Cocoa Fertilizer Recomendations

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 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.

Sample of polybags used related to age of seedlings in nursery:-

Months in Nursery	Polybag Size
	Width	Length	Gauge
3 – 4	2 inches	7 inches	150
4 – 6	4 inches	9 inches	250
6 – 8	6 inches	10 inches	400
10 – 12	12 inches	18 inches	500

Sample of fertilizer application schedule is as follows:-

Age of Seedling	Amount per bag	Type of fertilizer	Remarks
2 weeks	20 gm	NPK 14:13:9	Mixed fertilizer in 20 liters water
3 weeks	40 gm	NPK 14:13:9	Mixed fertilizer in 20 liters water
4 weeks	5 gm	NPK 14:13:9	In each bag but not touching the plant
6 weeks	5 gm	NPK 14:13:9	In each bag but not touching the plant
7 weeks	5 gm	NPK 14:13:9	In each bag but not touching the plant
10 weeks	5 gm	NPK 12:6:22	In each bag but not touching the plant
12 weeks	10 gm	NPK 14:13:9	In each bag but not touching the plant
14 weeks	10 gm	NPK 14:13:9	In each bag but not touching the plant
16 weeks	10 gm	NPK 14:13:9	In each bag but not touching the plant
18 weeks	15 gm	NPK 12:6:22	In each bag but not touching the plant
20 weeks	15 gm	NPK 12:6:22	In each bag but not touching the plant
22 weeks	15 gm	NPK 14:13:9	In each bag but not touching the plant
24 weeks	15 gm	NPK 14:13:9	In each bag but not touching the plant

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.

Age (months)	1ST to 3rd YEAR
	Soil below pH 4.5		Soil above pH 4.5
	Type of Fertilizer	Amount	Type of Fertilizer	Amount
2	NPK 14:13:9	30 gm	NPK 15:15:6	30 gm
4	NPK 14:13:9	60 gm	NPK 15:15:6	60 gm
6	NPK 14:13:9	60 gm	NPK 15:15:6	60 gm
9	NPK 14:13:9	120 gm	NPK 15:15:6	120 gm
10	GML	300 gm	GML	200 gm
12	NPK 14:13:9	120 gm	NPK 15:15:6	120 gm
15	NPK 12:6:22	120 gm	NPK 12:12:17	120gm
18	NPK 12:6:22	120 gm	NPK 12:12:17	120gm
20	GML	400 gm	GML	300gm
21	NPK 12:6:22	180 gm	NPK 12:12:17	180gm
24	NPK 12:6:22	240 gm	NPK 12:12:17	240gm
28	NPK 12:6:22	240 gm	NPK 12:12:17	240gm
30	GML	500 gm	GML	400gm
32	NPK 12:6:22	240 gm	NPK 12:12:17	240gm
36	NPK 12:6:22	240 gm	NPK 12:12:17	240gm

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. The analysed nutrient contents removed by the harvested pods per 1000 kg dry beans is as follows:

COMPONENTS	N	P	K	Mg	Ca
Beans	19.20	4.40	10.50	3.10	0.80
Shell	0.16	0.02	0.67	0.04	0.08
Husk	13.80	0.35	53.25	2.05	3.70
TOTAL	33.16	4.77	64.42	5.19	4.58

Sample of fertilizer application schedule for mature stage is as follows:

No. of Application Per Year	4th and 5th YEAR THEREAFTER
	Soil below pH 4.5		Soil above pH 4.5
	Type of Fertilizer	Amount	Type of Fertilizer	Amount
1st	GML	500 gm	GML	400 gm
2nd	NPK 14:13:9	300 gm	NPK 15:15:6	300 gm
3rd	NPK 12:6:22	300 gm	NPK 15:15:6	300 gm
4th	GML	500 gm	GML	400 gm
5th	NPK 14:13:9	450 gm	NPK 15:15:6	450 gm