In recent years the cultivation of Cocoa as intercrop in aged(20 years) Coconut gardens, is gaining momentum in Andhra Pradesh.

CLIMATE

Cocoa is a crop of humid tropics requiring well distributed rainfall of 90 to 100 mm a month. It can also be grown in regions of low rainfall by supplementing rainfall with irrigation during dry periods.

Varieties

FORASTERO

The pods are green when immature and yellow when ripe, thick-walled, melon shaped with rounded ends with smooth inconspicuous ridges or furrows. The beans are flat and dark purple when Fresh. It possesses a 'harsh'flavour with markedly bitter taste. It is largely grown as a commercial variety.

CRIOLLO

The pods are red or yellow in color , thin walled, pointed and warty on the surface. They contain large and plump seeds with white or pale purple cotyledons. They possess bland flavour and pleasant aroma.

Planting

It is planted at a distance of 2.5-3.0 m both between and within rows as a pure crop. When cocoa is to be raised as a mixed crop in 8 x 8 m spaced coconut, cocoa can be planted 4m apart in a single row in between two rows of coconut palms, so as to keep a minimum distance of 3.75 m from coconut palms.

Manures and Fertilizers

The cocoa plants are manured with 100 g of N, 40 g of P2O5 and 140 g of K2O per plant per year in two split doses. Trees younger than three years require only half or three- fourths of these. The plantation is irrigated at weekly intervals during summer. If sufficient irrigation is not available, both the crops will receive a set-back.

Pruning

Cocoa grown in a series of storeys, the 'chupon'or vertical shoot of the seedings terminating at hte jorquette develops. First jorquette can be encouraged at 1.5 m which will be convenient height for harvesting and other operations. It is desirable to limit the tree height at that level by periodical removal of chupon growth. Two to three for jorquettes can be allowed for Cocoa, when grown as an intercrop in Coconut.

Harvesting

Cocoa flowers from the second year after planting. The pods take about 4-6 months to ripen. Each pod will have 24-45 beans embedded in white pulp or mucilage. Generally, Cocoa gives two main crops in a year , in September-January and in April- June. Harvesting is , therefore, done every 5-7 days when ripe pods are harvested. While harvesting fruits, extreme care should be taken to see that the cushions carrying the flowers and fruits are not damaged. For this , pods are harvested by cutting the stalk with a knife. During harvesting all the pods damaged by diseases and rodents are removed. The beans are taken out by cutting the pods crosswise. This should be done within 2-3 days of harvest. Each pod weighs 300-500g. The shell constitutes 75% of the pod weight. The fresh bean to dry bean ratio will be 3:1.

Yield

50-60 pods/tree(300 kg of dried beans/ha/year)

Fermentation and Drying

It is generally done in sweating boxes made of wood and having holes at the bottom to allow the sweating from the pulp to drain down and air to enter, are used. The beans , scooped out from the ripe pods, are placed in the box and covered with few layers of ripe pods, are placed in the box and covered with few layers of banana leaves. To facilitate uniform fermentation, beans are stirred after about 48 hours and second stirring is done after another 48 hours. Fermentation is allowed to continue for another 48 hours or until the temperature begins to fall and ammonical smell develops when the fermentation can be considered to have completed. (The beans are dried till molsture percentage comes to 6-8).

Plant Protection

PESTS

STEM BORER(Zeuzera Coffeae)

It bores into branches and trunks of the cocoa trees. The aerial portions above the point of attack dry up.The pest can be controlled by extracting the caterpillar and plugging the burrow with Carbaryl paste.

MEALY BUGS(Pseudococcus citri & Rastrococcus iceryoides)

They suck the sap from tender leaves, young shoots, flower cushions, and pods. Spraying Dimethoate 0.05% D 1.6 ml/l of water.

LEAF EATING CATERPILLARS

Several hairy caterpillars and semiloopers fed on tender foliage and shoots. They can be controlled by spraying 0.1% Carbaryl.

COCKCHAFFER BEETLE(Popilla complanata)

Adult beetles feed only on young leaves causing a series of irregular holes. Drenching the soil with 0.15% Carbaryl suspension gives a good control of hiding adults and white grubs.

SQUIRRLES

They make holes on ripe cocoa pods and feed on the sweet mucilage surrounding the beans. They cause serious damage. Poison baiting with zinc phosphide or warfarin, in addition to regularly trapping them.

DISEASES

BLACK POD DISEASE(Phytopthora palmivora)

Pods of all ages are affected during the monsoon season. The infection spreads very rapidly and soon occupies the entire area of the pod. Infected tissues shrink and become dark brown in color and croky in texture.

CHARCOAL ROT(Botryodiplodia theobromae and Macrophoma sp.)

The affected pods shrivel and hang as mummies. The internal tissues are rotten due to infection and the affected beans and pods turn black in color. Spraying with 1% Bordeaux mixture is recommended.