Pamphlet No4

COCOA

PACKAGE or PRACTICES

shy

CENTRAL PLANTATION CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE ~ Kasaragod-670 124

cpeRI Kerala India

Published by M K Nair Director CPCRI Kasaragod-670 124 Kerala

Materials prepared by K B Abdul Khader R Chandra Mohanan B M Bopai$h

Edited By M K ]1uHyar K 1lt N Nambiar

Revised and reprinted June 1989

Printed at Sharada Press Mangalore

Cocoa

Package of Practices

CONTENTS

I Introduction

2 Climate and soil

3 Shade

4 Varieties

41 High yielding accessions

5 Raising of planting material

5 I Selection of seeds 52 Nursery techniques 5 3 Vegetative propagation

6 Establishing plantatIOn

6 I Planting time 62 Spacmg and a lignment d3 Man uring a nd IXrlgation 64 Pruning

7 Plant protection

7 1 PeSTS 711 Mealy bug 7] 2 Stem borer 713 Aphids 714 Stem girdler 71 5 Leaf eating caterpillars 16 Leaf beetle

717 Rodents

72 Diseases

721 Black pod disease 722 Canker 723 Charcoal pod rot 72 L1 Pink disease 725 Cherelle wilt 2 6 White thread blight

727 Zinc deficiency

8 Harveslin9

9 Processing

91 Fermltgtn tation

911 Box method 912 Basket method

92 Dryin[)

921 Sun drying 92 2 Artificial drying 923 Electric oven 924 Samoan type drier

93 Grading and storage

10 Economics

COCOA PACKAGE OF PRACTICES

I Introduction Though cocoa has been known as the beverage crop even

before tea or coffee it is relatively a new crop in India The cultivation of cocoa in India on a large scale started in the early 1970s Eighty per cent of cocoa area is inter-planted in coconut and areacanut gardens It is also grown as an under crop in partially cleared forests From imports of about 1000 tonnes in early 70s our country has exported about 148 tonnes of beans in 1985-86 The present area under cocoa is estimated to be around 22600 ha with a production of about 6300 tonnes Kerala accounts for 79 per cent of the area and 71 of production of cocoa Karnataka ranks second with an estimated 18 per cent of area and 25 per cent of production

Though cocoa (Theobroma cacao L) is a native of the Amazon region of South America the bulk of it is produced in the tropical areas of the African continent About 35 countries in the world produce and export cocoa the major producing countries being Ghana Nigeria Ivory Coast Brazil and Cameroon In 1985-86 the total world production was 19amp8 thousand metric tonnes

2 Climate and soil Cocoa is a crop of the tropics Though the crop grows between

200N and 200S latitude the main growing areas are situated within 10deg north and south of the equator Cocoa is grown from sea level up to an elevation of about 500m However it comes up best upto 300m above sea level Ideally cocoa requires a minimum 90-100mm rainfall per month with an annual precipitation of 1500-2000mm Rainfall can be supplemented with irrigation during the dry periods

Cocoa needs an equitable climate It grows within a range of 15deg-39degC and temperatur~ around 25degC is considered the most

I

optimum It cannot be grown commercially in areas where the minimum temperature falls below 10degC and the annual average temperature is less than 21degC The microclimatic environment around the cocoa plants consists of a high humidity at all times

Cocoa requires a soil which can be easily penetratshyed by its roots retains moisture during the dry season and permits the movement of air Poorly drained soils are inimical to this crop A great proportion of the cocoa of the world is grown on clay loams loams and sandy loams It thrives on a wide range of soil types with pH ranging from 45-80 with the optimum pH being 65-70 Cocoa does not come up in coastal sandy soils where coconuts flourish

3 Shade Cocoa whose natural environment is the lower storeys of the

forest requires shade when young and also to a lesser extent when grown up Young cocoa plants grow best with 50 full sunlight It grows very well in the partially shaded conditions prevailing in the arecanut and coconut gardens in our country As the tree matures its shade requirements are reduced

4 Varieties CommerCial cocoa has two major varieties Criollo and

Forestero which differ mainly in the colour of the cotyledons Criollo cotyledons are plumpy and white when fresh turning cinnamon coloured on fermentation In Forestero the beans are flat and the colour changes from purple when fresh to dark chocolate brown on fermentation The dark red Criollo pods have a rough surface pronouncld point and a thin wall wihle Forestero pods are green when immature and yellow when ripe thick walled melon shaped with rounded ends and smooth inconspicuous ridges The Criollo variety possesses a bland flavour and pleasant aroma while Forestero variety possesses a harsh flavour with bitter taste In India the Forestero variety is recommended for culualion The Criollo variety has a lower adaptability a nd less yield potential It is highly susceptible to diseases Hence its cultivation is not enouraged anywhere in the world Porcstero vartery forms most of the commercial Cocoa of the world Crjolio femlems fully in three days while rorestero

2

variety needs six days They must therefore be fermented separately

Other types of cocoa include (I) Trinitario from Trinidad which I

is said to be a hybrid between Criollo and Forestero with highly variable pod characteristics (2) Amelonado a Forestero type bean with a melon shaped pod cultivated in West Africa and (3) Amazon a relatively new type collected from the Amazon forests which has got vigour and high yield

41 High yielding accessions The accession numbers of 1-21 11-11 11-18 IJ-67 I1I-5 and III-WI from Malaysian collections were found to be high yielders compared to other types These selections have got desirable characters such as high yield and more than one gm bean weight These accessions are therefore recommended for the cocoa growers for cultivation

5 Raising of planting material 5 I Selection of seeds Cocoa can be propagated from

seeds or vegetatively from buds and cuttings However vegetative propagation is used only for experimental studies Fresh beans should be used for sowing as cocoa seeds lose their viability soon after they are taken out of pods

52 Nursery techniques Before sowing the seeds are rubbed with dry sand or wood ash to remove mucilage The beans are planted with their pointed end upwards Seeds may be sown eitheir in plastic bags (25 x IS cm size ISO gauge) or in raised beds If sown in beds young seedlings are usually transplanted into polythene bagsafter about two weeks of germination The seedlings are ready for transplantation to the field after about 3-4 months In tropical west Africa seeds are often sown in situ instead of transplanting the seedlings In such a case two seeds are sown per pit and the weaker seedlings are later thinned out

As cocoa shows considerable variability in the field it is recommended that seedlings may be obtained only from government nurseries and such other dependable sources

53 Vegetative propagation Vegetatively propagated

3

progenies will be true to the parents Soft wood grafting is found to be possible in cocoa The method consists of cleft grafting of scions to the seedlings of 40-45 days old raised in polybags The scions are procured by prior defoliation of shoots of comparative thickness The scions start sprouting within one month All the shoots emerging from the root stocks are to be removed periodically The grafts are planted in the pits as in the case of seedlings For better establishment greater care has to be exercised by providing water shade and nutrients

6 Establishing plantatio 61 Planting time As a pure plantation cocoa can be

planted in forest lands by thinning and regulating the shade suitably It is planted at a distance of 25-30 m both between and within rows either in the beginning of the monsoon in May-June or at the end of the monsoon in September

62 Spacing and alignment Cocoa seedlings are planted in pits of 75 cm cube filled with compost It can be planted with advantage as a mixed crop with both arecanut and coconut The mixed plantations of arecanut and cocoa can be raised adopting either the quincunx method at a spacing of 4m x 4m with the cocoa occupying the centre of the square or the normal spacing of 27mx 27m for areca and 2 7m x 54m for cocoa Both areca and cocoa require shade during the first two hot weather seasons after planting Banana can be grown as shade crop Red gram Sesbania and such other tall growing pulse or green manure crops are found to be equally good All of them may be planted either within or betveen rows During the subsequent years the shade cast by areca palms will provide the required shade for cocoa When cocoa is to be raised as a mixed crop with coconut either Single hedge or double hedge system of planting may be adopted In single hedge system cocoa can be planted 27m apart in a single row in between two rows of coconut while in double hedge system it can be planted 25m apart in double rows in between two rows of coconut palms

63 Manuring and irrigation An annual application of 100g N 40g P20S and 140g K20 per tree per year in two equal split doses is recommend During the first year of planting the

plants may be given one third the above dose while in the second and third year two thirds and full dose of fertilizers applied The fertili ser is applied in two splits the first dose in F(ebruarY-0Ia rch and the second dose in September-October fertilisers may be applied uniformly around the base of the tr(( up to a radius of 75 cm and forked and incorporated in the soil Summer irrigation is one of the important aspects in the cocoa cultivation Cocoa plants require continous supply of moisture for optimum growth and yield During summer the plants will have to be irrigated at weekly intervals When cocoa is planted as a mixed crop in arecanut garden it has to be irrigated with 30mm depth of water with IWCP ratio of I If adequate water supply is not ensured in summer months the yield will be reduced and under mixed cropping systems if there is severe drought the yi(ld of both the ClOps may be affected Providing adequate irrigation is very important for cocoa both in mono as well as mixed crop system

64 Pruning The cocoa trees should be pruned reqularly to develop a good shape For this all the fan branches arising from the main stem are nipped off up to a height of about 10-15m or cut in the initial years of their growth Later only the thin and dried up branches are periodically removed Operations like harwting spraying etc will be eaSier if the height of the trees is kept at the second storey level

Cocoa grows in a series of storeys The chupon or vertical growth of the seedlings terminates at the jorquette where four or five fan branches develop Further chupon develops just below the jorquette and continues its vertical growth till another jorquette forms and so on Then the first jorquette develops at a height of about 15 m the canopy will form at a height convenient for harvesting and other operations It is desirable to limit the height of the tree at that level by periodical remova l of chupon growth A second jorquette may be allowed to develop if the first one formee was very close to the ground Generally 3-5 fan branches are developed at each jorquette When more fan branches developed at each jorquette When more fan branches develop one or two weaker ones may be removed The branches badly affected by pests and diseases also should be removed

4 5

Published by M K Nair Director CPCRI Kasaragod-670 124 Kerala

Materials prepared by K B Abdul Khader R Chandra Mohanan B M Bopai$h

Edited By M K ]1uHyar K 1lt N Nambiar

Revised and reprinted June 1989

Printed at Sharada Press Mangalore

Cocoa

Package of Practices

CONTENTS

I Introduction

2 Climate and soil

3 Shade

4 Varieties

41 High yielding accessions

5 Raising of planting material

5 I Selection of seeds 52 Nursery techniques 5 3 Vegetative propagation

6 Establishing plantatIOn

6 I Planting time 62 Spacmg and a lignment d3 Man uring a nd IXrlgation 64 Pruning

7 Plant protection

7 1 PeSTS 711 Mealy bug 7] 2 Stem borer 713 Aphids 714 Stem girdler 71 5 Leaf eating caterpillars 16 Leaf beetle

717 Rodents

72 Diseases

721 Black pod disease 722 Canker 723 Charcoal pod rot 72 L1 Pink disease 725 Cherelle wilt 2 6 White thread blight

727 Zinc deficiency

8 Harveslin9

9 Processing

91 Fermltgtn tation

911 Box method 912 Basket method

92 Dryin[)

921 Sun drying 92 2 Artificial drying 923 Electric oven 924 Samoan type drier

93 Grading and storage

10 Economics

COCOA PACKAGE OF PRACTICES

I Introduction Though cocoa has been known as the beverage crop even

before tea or coffee it is relatively a new crop in India The cultivation of cocoa in India on a large scale started in the early 1970s Eighty per cent of cocoa area is inter-planted in coconut and areacanut gardens It is also grown as an under crop in partially cleared forests From imports of about 1000 tonnes in early 70s our country has exported about 148 tonnes of beans in 1985-86 The present area under cocoa is estimated to be around 22600 ha with a production of about 6300 tonnes Kerala accounts for 79 per cent of the area and 71 of production of cocoa Karnataka ranks second with an estimated 18 per cent of area and 25 per cent of production

Though cocoa (Theobroma cacao L) is a native of the Amazon region of South America the bulk of it is produced in the tropical areas of the African continent About 35 countries in the world produce and export cocoa the major producing countries being Ghana Nigeria Ivory Coast Brazil and Cameroon In 1985-86 the total world production was 19amp8 thousand metric tonnes

2 Climate and soil Cocoa is a crop of the tropics Though the crop grows between

200N and 200S latitude the main growing areas are situated within 10deg north and south of the equator Cocoa is grown from sea level up to an elevation of about 500m However it comes up best upto 300m above sea level Ideally cocoa requires a minimum 90-100mm rainfall per month with an annual precipitation of 1500-2000mm Rainfall can be supplemented with irrigation during the dry periods

Cocoa needs an equitable climate It grows within a range of 15deg-39degC and temperatur~ around 25degC is considered the most

I

optimum It cannot be grown commercially in areas where the minimum temperature falls below 10degC and the annual average temperature is less than 21degC The microclimatic environment around the cocoa plants consists of a high humidity at all times

Cocoa requires a soil which can be easily penetratshyed by its roots retains moisture during the dry season and permits the movement of air Poorly drained soils are inimical to this crop A great proportion of the cocoa of the world is grown on clay loams loams and sandy loams It thrives on a wide range of soil types with pH ranging from 45-80 with the optimum pH being 65-70 Cocoa does not come up in coastal sandy soils where coconuts flourish

3 Shade Cocoa whose natural environment is the lower storeys of the

forest requires shade when young and also to a lesser extent when grown up Young cocoa plants grow best with 50 full sunlight It grows very well in the partially shaded conditions prevailing in the arecanut and coconut gardens in our country As the tree matures its shade requirements are reduced

4 Varieties CommerCial cocoa has two major varieties Criollo and

Forestero which differ mainly in the colour of the cotyledons Criollo cotyledons are plumpy and white when fresh turning cinnamon coloured on fermentation In Forestero the beans are flat and the colour changes from purple when fresh to dark chocolate brown on fermentation The dark red Criollo pods have a rough surface pronouncld point and a thin wall wihle Forestero pods are green when immature and yellow when ripe thick walled melon shaped with rounded ends and smooth inconspicuous ridges The Criollo variety possesses a bland flavour and pleasant aroma while Forestero variety possesses a harsh flavour with bitter taste In India the Forestero variety is recommended for culualion The Criollo variety has a lower adaptability a nd less yield potential It is highly susceptible to diseases Hence its cultivation is not enouraged anywhere in the world Porcstero vartery forms most of the commercial Cocoa of the world Crjolio femlems fully in three days while rorestero

2

variety needs six days They must therefore be fermented separately

Other types of cocoa include (I) Trinitario from Trinidad which I

is said to be a hybrid between Criollo and Forestero with highly variable pod characteristics (2) Amelonado a Forestero type bean with a melon shaped pod cultivated in West Africa and (3) Amazon a relatively new type collected from the Amazon forests which has got vigour and high yield

41 High yielding accessions The accession numbers of 1-21 11-11 11-18 IJ-67 I1I-5 and III-WI from Malaysian collections were found to be high yielders compared to other types These selections have got desirable characters such as high yield and more than one gm bean weight These accessions are therefore recommended for the cocoa growers for cultivation

5 Raising of planting material 5 I Selection of seeds Cocoa can be propagated from

seeds or vegetatively from buds and cuttings However vegetative propagation is used only for experimental studies Fresh beans should be used for sowing as cocoa seeds lose their viability soon after they are taken out of pods

52 Nursery techniques Before sowing the seeds are rubbed with dry sand or wood ash to remove mucilage The beans are planted with their pointed end upwards Seeds may be sown eitheir in plastic bags (25 x IS cm size ISO gauge) or in raised beds If sown in beds young seedlings are usually transplanted into polythene bagsafter about two weeks of germination The seedlings are ready for transplantation to the field after about 3-4 months In tropical west Africa seeds are often sown in situ instead of transplanting the seedlings In such a case two seeds are sown per pit and the weaker seedlings are later thinned out

As cocoa shows considerable variability in the field it is recommended that seedlings may be obtained only from government nurseries and such other dependable sources

53 Vegetative propagation Vegetatively propagated

3

progenies will be true to the parents Soft wood grafting is found to be possible in cocoa The method consists of cleft grafting of scions to the seedlings of 40-45 days old raised in polybags The scions are procured by prior defoliation of shoots of comparative thickness The scions start sprouting within one month All the shoots emerging from the root stocks are to be removed periodically The grafts are planted in the pits as in the case of seedlings For better establishment greater care has to be exercised by providing water shade and nutrients

6 Establishing plantatio 61 Planting time As a pure plantation cocoa can be

planted in forest lands by thinning and regulating the shade suitably It is planted at a distance of 25-30 m both between and within rows either in the beginning of the monsoon in May-June or at the end of the monsoon in September

62 Spacing and alignment Cocoa seedlings are planted in pits of 75 cm cube filled with compost It can be planted with advantage as a mixed crop with both arecanut and coconut The mixed plantations of arecanut and cocoa can be raised adopting either the quincunx method at a spacing of 4m x 4m with the cocoa occupying the centre of the square or the normal spacing of 27mx 27m for areca and 2 7m x 54m for cocoa Both areca and cocoa require shade during the first two hot weather seasons after planting Banana can be grown as shade crop Red gram Sesbania and such other tall growing pulse or green manure crops are found to be equally good All of them may be planted either within or betveen rows During the subsequent years the shade cast by areca palms will provide the required shade for cocoa When cocoa is to be raised as a mixed crop with coconut either Single hedge or double hedge system of planting may be adopted In single hedge system cocoa can be planted 27m apart in a single row in between two rows of coconut while in double hedge system it can be planted 25m apart in double rows in between two rows of coconut palms

63 Manuring and irrigation An annual application of 100g N 40g P20S and 140g K20 per tree per year in two equal split doses is recommend During the first year of planting the

plants may be given one third the above dose while in the second and third year two thirds and full dose of fertilizers applied The fertili ser is applied in two splits the first dose in F(ebruarY-0Ia rch and the second dose in September-October fertilisers may be applied uniformly around the base of the tr(( up to a radius of 75 cm and forked and incorporated in the soil Summer irrigation is one of the important aspects in the cocoa cultivation Cocoa plants require continous supply of moisture for optimum growth and yield During summer the plants will have to be irrigated at weekly intervals When cocoa is planted as a mixed crop in arecanut garden it has to be irrigated with 30mm depth of water with IWCP ratio of I If adequate water supply is not ensured in summer months the yield will be reduced and under mixed cropping systems if there is severe drought the yi(ld of both the ClOps may be affected Providing adequate irrigation is very important for cocoa both in mono as well as mixed crop system

64 Pruning The cocoa trees should be pruned reqularly to develop a good shape For this all the fan branches arising from the main stem are nipped off up to a height of about 10-15m or cut in the initial years of their growth Later only the thin and dried up branches are periodically removed Operations like harwting spraying etc will be eaSier if the height of the trees is kept at the second storey level

Cocoa grows in a series of storeys The chupon or vertical growth of the seedlings terminates at the jorquette where four or five fan branches develop Further chupon develops just below the jorquette and continues its vertical growth till another jorquette forms and so on Then the first jorquette develops at a height of about 15 m the canopy will form at a height convenient for harvesting and other operations It is desirable to limit the height of the tree at that level by periodical remova l of chupon growth A second jorquette may be allowed to develop if the first one formee was very close to the ground Generally 3-5 fan branches are developed at each jorquette When more fan branches developed at each jorquette When more fan branches develop one or two weaker ones may be removed The branches badly affected by pests and diseases also should be removed

4 5

72 Diseases

721 Black pod disease 722 Canker 723 Charcoal pod rot 72 L1 Pink disease 725 Cherelle wilt 2 6 White thread blight

727 Zinc deficiency

8 Harveslin9

9 Processing

91 Fermltgtn tation

911 Box method 912 Basket method

92 Dryin[)

921 Sun drying 92 2 Artificial drying 923 Electric oven 924 Samoan type drier

93 Grading and storage

10 Economics

COCOA PACKAGE OF PRACTICES

I Introduction Though cocoa has been known as the beverage crop even

before tea or coffee it is relatively a new crop in India The cultivation of cocoa in India on a large scale started in the early 1970s Eighty per cent of cocoa area is inter-planted in coconut and areacanut gardens It is also grown as an under crop in partially cleared forests From imports of about 1000 tonnes in early 70s our country has exported about 148 tonnes of beans in 1985-86 The present area under cocoa is estimated to be around 22600 ha with a production of about 6300 tonnes Kerala accounts for 79 per cent of the area and 71 of production of cocoa Karnataka ranks second with an estimated 18 per cent of area and 25 per cent of production

Though cocoa (Theobroma cacao L) is a native of the Amazon region of South America the bulk of it is produced in the tropical areas of the African continent About 35 countries in the world produce and export cocoa the major producing countries being Ghana Nigeria Ivory Coast Brazil and Cameroon In 1985-86 the total world production was 19amp8 thousand metric tonnes

2 Climate and soil Cocoa is a crop of the tropics Though the crop grows between

200N and 200S latitude the main growing areas are situated within 10deg north and south of the equator Cocoa is grown from sea level up to an elevation of about 500m However it comes up best upto 300m above sea level Ideally cocoa requires a minimum 90-100mm rainfall per month with an annual precipitation of 1500-2000mm Rainfall can be supplemented with irrigation during the dry periods

Cocoa needs an equitable climate It grows within a range of 15deg-39degC and temperatur~ around 25degC is considered the most

I

optimum It cannot be grown commercially in areas where the minimum temperature falls below 10degC and the annual average temperature is less than 21degC The microclimatic environment around the cocoa plants consists of a high humidity at all times

Cocoa requires a soil which can be easily penetratshyed by its roots retains moisture during the dry season and permits the movement of air Poorly drained soils are inimical to this crop A great proportion of the cocoa of the world is grown on clay loams loams and sandy loams It thrives on a wide range of soil types with pH ranging from 45-80 with the optimum pH being 65-70 Cocoa does not come up in coastal sandy soils where coconuts flourish

3 Shade Cocoa whose natural environment is the lower storeys of the

forest requires shade when young and also to a lesser extent when grown up Young cocoa plants grow best with 50 full sunlight It grows very well in the partially shaded conditions prevailing in the arecanut and coconut gardens in our country As the tree matures its shade requirements are reduced

4 Varieties CommerCial cocoa has two major varieties Criollo and

Forestero which differ mainly in the colour of the cotyledons Criollo cotyledons are plumpy and white when fresh turning cinnamon coloured on fermentation In Forestero the beans are flat and the colour changes from purple when fresh to dark chocolate brown on fermentation The dark red Criollo pods have a rough surface pronouncld point and a thin wall wihle Forestero pods are green when immature and yellow when ripe thick walled melon shaped with rounded ends and smooth inconspicuous ridges The Criollo variety possesses a bland flavour and pleasant aroma while Forestero variety possesses a harsh flavour with bitter taste In India the Forestero variety is recommended for culualion The Criollo variety has a lower adaptability a nd less yield potential It is highly susceptible to diseases Hence its cultivation is not enouraged anywhere in the world Porcstero vartery forms most of the commercial Cocoa of the world Crjolio femlems fully in three days while rorestero

2

variety needs six days They must therefore be fermented separately

Other types of cocoa include (I) Trinitario from Trinidad which I

is said to be a hybrid between Criollo and Forestero with highly variable pod characteristics (2) Amelonado a Forestero type bean with a melon shaped pod cultivated in West Africa and (3) Amazon a relatively new type collected from the Amazon forests which has got vigour and high yield

41 High yielding accessions The accession numbers of 1-21 11-11 11-18 IJ-67 I1I-5 and III-WI from Malaysian collections were found to be high yielders compared to other types These selections have got desirable characters such as high yield and more than one gm bean weight These accessions are therefore recommended for the cocoa growers for cultivation

5 Raising of planting material 5 I Selection of seeds Cocoa can be propagated from

seeds or vegetatively from buds and cuttings However vegetative propagation is used only for experimental studies Fresh beans should be used for sowing as cocoa seeds lose their viability soon after they are taken out of pods

52 Nursery techniques Before sowing the seeds are rubbed with dry sand or wood ash to remove mucilage The beans are planted with their pointed end upwards Seeds may be sown eitheir in plastic bags (25 x IS cm size ISO gauge) or in raised beds If sown in beds young seedlings are usually transplanted into polythene bagsafter about two weeks of germination The seedlings are ready for transplantation to the field after about 3-4 months In tropical west Africa seeds are often sown in situ instead of transplanting the seedlings In such a case two seeds are sown per pit and the weaker seedlings are later thinned out

As cocoa shows considerable variability in the field it is recommended that seedlings may be obtained only from government nurseries and such other dependable sources

53 Vegetative propagation Vegetatively propagated

3

progenies will be true to the parents Soft wood grafting is found to be possible in cocoa The method consists of cleft grafting of scions to the seedlings of 40-45 days old raised in polybags The scions are procured by prior defoliation of shoots of comparative thickness The scions start sprouting within one month All the shoots emerging from the root stocks are to be removed periodically The grafts are planted in the pits as in the case of seedlings For better establishment greater care has to be exercised by providing water shade and nutrients

6 Establishing plantatio 61 Planting time As a pure plantation cocoa can be

planted in forest lands by thinning and regulating the shade suitably It is planted at a distance of 25-30 m both between and within rows either in the beginning of the monsoon in May-June or at the end of the monsoon in September

62 Spacing and alignment Cocoa seedlings are planted in pits of 75 cm cube filled with compost It can be planted with advantage as a mixed crop with both arecanut and coconut The mixed plantations of arecanut and cocoa can be raised adopting either the quincunx method at a spacing of 4m x 4m with the cocoa occupying the centre of the square or the normal spacing of 27mx 27m for areca and 2 7m x 54m for cocoa Both areca and cocoa require shade during the first two hot weather seasons after planting Banana can be grown as shade crop Red gram Sesbania and such other tall growing pulse or green manure crops are found to be equally good All of them may be planted either within or betveen rows During the subsequent years the shade cast by areca palms will provide the required shade for cocoa When cocoa is to be raised as a mixed crop with coconut either Single hedge or double hedge system of planting may be adopted In single hedge system cocoa can be planted 27m apart in a single row in between two rows of coconut while in double hedge system it can be planted 25m apart in double rows in between two rows of coconut palms

63 Manuring and irrigation An annual application of 100g N 40g P20S and 140g K20 per tree per year in two equal split doses is recommend During the first year of planting the

plants may be given one third the above dose while in the second and third year two thirds and full dose of fertilizers applied The fertili ser is applied in two splits the first dose in F(ebruarY-0Ia rch and the second dose in September-October fertilisers may be applied uniformly around the base of the tr(( up to a radius of 75 cm and forked and incorporated in the soil Summer irrigation is one of the important aspects in the cocoa cultivation Cocoa plants require continous supply of moisture for optimum growth and yield During summer the plants will have to be irrigated at weekly intervals When cocoa is planted as a mixed crop in arecanut garden it has to be irrigated with 30mm depth of water with IWCP ratio of I If adequate water supply is not ensured in summer months the yield will be reduced and under mixed cropping systems if there is severe drought the yi(ld of both the ClOps may be affected Providing adequate irrigation is very important for cocoa both in mono as well as mixed crop system

64 Pruning The cocoa trees should be pruned reqularly to develop a good shape For this all the fan branches arising from the main stem are nipped off up to a height of about 10-15m or cut in the initial years of their growth Later only the thin and dried up branches are periodically removed Operations like harwting spraying etc will be eaSier if the height of the trees is kept at the second storey level

Cocoa grows in a series of storeys The chupon or vertical growth of the seedlings terminates at the jorquette where four or five fan branches develop Further chupon develops just below the jorquette and continues its vertical growth till another jorquette forms and so on Then the first jorquette develops at a height of about 15 m the canopy will form at a height convenient for harvesting and other operations It is desirable to limit the height of the tree at that level by periodical remova l of chupon growth A second jorquette may be allowed to develop if the first one formee was very close to the ground Generally 3-5 fan branches are developed at each jorquette When more fan branches developed at each jorquette When more fan branches develop one or two weaker ones may be removed The branches badly affected by pests and diseases also should be removed

4 5

optimum It cannot be grown commercially in areas where the minimum temperature falls below 10degC and the annual average temperature is less than 21degC The microclimatic environment around the cocoa plants consists of a high humidity at all times

Cocoa requires a soil which can be easily penetratshyed by its roots retains moisture during the dry season and permits the movement of air Poorly drained soils are inimical to this crop A great proportion of the cocoa of the world is grown on clay loams loams and sandy loams It thrives on a wide range of soil types with pH ranging from 45-80 with the optimum pH being 65-70 Cocoa does not come up in coastal sandy soils where coconuts flourish

3 Shade Cocoa whose natural environment is the lower storeys of the

forest requires shade when young and also to a lesser extent when grown up Young cocoa plants grow best with 50 full sunlight It grows very well in the partially shaded conditions prevailing in the arecanut and coconut gardens in our country As the tree matures its shade requirements are reduced

4 Varieties CommerCial cocoa has two major varieties Criollo and

Forestero which differ mainly in the colour of the cotyledons Criollo cotyledons are plumpy and white when fresh turning cinnamon coloured on fermentation In Forestero the beans are flat and the colour changes from purple when fresh to dark chocolate brown on fermentation The dark red Criollo pods have a rough surface pronouncld point and a thin wall wihle Forestero pods are green when immature and yellow when ripe thick walled melon shaped with rounded ends and smooth inconspicuous ridges The Criollo variety possesses a bland flavour and pleasant aroma while Forestero variety possesses a harsh flavour with bitter taste In India the Forestero variety is recommended for culualion The Criollo variety has a lower adaptability a nd less yield potential It is highly susceptible to diseases Hence its cultivation is not enouraged anywhere in the world Porcstero vartery forms most of the commercial Cocoa of the world Crjolio femlems fully in three days while rorestero

2

variety needs six days They must therefore be fermented separately

Other types of cocoa include (I) Trinitario from Trinidad which I

is said to be a hybrid between Criollo and Forestero with highly variable pod characteristics (2) Amelonado a Forestero type bean with a melon shaped pod cultivated in West Africa and (3) Amazon a relatively new type collected from the Amazon forests which has got vigour and high yield

41 High yielding accessions The accession numbers of 1-21 11-11 11-18 IJ-67 I1I-5 and III-WI from Malaysian collections were found to be high yielders compared to other types These selections have got desirable characters such as high yield and more than one gm bean weight These accessions are therefore recommended for the cocoa growers for cultivation

5 Raising of planting material 5 I Selection of seeds Cocoa can be propagated from

seeds or vegetatively from buds and cuttings However vegetative propagation is used only for experimental studies Fresh beans should be used for sowing as cocoa seeds lose their viability soon after they are taken out of pods

52 Nursery techniques Before sowing the seeds are rubbed with dry sand or wood ash to remove mucilage The beans are planted with their pointed end upwards Seeds may be sown eitheir in plastic bags (25 x IS cm size ISO gauge) or in raised beds If sown in beds young seedlings are usually transplanted into polythene bagsafter about two weeks of germination The seedlings are ready for transplantation to the field after about 3-4 months In tropical west Africa seeds are often sown in situ instead of transplanting the seedlings In such a case two seeds are sown per pit and the weaker seedlings are later thinned out

As cocoa shows considerable variability in the field it is recommended that seedlings may be obtained only from government nurseries and such other dependable sources

53 Vegetative propagation Vegetatively propagated

3

progenies will be true to the parents Soft wood grafting is found to be possible in cocoa The method consists of cleft grafting of scions to the seedlings of 40-45 days old raised in polybags The scions are procured by prior defoliation of shoots of comparative thickness The scions start sprouting within one month All the shoots emerging from the root stocks are to be removed periodically The grafts are planted in the pits as in the case of seedlings For better establishment greater care has to be exercised by providing water shade and nutrients

6 Establishing plantatio 61 Planting time As a pure plantation cocoa can be

planted in forest lands by thinning and regulating the shade suitably It is planted at a distance of 25-30 m both between and within rows either in the beginning of the monsoon in May-June or at the end of the monsoon in September

62 Spacing and alignment Cocoa seedlings are planted in pits of 75 cm cube filled with compost It can be planted with advantage as a mixed crop with both arecanut and coconut The mixed plantations of arecanut and cocoa can be raised adopting either the quincunx method at a spacing of 4m x 4m with the cocoa occupying the centre of the square or the normal spacing of 27mx 27m for areca and 2 7m x 54m for cocoa Both areca and cocoa require shade during the first two hot weather seasons after planting Banana can be grown as shade crop Red gram Sesbania and such other tall growing pulse or green manure crops are found to be equally good All of them may be planted either within or betveen rows During the subsequent years the shade cast by areca palms will provide the required shade for cocoa When cocoa is to be raised as a mixed crop with coconut either Single hedge or double hedge system of planting may be adopted In single hedge system cocoa can be planted 27m apart in a single row in between two rows of coconut while in double hedge system it can be planted 25m apart in double rows in between two rows of coconut palms

63 Manuring and irrigation An annual application of 100g N 40g P20S and 140g K20 per tree per year in two equal split doses is recommend During the first year of planting the

plants may be given one third the above dose while in the second and third year two thirds and full dose of fertilizers applied The fertili ser is applied in two splits the first dose in F(ebruarY-0Ia rch and the second dose in September-October fertilisers may be applied uniformly around the base of the tr(( up to a radius of 75 cm and forked and incorporated in the soil Summer irrigation is one of the important aspects in the cocoa cultivation Cocoa plants require continous supply of moisture for optimum growth and yield During summer the plants will have to be irrigated at weekly intervals When cocoa is planted as a mixed crop in arecanut garden it has to be irrigated with 30mm depth of water with IWCP ratio of I If adequate water supply is not ensured in summer months the yield will be reduced and under mixed cropping systems if there is severe drought the yi(ld of both the ClOps may be affected Providing adequate irrigation is very important for cocoa both in mono as well as mixed crop system

64 Pruning The cocoa trees should be pruned reqularly to develop a good shape For this all the fan branches arising from the main stem are nipped off up to a height of about 10-15m or cut in the initial years of their growth Later only the thin and dried up branches are periodically removed Operations like harwting spraying etc will be eaSier if the height of the trees is kept at the second storey level

Cocoa grows in a series of storeys The chupon or vertical growth of the seedlings terminates at the jorquette where four or five fan branches develop Further chupon develops just below the jorquette and continues its vertical growth till another jorquette forms and so on Then the first jorquette develops at a height of about 15 m the canopy will form at a height convenient for harvesting and other operations It is desirable to limit the height of the tree at that level by periodical remova l of chupon growth A second jorquette may be allowed to develop if the first one formee was very close to the ground Generally 3-5 fan branches are developed at each jorquette When more fan branches developed at each jorquette When more fan branches develop one or two weaker ones may be removed The branches badly affected by pests and diseases also should be removed

4 5

progenies will be true to the parents Soft wood grafting is found to be possible in cocoa The method consists of cleft grafting of scions to the seedlings of 40-45 days old raised in polybags The scions are procured by prior defoliation of shoots of comparative thickness The scions start sprouting within one month All the shoots emerging from the root stocks are to be removed periodically The grafts are planted in the pits as in the case of seedlings For better establishment greater care has to be exercised by providing water shade and nutrients

6 Establishing plantatio 61 Planting time As a pure plantation cocoa can be

planted in forest lands by thinning and regulating the shade suitably It is planted at a distance of 25-30 m both between and within rows either in the beginning of the monsoon in May-June or at the end of the monsoon in September

62 Spacing and alignment Cocoa seedlings are planted in pits of 75 cm cube filled with compost It can be planted with advantage as a mixed crop with both arecanut and coconut The mixed plantations of arecanut and cocoa can be raised adopting either the quincunx method at a spacing of 4m x 4m with the cocoa occupying the centre of the square or the normal spacing of 27mx 27m for areca and 2 7m x 54m for cocoa Both areca and cocoa require shade during the first two hot weather seasons after planting Banana can be grown as shade crop Red gram Sesbania and such other tall growing pulse or green manure crops are found to be equally good All of them may be planted either within or betveen rows During the subsequent years the shade cast by areca palms will provide the required shade for cocoa When cocoa is to be raised as a mixed crop with coconut either Single hedge or double hedge system of planting may be adopted In single hedge system cocoa can be planted 27m apart in a single row in between two rows of coconut while in double hedge system it can be planted 25m apart in double rows in between two rows of coconut palms

63 Manuring and irrigation An annual application of 100g N 40g P20S and 140g K20 per tree per year in two equal split doses is recommend During the first year of planting the

plants may be given one third the above dose while in the second and third year two thirds and full dose of fertilizers applied The fertili ser is applied in two splits the first dose in F(ebruarY-0Ia rch and the second dose in September-October fertilisers may be applied uniformly around the base of the tr(( up to a radius of 75 cm and forked and incorporated in the soil Summer irrigation is one of the important aspects in the cocoa cultivation Cocoa plants require continous supply of moisture for optimum growth and yield During summer the plants will have to be irrigated at weekly intervals When cocoa is planted as a mixed crop in arecanut garden it has to be irrigated with 30mm depth of water with IWCP ratio of I If adequate water supply is not ensured in summer months the yield will be reduced and under mixed cropping systems if there is severe drought the yi(ld of both the ClOps may be affected Providing adequate irrigation is very important for cocoa both in mono as well as mixed crop system

64 Pruning The cocoa trees should be pruned reqularly to develop a good shape For this all the fan branches arising from the main stem are nipped off up to a height of about 10-15m or cut in the initial years of their growth Later only the thin and dried up branches are periodically removed Operations like harwting spraying etc will be eaSier if the height of the trees is kept at the second storey level

Cocoa grows in a series of storeys The chupon or vertical growth of the seedlings terminates at the jorquette where four or five fan branches develop Further chupon develops just below the jorquette and continues its vertical growth till another jorquette forms and so on Then the first jorquette develops at a height of about 15 m the canopy will form at a height convenient for harvesting and other operations It is desirable to limit the height of the tree at that level by periodical remova l of chupon growth A second jorquette may be allowed to develop if the first one formee was very close to the ground Generally 3-5 fan branches are developed at each jorquette When more fan branches developed at each jorquette When more fan branches develop one or two weaker ones may be removed The branches badly affected by pests and diseases also should be removed

4 5

7 Plant Protection 7 I Pests 1lore than 50 insects have already been

recorded on cocoa from India The more important among them haY( been described here

7 I I Mealy bugs (Planococcus Iilacinus Ckll and citri Rissol

)yIost important insect pest of cocoa in India is mealy bugs The adult females and young ones feed on the tender shoots cushions flowers cherelles and pods by sucking up the sap They also attract various ants Seedlings and young plants affected by the mealy i)u~Js show retarded 9fowth and excessive branching at unclesired hei~Jh[ They alsu cause cushion abortion ami wilting of cherelles The population of the bU9S is more during the summer months Spot (pplication of anyone of the insecticides viz fenthion (Ltbaycid) 50 ml in 100 litre of water or monocrotophos (-Juvacron) 125 ml in 100 litre of water or dimeth(li[e (R()~Jor) J(jO ml in 100 litre of water will maintain the popullttion (t a low level If recurrence of the pest is noticed a second round of sprayin~J is recommended after 30 days

71 2 Stem borer (Zeuzera coffeae Nietnl Caterpillars of this polypha9()US pest commonly known as red borer oi coffee bore into the branches and trunks of cocoa trees The aerial portion above the point of entry of the pest dries up In seedlin9s and y()Un~1 plants if the dama~jC is not detected in time the tree may be destroyed Conrrol oi the pest is b(st achieved by pruning off and destroyin9 the attacked branches (nd by loc(1 application of BHC paste Spraying with BHC 50 WP or carbaryl (Sevin 50 WP) at the rate of 200 9 in 100 litre water will be helpful in reducing the pest incidence in severelly affected gardens

7 I 3 Aphids (Toxoptera aurantii B de F) Adults and young ones of thIS black aphid feed on the underside of tender leaves succulent stem and flowers and small cherelles Heavy infestation brings a)out premature shedding of flowers and stuntin~1 of stem tip The natural enemies associated with the aphid effect better control normally In severe cases of infestation spraying with climethoate (Rogor) at 160 ml in 100 litre of water is suggested

714 Stem girdler (Glenea sp) The larvae of this beetle tunnel the bark first and penetrate deeper making galleries On younger trees the pest attack occurs at the jorquette which normally results in the drying or breaking of the above portion Mechanical extraction of the larvae and local treatment with BHC paste are suggested as control measurers

715 Leaf eating caterpillars Several hairy caterpiliars and semiloopers feed on the tender foliage shoots and greenbark of cherelles and pods They include bagworms caterpillars of Lymautria sp Euproctis spp Dasychira sp and two species of loopers They would cause serious leaf damage on seedlings and young trees If the damage is severe a spraying could be given by either BHC 50 WP 100 g in 100 litres of water or dimethoate 160 ml in 100 litres of water

7 I 6 Leaf eating beetles Leaf eatin9 beetles mainly 11ylloceros sp and Popillia sp feed on tender leaves causing a series of irregular holes They make sporadic appearances in snme gardens and cause seriOUS damage Grubs of these beetles dwell in the soil Spraying the foliage and drenchin9 the soil with a suspension of BHC 50 WP at the rate of 20 g in 100 litres of water is effective in controlling the pest

71 7 Rodents Rats (Rarrus rartus) and squirrels (Fllnambulus cristriacus and F palmarum) are the major rodent pests of cocoa They cause serious damage to the crop The rats gnaw the pods near the stalk portion whereas squirrels gnaw the pods in the centre The rats are known to damage the mature as well as immature cocoa pods whereas the squirrels damage only

3 the mature ones

The rats can be controlled by keeping 10 g bromadiolone (0005) wax cakes on the branches of rat infested trees twice at an interval of 10-12 days Keeping Varfarin or fumarin (0025) wax blocks (35 gl thrice at an interval of 3-4 days will also help in reducing rat damage

Squirrels are best controlled by trapping with wooden or wiremesh single catch live trap with ripe coconut kernel as the

6 7

bait The success is more if trapping is carried out during the lean periods of the crop (SeptembermiddotNovember) and when the alternate foods such as paddy cashew and jack fruit are not avaiiable The traps should be inspected daily and the trapped animals be killed to minimise the chances of communication with other animals Timely harvest of the pods will help in increasing the efficiency of poison baiting as well as trapping

7- Diseases Among the diseases of cocoa occurring in India PhYtophthora diseases inflict severe losses

721 Black pod disease (Phytophthora palmivoral It occurs in all the cocoa growing areas in south India during the south-west monsoon period with the maximum incidence occuring in July-August The infection occurs anywhere on the pod surface Pods of all ages are susceptible Pods damaged by rodentSinsects or injured while harvesting pruning or carrying out cultural operations are more prone to infection by the pathogen

Infection appears as a chocolate brown spot which spreads very rapidly and soon occupies the entire surface of the pod As the disease advances a whitish growth of the fungus consisting of the sporangia is produced over the affected pod surface Ultimately the affected pods turn chocolate brown to black The internal tissue as well as the beans become dis-coloured as a result of infection The beans in the infected pods approaching ripeness may escape from infection because they are separated from the husk on ripening The beans in such pods can be saved by timely harvesting

The disease can be prevented by spraying I Bordeaux mixture at the onset of the south-west monsoon and thereafter at least twice during the monsoon season at an interval of 45 days Frequent removal and destruction of all infected pods will help reduce the disease incidence to some extent Over crowding of trees and thick shade should be aVOided

722 Canker (P palmivoral The cankers appear either on the main trunk jorquettes or fan branches The earliest symptom is the appearance of 3 greyish brown water soaked leSion on the

outer bark A reddish brown liquid oozes out from these lesions which later dries up to form rusty deposits The tissues beneath the outer leSion show reddish brown discolouration due to rotting When the cankers girdle the main stem or branches dieback symptoms appear and ultimately the death of the tree occurs The infection may also spread from the infected pod to the peduncle and then to the cushion and bark All infected pods should be removed and destroyed The disease can be controlled in the early stages by removing the infected tissues and applying Bordeaux paste There must be good drainage provision in the garden

723 Charcoal pod rot (Botryodiplodia theobromae) This disease is known to occur throughout the year but becomes severe during summer months Pods of all ages are susceptible

The infection appears as a dark brown to black spot The affected pods turn black and remain on the tree as mummified fruit The internal tissues are rotten and the affected beans turn black Spores appear in masses forming a soot Infection takes place through wounds Spraying with 1 Bordeaux mixture is recommended to control this disease Measures to control insects and rodent pests will also help in reducing the incidence

724 Pink disease (PelJicularia salmonicolor) It is characterised by the presence of a pinkish powdery coating on the stem It causes wilting of shoots shedding of shoots shedding of leaves and finally drying up of the branch The disease persists from season to season through dormant mycelium inside the bark and in the cankerous tissues It is checked by pruning the affected branches and swabbing the cut ends with Bordeaux paste The disease can be prevented by spraying regularly with 1 Bordeaux mixture

725 Cherelle wilt The shrivelling and mummifying of some young fruits is a familJar phenomenon in all cocoa gardens In the early stages the fruits lose their lustre and in four to seven days the fruits shrivel The fruits may wilt but do not absciss Many factors are involved in the causation of the malady The most important factors are insects fungi nutrient

8 9

competition over production etc Herce the remedial measures will depend upon the nature of the causative factors involved

726 White thread blight (Marasmius scandens) White thread blight is observed in some of the gardens in Kerala and Karnataka States The white mycelial threads of the fungus spread longitudinally and irregularly along the surface of the young stem or branches Growth of the fungus is very rapid under favourable condition of high humidity and the infection enters leaf lamina along the petioles On the leaf lamina it extensively spreads The affected ieaves turn dark brown These dead leaves eventually get detached from the stem but are found suspended by the mycelial thread The extensive death of the young branches and suspended leaves are the common field symptoms

Thread blight disease can be controlled effectively through removal and burning of the affected pirts In plantation where cocoa is grown as a mixed crop the removal of heavy shade in the garden will also help in the cQntrol of the disease

727 Zinc deficiency Severe incidence of Zinc defiCiency is observed in many cocoa gardens in Kerala Tamil Nadu and Karnataka States The initial symptom is chlorosis of the leaves This appear in patches and in advanced stages the green areas are found only along the vein margins giving a vein banding appearance to the leaves Affected leaves show mottling and crinkling with wavy margin Most of the younger leaves become narrow much reduced in size and sickle shaped showing characteristic little leaf symptom Symptoms on twigs include rosette and dieback Shortening of inter nodes causes a rosette

type of growth In severe cases premature defoliation followed by dieback of the branches occurs

Zinc deficiency can be corrected by foliar spray of a mixture of 03 Zinc sulphate and 015 (wJv) lime

8 Harvesting Cocoa flowers from the second year of planting and the pods

take about 140-160 days to mature and ripen Each pod will have 25-45 beans embedded in white pulp (mucilage) Generally cocoa

10

gives two main crops in a year September-January and April-June though off-season crops may be seen almost all through the year especially under irrigated condition

Only ripe pods have to be harvested without damaging the flower cushions The pods are harvested by cutting the stalk with the help of a knife The harvesting has to be done at regular intervals of 10-15 days The damaged unripe and infected pods have to be separated out to ensure better quality of beans after processing The harvested pods should be kept for a minimum period of two days before opening for fermentation however the pods should not be kept beyond four days For breaking the pods wooden billet may be used After breaking the pods crosswise the placenta should be removed together with husk and the beans are collected for fermentation

9 Processing 9 I Fermentation Fermentation of cocoa beans is

essential to remove the adhering mucilagenous pulp to develop flavour and aroma precursors reduce bitterness kill the germ of the seed and to loosen the testa

The different methods of fermentation are (I) box (2) heap (3) tray and (4) basket However box and basket methods are recommended depending on the quantity of beans to be fermented

9 I I Box method This method is more applicable to large estates or central fermentaries The boxes of 60 cm x 60 cm x 45 cm made of wood and having reapers at the bottom to allow the sweating from the pulp to drain out and to provide aeration are used The boxes could be arranged in tiers for transferring beans from one to the next in line below Two detachable wooden planks are provided on one side of the box for transferring (mixing) the beans by removing the planks

The beans are loaded in fermentation box and covered with banana leaves or gunny sacks The mixing of beans is effected while transferrIng to the next box after 24 hours The mixing is done to facilitate uniform fermentation and to maintain proper

11

temperature moisture and aeration during fermentation The temperature of the fermentation mass will rise about 42-48degC after about 48 hours of fermentation Again transferring of beans is done at 72 hours of fermentation and the final transferring at 24 hr of fermentation A total of six days (144 hours) are required to complete the fermentation

912 Basket method Bamboo or cane baskets of suitable size could be used for fermenting small quantity of beans One or two layers of banana leaves are placed at bottom with provision to drain the sweating The basket is filled with the beans and the surface is covered with banana leaves A small weight is placed over the banana leaves The basket is placed over a raised surface to facilitate drainage of the sweating for one day Later the basket is covered with thick gunny sacks The beans are mixed thoroughly on the third and fifth days and covered with gunny sacks The fermentation will be completed at the end of the sixth day and the beans are withdrawn for drying

92 Drying After the fermentation the beans can be dried by sun-drying or artificial drying The fermented cocoa beans have considerable moisture (5569) and the drying rate is dependent upon temperature and the air flow

921 Sun drying Sun drying should be adopted as far as possible as it gives superior quality produce when compared to that by artificial drying The fermented beans are spread in a thin layer over a bamboo mat or cement floor and dried for 5-6 days The beans are to be stirred from time to time for uniform drying The moisture content of well dried beans is around 6 to 7 percent

922 Artificial drying During the monsoon period artificial drying has to be adopted Electric ovens or conventional Samoan type drier could be used The duration of artificial drying varies from 48-96 hOllrs The drying of beans at high temperature should be avoided as it results in low quality end-product Slow drying in the initial stage has given better quality beans Mould growth has to be prevented during drying as it affects the appearance of the beans

12

9 23 El~ctrlc oven The beans have to be dried for 8-10 hours al 50-55deg( for the first two days followed by continuous drying at 60degC The total drying period will be 72-96 hours The beans are to be stirred at regular intervals for uniform drying and to prevent clump formation The moisture content of the dry beans should be around 6 -7 percent for safe storage

92 4 Samoan type drier The temperature should be maintained around 60-70degC for the first 48 hours and then temperature can be raised to 80D C to reduce the bean moisture to 6 per cent The endmiddotpoint of drying can be determined by rubbin~ the beans with hand after cooling when it should produce a crackling noise

93 Grading and storage The (lried beans aiter cooling to room temperature should be cleaned before storage The flat slaty shrivelled broken and other extraneous materials are removed The cleaned beans are packed in fresh polythene-Iined (150-200 gauge) gunny bags The bags are kept on a raised platform of wooden planks The beans should not be stored in rooms where spices pesticides and fertilizers are stored as they may absorb the odour from these materials

10 Economics In India cocoa cultivation has been confined to Kerala

Southern Karnataka and Kanyakumari distrjct of Tamil Nadu However the crop is mostly grown in the interspaces of coconut and arecanut gardens as a mixed crop and so far cocoa as a soloshycrop has not been attempted here The experimental evidences show that the single hedge cocoa planting with a spacing of 2 7m x 54m3m x 3m is economically ideal than the double hedge cocoa planting with a spacing of 27m x 27m33m x 33m Economics of cocoa cuitiwtion as a mixed crop with (j) Coconut + Pepper and (jj) Arecanut have been worked out under the following assumption

13

competition over production etc Herce the remedial measures will depend upon the nature of the causative factors involved

726 White thread blight (Marasmius scandens) White thread blight is observed in some of the gardens in Kerala and Karnataka States The white mycelial threads of the fungus spread longitudinally and irregularly along the surface of the young stem or branches Growth of the fungus is very rapid under favourable condition of high humidity and the infection enters leaf lamina along the petioles On the leaf lamina it extensively spreads The affected ieaves turn dark brown These dead leaves eventually get detached from the stem but are found suspended by the mycelial thread The extensive death of the young branches and suspended leaves are the common field symptoms

Thread blight disease can be controlled effectively through removal and burning of the affected pirts In plantation where cocoa is grown as a mixed crop the removal of heavy shade in the garden will also help in the cQntrol of the disease

727 Zinc deficiency Severe incidence of Zinc defiCiency is observed in many cocoa gardens in Kerala Tamil Nadu and Karnataka States The initial symptom is chlorosis of the leaves This appear in patches and in advanced stages the green areas are found only along the vein margins giving a vein banding appearance to the leaves Affected leaves show mottling and crinkling with wavy margin Most of the younger leaves become narrow much reduced in size and sickle shaped showing characteristic little leaf symptom Symptoms on twigs include rosette and dieback Shortening of inter nodes causes a rosette

type of growth In severe cases premature defoliation followed by dieback of the branches occurs

Zinc deficiency can be corrected by foliar spray of a mixture of 03 Zinc sulphate and 015 (wJv) lime

8 Harvesting Cocoa flowers from the second year of planting and the pods

take about 140-160 days to mature and ripen Each pod will have 25-45 beans embedded in white pulp (mucilage) Generally cocoa

10

gives two main crops in a year September-January and April-June though off-season crops may be seen almost all through the year especially under irrigated condition

Only ripe pods have to be harvested without damaging the flower cushions The pods are harvested by cutting the stalk with the help of a knife The harvesting has to be done at regular intervals of 10-15 days The damaged unripe and infected pods have to be separated out to ensure better quality of beans after processing The harvested pods should be kept for a minimum period of two days before opening for fermentation however the pods should not be kept beyond four days For breaking the pods wooden billet may be used After breaking the pods crosswise the placenta should be removed together with husk and the beans are collected for fermentation

9 Processing 9 I Fermentation Fermentation of cocoa beans is

essential to remove the adhering mucilagenous pulp to develop flavour and aroma precursors reduce bitterness kill the germ of the seed and to loosen the testa

The different methods of fermentation are (I) box (2) heap (3) tray and (4) basket However box and basket methods are recommended depending on the quantity of beans to be fermented

9 I I Box method This method is more applicable to large estates or central fermentaries The boxes of 60 cm x 60 cm x 45 cm made of wood and having reapers at the bottom to allow the sweating from the pulp to drain out and to provide aeration are used The boxes could be arranged in tiers for transferring beans from one to the next in line below Two detachable wooden planks are provided on one side of the box for transferring (mixing) the beans by removing the planks

The beans are loaded in fermentation box and covered with banana leaves or gunny sacks The mixing of beans is effected while transferrIng to the next box after 24 hours The mixing is done to facilitate uniform fermentation and to maintain proper

11

temperature moisture and aeration during fermentation The temperature of the fermentation mass will rise about 42-48degC after about 48 hours of fermentation Again transferring of beans is done at 72 hours of fermentation and the final transferring at 24 hr of fermentation A total of six days (144 hours) are required to complete the fermentation

912 Basket method Bamboo or cane baskets of suitable size could be used for fermenting small quantity of beans One or two layers of banana leaves are placed at bottom with provision to drain the sweating The basket is filled with the beans and the surface is covered with banana leaves A small weight is placed over the banana leaves The basket is placed over a raised surface to facilitate drainage of the sweating for one day Later the basket is covered with thick gunny sacks The beans are mixed thoroughly on the third and fifth days and covered with gunny sacks The fermentation will be completed at the end of the sixth day and the beans are withdrawn for drying

92 Drying After the fermentation the beans can be dried by sun-drying or artificial drying The fermented cocoa beans have considerable moisture (5569) and the drying rate is dependent upon temperature and the air flow

921 Sun drying Sun drying should be adopted as far as possible as it gives superior quality produce when compared to that by artificial drying The fermented beans are spread in a thin layer over a bamboo mat or cement floor and dried for 5-6 days The beans are to be stirred from time to time for uniform drying The moisture content of well dried beans is around 6 to 7 percent

922 Artificial drying During the monsoon period artificial drying has to be adopted Electric ovens or conventional Samoan type drier could be used The duration of artificial drying varies from 48-96 hOllrs The drying of beans at high temperature should be avoided as it results in low quality end-product Slow drying in the initial stage has given better quality beans Mould growth has to be prevented during drying as it affects the appearance of the beans

12

9 23 El~ctrlc oven The beans have to be dried for 8-10 hours al 50-55deg( for the first two days followed by continuous drying at 60degC The total drying period will be 72-96 hours The beans are to be stirred at regular intervals for uniform drying and to prevent clump formation The moisture content of the dry beans should be around 6 -7 percent for safe storage

92 4 Samoan type drier The temperature should be maintained around 60-70degC for the first 48 hours and then temperature can be raised to 80D C to reduce the bean moisture to 6 per cent The endmiddotpoint of drying can be determined by rubbin~ the beans with hand after cooling when it should produce a crackling noise

93 Grading and storage The (lried beans aiter cooling to room temperature should be cleaned before storage The flat slaty shrivelled broken and other extraneous materials are removed The cleaned beans are packed in fresh polythene-Iined (150-200 gauge) gunny bags The bags are kept on a raised platform of wooden planks The beans should not be stored in rooms where spices pesticides and fertilizers are stored as they may absorb the odour from these materials

10 Economics In India cocoa cultivation has been confined to Kerala

Southern Karnataka and Kanyakumari distrjct of Tamil Nadu However the crop is mostly grown in the interspaces of coconut and arecanut gardens as a mixed crop and so far cocoa as a soloshycrop has not been attempted here The experimental evidences show that the single hedge cocoa planting with a spacing of 2 7m x 54m3m x 3m is economically ideal than the double hedge cocoa planting with a spacing of 27m x 27m33m x 33m Economics of cocoa cuitiwtion as a mixed crop with (j) Coconut + Pepper and (jj) Arecanut have been worked out under the following assumption

13

temperature moisture and aeration during fermentation The temperature of the fermentation mass will rise about 42-48degC after about 48 hours of fermentation Again transferring of beans is done at 72 hours of fermentation and the final transferring at 24 hr of fermentation A total of six days (144 hours) are required to complete the fermentation

912 Basket method Bamboo or cane baskets of suitable size could be used for fermenting small quantity of beans One or two layers of banana leaves are placed at bottom with provision to drain the sweating The basket is filled with the beans and the surface is covered with banana leaves A small weight is placed over the banana leaves The basket is placed over a raised surface to facilitate drainage of the sweating for one day Later the basket is covered with thick gunny sacks The beans are mixed thoroughly on the third and fifth days and covered with gunny sacks The fermentation will be completed at the end of the sixth day and the beans are withdrawn for drying

92 Drying After the fermentation the beans can be dried by sun-drying or artificial drying The fermented cocoa beans have considerable moisture (5569) and the drying rate is dependent upon temperature and the air flow

921 Sun drying Sun drying should be adopted as far as possible as it gives superior quality produce when compared to that by artificial drying The fermented beans are spread in a thin layer over a bamboo mat or cement floor and dried for 5-6 days The beans are to be stirred from time to time for uniform drying The moisture content of well dried beans is around 6 to 7 percent

922 Artificial drying During the monsoon period artificial drying has to be adopted Electric ovens or conventional Samoan type drier could be used The duration of artificial drying varies from 48-96 hOllrs The drying of beans at high temperature should be avoided as it results in low quality end-product Slow drying in the initial stage has given better quality beans Mould growth has to be prevented during drying as it affects the appearance of the beans

12

9 23 El~ctrlc oven The beans have to be dried for 8-10 hours al 50-55deg( for the first two days followed by continuous drying at 60degC The total drying period will be 72-96 hours The beans are to be stirred at regular intervals for uniform drying and to prevent clump formation The moisture content of the dry beans should be around 6 -7 percent for safe storage

92 4 Samoan type drier The temperature should be maintained around 60-70degC for the first 48 hours and then temperature can be raised to 80D C to reduce the bean moisture to 6 per cent The endmiddotpoint of drying can be determined by rubbin~ the beans with hand after cooling when it should produce a crackling noise

93 Grading and storage The (lried beans aiter cooling to room temperature should be cleaned before storage The flat slaty shrivelled broken and other extraneous materials are removed The cleaned beans are packed in fresh polythene-Iined (150-200 gauge) gunny bags The bags are kept on a raised platform of wooden planks The beans should not be stored in rooms where spices pesticides and fertilizers are stored as they may absorb the odour from these materials

10 Economics In India cocoa cultivation has been confined to Kerala

Southern Karnataka and Kanyakumari distrjct of Tamil Nadu However the crop is mostly grown in the interspaces of coconut and arecanut gardens as a mixed crop and so far cocoa as a soloshycrop has not been attempted here The experimental evidences show that the single hedge cocoa planting with a spacing of 2 7m x 54m3m x 3m is economically ideal than the double hedge cocoa planting with a spacing of 27m x 27m33m x 33m Economics of cocoa cuitiwtion as a mixed crop with (j) Coconut + Pepper and (jj) Arecanut have been worked out under the following assumption

13

System (i) System (ii)

1 Plant density (a) Coconut + Pepper1ha 175 each (b) Cocoa - 600ha (3x3m spacing)

2 Stabilised yield (a) Coconut 90 nutspalm (b) Pepper (dry) 1 kgvine

(c) Cocoa - 35 kg tree (ripe pods)

System (i) and (ii)

3 Labour wages 4 Cost of other inputs 5 Prices of

(a) Coconut (b) A recanut (c) Pepper (d) Cocoa

1 Plant densi ty (a) Arecanut - 1300ha (b) Cocoa - 650ha

2 Stabilised yield (a) Arecanut 2 kgpalm (b) Cocoa 21 kg tree

(ripe pods)

Rs 25- per working day as per 1988 prices

Rs 2 50 per nut Rs 25- per kg of chali Rs 35- per kg Rs 2- per kg of Pods

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15

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---

--

--- -- --- - - - -- - - --

System Ui)-Cost and returns from areca + cocoa mixed cropping system for the initial 10 years

Man days re-Year quired

Areca Cocoa

1 648 223

2 276 HI

3 294 98H (j)

4 300 100

5 3 15 105

6 322 107

7 338 112

8 345 lIS

9 353 Il8

10 360 120

Total cost in-

eluding labour

wages (Rslha ) Areca Cocoa

268S4

14 94

16029

1624 0

16612

16800

17175

17375

17550

17738

10917

4488

5340

54 12

5537

5600

5725

5750

5850

5913

Return

(Rs ha)

Areca

-

16250

24375

3 2500

48750

56875

65000

Cocoa

2600

6 500

13000

18200

20800

234middot00

26000

27300

Cumulative cost Cumulative return (Rsfha ) (Rsha )

Areca

4034 8

)384 2

70082

86694

103H) 4

120669

138044

J555~Hmiddot

173332

Cocoa Areca Cocoa

-

15418 -shy -

20758 shy 2GOO

2G17() 9 100

31707 16250 22100

37307 4middot0625 40300

43032 731Z=gt 01100

48782 121875 8 4 500

54632 178750 110500

5154 5 24375 0 137800 ---shy - ---shy

---

--

--- -- --- - - - -- - - --

System Ui)-Cost and returns from areca + cocoa mixed cropping system for the initial 10 years

Man days re-Year quired

Areca Cocoa

1 648 223

2 276 HI

3 294 98H (j)

4 300 100

5 3 15 105

6 322 107

7 338 112

8 345 lIS

9 353 Il8

10 360 120

Total cost in-

eluding labour

wages (Rslha ) Areca Cocoa

268S4

14 94

16029

1624 0

16612

16800

17175

17375

17550

17738

10917

4488

5340

54 12

5537

5600

5725

5750

5850

5913

Return

(Rs ha)

Areca

-

16250

24375

3 2500

48750

56875

65000

Cocoa

2600

6 500

13000

18200

20800

234middot00

26000

27300

Cumulative cost Cumulative return (Rsfha ) (Rsha )

Areca

4034 8

)384 2

70082

86694

103H) 4

120669

138044

J555~Hmiddot

173332

Cocoa Areca Cocoa

-

15418 -shy -

20758 shy 2GOO

2G17() 9 100

31707 16250 22100

37307 4middot0625 40300

43032 731Z=gt 01100

48782 121875 8 4 500

54632 178750 110500

5154 5 24375 0 137800 ---shy - ---shy