes 6 to 10 days.
The beans are purple at the beginning, and turn reddish when they are fermented.

Good fermentation box

Drying cocoa beans
48. When the beans are well fermented, they must be dried.
Cocoa beans may be dried in the sun.
Spread the beans on boards raised 1 metre above ground level.
The layer of beans should not be very thick; not more than 4 centimetres.
Stir the beans often and protect them from rain.
To protect from rain, you can make a little shelter and slide the boards under the
shelter every night and when it rains:
This is called a sliding tray drier.
Drying cocoa beans takes five to ten days.

49. In forest regions where the climate is very moist, cocoa beans do not dry at all well.
Badly dried beans are of poor quality.
You get less money for them.
In such regions several growers can get together and build a modern drier.
Spread the beans on a concrete slab set well above floor level.
Light a fire underneath, or allow hot air to pass through drums to heat the concrete
slab.
Then the cocoa beans will dry better.
In this way one man alone can take care of drying the harvest of several growers.
He should not let the fire get too hot, to prevent the beans from becoming smoky.
He should stir them often so that they do not burn.
50. When the cocoa is quite dry, the beans are sorted.
Remove all the:

flat beans

germinated beans

mouldy beans

broken beans.

Keep only good beans.

Put these good beans into sacks.
Keep the sacks in a dry place well protected against animals.
Finally sell your sacks of cocoa.
Good-quality cocoa is cocoa which has been:

well harvested,

well fermented,

well dried.

Sliding tray drier

Growing cocoa
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Cocoa tree pruned to a single jorquette.

Cocoa production in Queensland is in its infancy; producers are located along

the wet tropical coast from the Daintree region to south of Tully and focused
around the towns of Mossman and Innisfail. The embryonic industry is

currently producing cocoa for boutique chocolate manufacture through on-farm

processing or by selling to aligned chocolatiers. Currently, production is on a
small scale, but is expected to expand with a unique, Australian 'origin' bean
selling to domestic and international specialist chocolate manufacturers.
On this page:

About the cocoa tree

Climate requirements

Environmental requirements

Propagation and land preparation

Harvesting and processing.

About the cocoa tree

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is a tropical tree crop originating from the Amazon
basin where it grows in the shaded rainforest understorey and can reach 20 m
in height. The tree produces pods that contain about 40 cocoa beans
surrounded by a sweet tasting pulp. When fermented and processed, the
beans produce one of the most desired flavours in the world - chocolate.
Cocoa seedlings have a single main stem that grows vertically to a height of 12 m. The bud then forms three to five branches (the jorquette) that grow out at
an angle as fan branches. Further upright suckers (chupons) emerge below
the jorquette and grow up through the fan branches forming more jorquettes
and further whorls of fan branch growth. In this way the tree becomes higher,
forming several layers of jorquettes, each successively weakening and
eventually fading out.
The root system of a mature tree comprises a taproot up to 2 m long and a
dense system of lateral roots in the top 20 cm. These roots spread out to
lengths of 5-6 m forming a dense surface-feeding mat.
Flowers arise from cushions in the wood of the main stem and fan branches
once they are at least two to three years old. Only 1-5% of flowers are
successfully pollinated and form pods. Pollinating insects are mainly tiny
midges that require cool, dark, moist habitats and breed in rotting vegetation.
Although only a small percentage of flowers are pollinated, the tree sets too
many fruit to carry to maturity. Cocoa has a fruit thinning mechanism where the
young fruit (cherelles) stop growing, turn black and shrivel, but do not fall off

the tree. This is called cherelle wilt and is often mistaken as a disease
situation. The remaining pods take six months to ripen after pollination. Ripe
pods do not fall off the tree.
History

For many centuries, the Mayas in South America harvested cocoa from the
wild for use in religious ceremonies. In Central America, the Aztecs used
cocoa to make a thick chocolate style drink and cocoa beans were used widely
as currency. It is not known how cocoa originally reached Central America, but
after the conquest of Mexico, cocoa cultivation spread to the Caribbean, then
across the Pacific to the Philippines, the East Indies and India. Cocoa also
began to be cultivated in Brazil and from there it was eventually taken to Africa
in the 19th century.
European nations gradually became aware of cocoa in the 17th century. When
the Swiss developed milk chocolate manufacturing late in the 18th century,
increased consumption stimulated the demand for cocoa, which led to
widespread cultivation. In the 20th century, production increased rapidly - from
less than 125,000 tonnes in the early 1900s to 4,365,000 tonnes in 2013-2014.
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Climate requirements
Climatic and site requirements place cocoa in the tropical regions of the world
generally within 15 of the equator. This region is predominantly
underdeveloped and highly populated, and cocoa production has evolved with
access to cheap and plentiful labour. Irrigation is rarely used and planting has
been restricted to regions with reliable, year round rainfall.
Cocoa is usually grown under remnant forest, planted shade trees or
intercropped with other commercial crops that protect the cocoa. In Malaysia
and Indonesia, cocoa is also grown in full sun, although shade is used during
establishment. The height of cocoa is kept to about 3-5 m to make
management and harvesting easier. Average yields are low, about 1 tonne/ha
or less of dry beans. Harvesting has a high labour demand for a relatively
short and often unpredictable season. After harvest, beans are fermented and
dried by growers or at a central fermentary, and then traded.
About 70% of world production is grown by smallholders on a low input, low
output basis. Typically, family or village labour is used at relatively little cost.
Trees can be individually managed and the quality of bean fermentation is
usually assured. As a rule of thumb, one labourer is required per 2.5 ha of
established cocoa in traditional production systems.

Remaining production is on plantations of about 20 ha and upwards. Only

recently have plantation companies running large-scale operations grown
cocoa. Cocoa does not offer the advantages of other crops grown under
estate-style management systems. It does not require substantial capital
expenditure on processing equipment and industrialised fermentation has
generally compromised quality. Also, labour productivity on plantations is
critical to profitability, but there has been no determined effort to mechanise
cultural practices. To be competitive with smallholders, plantation cocoa must
achieve higher average yields and this requires higher levels of inputs for
sustainability.
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Environmental requirements
Temperature

The ideal range of temperatures for cocoa is minimums of 18-21C and

maximums of 30-32C. Commercial cocoa production is limited to where the
average minimum in the coldest months is greater than about 13C. If the
absolute minimum temperature falls below 10C for several consecutive
nights, the yield is likely to be reduced. Defoliation and dieback occurs
between 4-8C.
Although cocoa will grow above 32C, the upper temperature limit is not well
defined and shade cover will influence maximum temperatures for the cocoa.
High temperatures may affect bean characteristics and yield.
Rainfall

The distribution of annual rainfall for regions in which cocoa is grown is 12503000 mm per year. The rainfall must be well distributed and any dry period
should be no longer than three months. Annual rainfall greater than 2500 mm
may result in a higher incidence of fungal diseases. Irrigation is rarely used
and there is limited information about growing cocoa under irrigation. In far
north Queensland's growing conditions, however, irrigation is considered
essential as in a typical season there are 3 to 4 months where rainfall is less
than 100 mm/month.
Soils

Cocoa is grown on a wide range of soil types, but soils with moderate to high
fertility are favoured since fertiliser inputs under traditional production systems
are low. The main requirements are:

1.5 m depth of free draining soil

good moisture holding capacity

pH range from 4.5 to 7.0, preferably close to 6.5.

Wind

Attempts to establish cocoa without shade often fail and one of the main
causes is wind damage. Cocoa prefers calm conditions and persistent
moderate wind can cause problems during establishment. Young vigorous
plants can be bent over and new leaves can be broken at the axils.
Because cocoa is not generally grown in areas prone to cyclones, its
vulnerability to strong winds is not well known, although the experience of
cyclones Larry and Yasi suggests that the tree is easily toppled. Fallen trees
that are not uprooted are capable of recovering as they can regrow from a
basal shoot.
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Propagation and land preparation

Seedlings are generally used for planting. They are raised in nurseries where
shade, wind protection, nutrition and irrigation are provided. Hybrid seeds are
often sourced commercially, but even with these, the plants raised can be
highly variable in growth and performance. Seed is collected from ripe pods
and, if the fresh beans are planted immediately, at least 90% should germinate
within two weeks. Planting of seed directly to the field is not practiced due to
lack of irrigation and problems with weed and pest management. Currently
(2015), the Queensland industry is based on hybrid seed from Papua New
Guinea.
Vegetative propagation is used where selected characteristics are desired.
Vegetatively-propagated trees raised are more uniform in growth and
performance than those raised from seed. Various techniques, including
rooted cuttings, budding and grafting are used. Cocoa presents special
problems for in-vitro propagation and reliable, economic methods for mass
tissue culture propagation have not been developed.
Establishment

Young cocoa plants may be field planted after six months. Because
establishment without shade can be problematic, shade should be wellestablished before planting in the field. As well as sun protection, the shade
reduces wind exposure and provides a suitable microclimate. Shade strategies
include:

retaining remnant forest

planting temporary and permanent shade species

interplanting with species that also provide a commercial return., e.g. papaya
and banana

Shade can be removed after three to four years. In many situations

windbreaks will be beneficial or necessary.
Planting density depends on:

tree vigour

light interception

the farming system.

Density may range from 800-3000 trees/ha with about 1200 trees/ha being
common in Malaysia under shade and 'zero-shade' conditions.
Nutrition

About 200 kg N, 25 kg P, 300 kg K and 140 kg Ca are needed per hectare to

grow the trees prior to pod production. For each 1000 kg of dry beans
harvested, about 20 kg N, 4 kg P and 10 kg K is removed. If the pod husks are
also removed from the field, the amount of K removed increases to about 50
kg.
Soil and leaf analyses can be used to determine the nutritional needs of
cocoa. Leaf analyses may be problematic because it is difficult to sample
leaves of the same age and shading influences the nutrient composition of
leaves. Visual symptoms of mineral deficiencies are well documented and can
be used as a qualitative guide to fertiliser requirements.
Pruning

Cocoa propagated from seed is pruned to develop the preferred structure

shown in the picture. Pruning is mainly used to limit tree height. The first
jorquette should be formed at 1.5-2 m. Further chupons (suckers) are
continually removed preventing subsequent jorquettes and restricting further
vertical growth. It may be necessary to prune fan branches to maintain an
even structure and remove low hanging branches. The end result is a tree with
a canopy height that is convenient to manage. Vegetatively-propagated plants
have a different structure and will require different management. There is little
evidence that pruning strategies promote high yields. Mechanical pruning
(hedging) is not practiced.
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Harvesting and processing

Harvesting and bean extraction

Cocoa harvest is spread over several months, and in some regions there may
be pods available for harvest throughout the year. Typically, there are one or
two peak harvest periods influenced by flowering in response to rainfall and
humidity. However, local climate and the crop already on the tree will also
influence flowering so that the yearly-cropping pattern can vary in areas with a
relatively uniform climate.
On ripening, pods turn from green or deep red to yellow or orange and only
ripe, coloured pods are harvested. However, the timing is not critical since
under-ripe pods will ferment satisfactorily and ripe pods can be left on the tree
for two to three weeks. After this, pods may rot and the beans may germinate
inside the pod. Harvesting is done by hand using machetes or knives to cut
pods from the tree since pulling the pods from the tree can damage the flower
cushion and tear the bark.
After harvest, the pods are opened to extract wet beans and this can be done
immediately or delayed for up to several days. This is also a manual operation
- usually the pod is cut open and the beans are scooped out by hand. The
placenta, which joins the beans inside the pod, is preferably separated from
the wet beans prior to fermentation. Prototype pod-splitting machines have
been developed in Queensland and will continue to be modified and improved
by industry.
Fermentation and drying

Fermentation and drying are the last operations carried out on-farm before
trading the dried beans. Fermentation is essential for the development of
chocolate flavour (further developed during roasting). After extraction, the wet
beans are bulked together and gradually heat up as a result of exothermic
chemical reactions in the pulp caused by the activity of microorganisms
(yeasts and acetic and lactic acid bacteria). Initially, the mucilage is broken
down and drains off as 'sweatings'. After 36-72 hours the beans are killed and
a series of chemical changes take place inside the bean, some of which
continue during drying.
Although chemically complex, fermentation methods are simple. Fermentation
is carried out in specially constructed wooden boxes, in heaps covered by
banana leaves or in baskets. Much of the heat generated is retained by
insulation, but this is more difficult with small quantities of beans and a
minimum of about 90 kg is required when using traditional heap or box
methods. The process usually takes from five to seven days to complete

depending on the type of cocoa being grown and local practice. The mass of
beans is turned or stirred at least once for aeration.
Fermented beans are then dried in the sun or artificially until suitably dry (6-7%
moisture content dry basis) for storing and transporting. Artificial drying can
cause beans to be very acidic if they are dried too quickly. Dried beans are
hand sorted or mechanically sieved and winnowed to remove defective beans
and debris.
The 'pod index' expresses the number of pods required to produce one
kilogram of dried beans. A low pod index usually means good bean size and a
saving in harvesting costs since the weight of beans per pod is high. The
'recovery' is the proportion of dry fermented beans to wet unfermented beans
expressed as a percentage. It ranges from about 40% for under-ripe pods to
45% for over-ripe pods, but is also affected by variety and season.
Processing

Manufacturing cocoa for the principal chocolate ingredients and by-products is

generally an industrial process requiring expertise and specialised equipment.
Physical characteristics assessed by manufacturers to determine the quality of
cocoa beans (in addition to flavour attributes) are of relevance to growers. The
average bean weight is expected to be 1.0-1.2 g, corresponding to a 'bean
count' of 100-83 beans per 100 g. A low shell percentage is desirable as shell
is removed in manufacture and has no value; 11-17% is typical. The fat
content of the cotyledons (nib) is important since cocoa butter has a high
value; at least 53% is preferable.
Increasingly at the higher end of the market, there is a move to artisan
production or so-called 'bean to bar' manufactures. These boutique chocolate
producers make and market high quality chocolate.
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Further information

Pests and diseases of cocoa

Wood, G.A.R. and Lass, R.A., 1992. Cocoa. Tropical Agriculture Series,
Fourth Edition. Longman Press, London.

Producing horticultural crops

Tips for a successful business

Characteristics of a successful horticultural enterprise, markets, production
areas and risks

Horticulture and climate change

Climate change challenges and opportunities for horticulture industries,
including drought information