Cocoa Pruning - Suitable Proposed Method & Tree Structure

Cocoa Plants Varieties

Cocoa Beans Products Flowchart

Cocoa Farm Work Program - Sample

Cocoa - Projected Production

Cocoa Beans Production Forecast - Sample Projection
Age	Yield / tree	Yield / Tree*	Yield / Hectare / Year Based on Planting Density (in MT DCB)**
( Years )	( Pod / Fruit )	( kg CWB )	400 trees / Ha.	600 trees / Ha.	1000 trees / Ha.***
0 - 3	0	0	0	0	0
3	10	0.29	0.03	0.04	0.07
4	15	0.43	0.04	0.06	0.11
5	40	1.14	0.11	0.17	0.29
6	100	2.86	0.29	0.43	0.71
7	120	3.43	0.34	0.51	0.86
8	150	4.29	0.43	0.64	1.07
9	180	5.14	0.51	0.77	1.29
10	210	6.00	0.60	0.90	1.50
11	230	6.57	0.66	0.99	1.64
12	250	7.14	0.71	1.07	1.79
13	280	8.00	0.80	1.20	2.00
14	320	9.14	0.91	1.37	2.29
15	300	8.57	0.86	1.29	2.14
16	280	8.00	0.80	1.20	2.00
17	270	7.71	0.77	1.16	1.93
18	240	6.86	0.69	1.03	1.71
19	200	5.71	0.57	0.86	1.43
20	180	5.14	0.51	0.77	1.29
Total			9.64	14.46	24.11
Average Yield / Year ( Year 5 - 20 )			0.60	0.90	1.50

STANDARD COCOA DRY BEANS QUALITY

Cocoa - Harvesting & Post-Processing

Proposed sample post-harvesting fermentation boxes and drying facility for smallholder farmers accomodating average 30-50kgs cocoa wet beans

Cocoa - P & D

Cocoa - A Personal Compilation

Cocoa Fermentation

FERMENTATION - Fermentation of Cocoa beans is essential to remove the mucilaginous pulp, to develop flavor and aroma precursors, reduce bitterness, kill the germ of the seed and to loosen the testa. Among the various methods adopted for fermentation in different cocoa producing countries, Heap, Box Tray and Basket methods are considered as the standard methods.

Heap Method - This method involves keeping a mass of not less than 50 kg. of wet beans over a layer of banana leaves. The banana leaves are spread over a few sticks to keep them a little raised over the ground level to facilitate the flow of sweating. The leaves are folded and kept over a heap of beans and a few wooden pieces kept over it to keep the leaves in position. The heaps are dismantled and the beans mixed the third and fifth days. It needs about six days for the completion of fermentation and the beans can be taken out for drying on the seventh day. Even though the minimum quantity of beans required for effective fermentation is 50 kg. a further increase in quantity of beans in a heap will be beneficial. However, heaps of more than about 500 kg. may be difficult to handle.

Tray Method - Wooden trays of size 90 cm x 60 cm x 13 cm with battens or reapers fixed at the bottom with gaps in between are filled with beans. Each tray can contain about 45 kg. wet beans. Six such trays are stacked one over the other and an empty tray is kept at the bottom to allow for drainage of sweating. After stacking, the beans of the top most tray are kept covered with banana leaves. After 24 hours of setting the stack of trays is kept covered with gunny sacking to conserve the heat that develops. There is no need for mixing the beans and fermentation will be completed in four days. On the fifth day the beans can be taken out for drying. The minimum number of trays required to be stacked is about six but as many as 12 trays can be used simultaneously.

Box Method - Wooden boxes of 1.2 x 0.95 m x 0.75 m with holes at the bottom and sides of the box are filled with wet beans. These boxes can hold one M.T. of wet beans. The beans are to be mixed on alternate days. As the quantity of beans is high, this is best done by changing the beans from one box to another at the time of mixing. This would necessitate having a minimum of three boxes. Wet beans taken for fermentation should be sufficiently ripe so as to separate the beans form the polacuta and husk easily. Minimum quantity of wet beans for a normal fermentation is about 100 kg. The duration of fermentation is normally 5 days with turning at 2^nd and 4^th day

Common farm problems: Irregular planting distance/Tall main jorquette

No regular planting distance & tall branching of jorquettes; problems in operation works including harvesting compared to low well-maintained jorquette tree

Common farm problems: Multi-stem/Close-planting

Close-planting of cocoa with other crop plants & allowing of multi-stem chupon growth

Cocoa Fertilizer Applications / Manuring

Nursery Stage

The objective is to have seedling with good leaf area and encourage root development. Soil used for polybags should preferably be sandy clay loam but using other potting material such as recycled organic material is also applicable. The soil is thoroughly mixed with 10gm Ground Rock Phosphate (GRP) and 10gm Ground Magnesium Limestone (GML) for a size 15x20 cm polybags. As the size of the polybags increase, the amount also increase about 10gm of each type of fertilizer. Watering is essential to maintain the soil in a moist condition but waterlogging should be avoided by all means. Seedlings will respond to fertilizers applied at ‘little-and-often’ rate. Upon emerging of the leaves at about 2-3 weeks old, weekly spraying of foliar fertilizer is recommended switching to suitable compound fertilizer after the 3^rd month applying at forthnightly interval.

Immature Stage – 1 to 3 years old plants

Soil condition during planting is important to ensure good growth. Soil pH value preferably be about 4.5 and moist but not waterlogged. In its initial growth, cocoa plants need overhead shade of 80 – 90 % and inter-planting under tall plants such as coconut, pili, banana and mahogany is suitable to achieve this condition. But using artificial temporary shade is also being done by planters who preferred to plant cocoa in a monoculture cultivation of zero-shade condition. The purpose of routine fertilizer application in this immature stage is to ensure vigorous growth in root and canopy formation to achieve an early crop production.

Mature Stage – above 3 years old plants

Adequate quantities of fertilizer should be applied to coincide with the onset of periodic leaf flushes and the peak seasonal cropping months. Leaf growth following the initiation of a flush consumes large quantities of nutrients, lowering the nutrient status for sometime until photosynthesis by the new leaves restores the carbohydrates used for their growth. Adequate supply of nutrients is therefore essential to maintain nutrient levels of older trees. This is an important consideration for young trees whose nutrient reserves are much smaller. In the case of leaf flushing, N should be well sustained whilst following successful formation of the cherelles, K is important. The effect of flushing on cherelle wilt (aborting of new fruitlets) can be associated with the temporary depletion of nutrient reserves by leaf growth which is related to the Leaf Area Index (LAI) factor. Trees with low LAI due to drought, pruning works, insect damage, etc tend to flush more vigorously than trees with good canopy.

The two nutrients required in largest amounts are K and N with regard with yield / crop production. Nutrient requirements appear to increase significantly after the pods have passed the critical period of cherelle wilt.

Pruning Works

Pruning works on immature trees intend to cut only the water sprout / chupon and dead branches, if any. Between 1 to 3 years, the plant growth is encouraged to an upright position and some farmers even use sticks to support the main stem to avoid falling over. No cutting of branches of the growing main branching / jorquette formation is allowed.

Unless done by a trained farmer, tree formation pruning can be delayed until the age between 3 to 5 years old. Interlocking branches, dead and diseased branches and low-lying hanging branches are removed on a 3 month scheduled rounds from the age 3 years and above. This is to ensure good visibility, better aeration and sun penetration within the canopy. It is suggested that how much to be pruned can be based on sun penetration level of 20 – 25% as seen on the ground. As the plant grow bigger, height control pruning should be done to maintain the tree at about 2 to 2.5 meter high. While carrying pruning works, always be aware not to over prune by cutting branches ≥ 2cm in diameter and avoid climbing the tree especially the mature fruiting trees so as not to damage the fruit cushions. Proper tools of cutters and pruning saw must be used during pruning works.

Cocoa Nursery_Basically......

Seedlings preparation start from getting the beans from the cocoa pod and separate them from placenta and the husks. Choose only well-matured and ripe pods. The beans are cleaned and good regular size beans are selected from small and flat beans. The seeds are kept on a wet layer of clothing and covered also with a wet layer of clothing for germination of the roots from the seeds. The clothing/wet gunny bag are kept wet daily during checking of germinated seeds; daily the seeds are checked and germinated seeds are transferred for planting.In the meantime while waiting for the seeds to germinate, which can be from one to ten days’ time, perforated black polythene bags / polybags are filled with soil free of leaves, sticks, roots and other impurities and arrange in the nursery bed. Germinated seeds are transferred to polybags. Daily watering except during rainy days and weeding of grasses is done to ensure good growth. Seedlings are ready for budding at about 3 month old. After budding, the seedlings are kept maintained in the nursery for a another 3 months before being dispatched to the field for planting.