SEED PRODUCTION IN COCOAN.SYED RUBIYA ,

2013006042

BOTANICAL NAME : Theobroma cocoa FAMILY: Malvaceae CHROMOSOM NO:2n=20 NATIVE: Amazon region of South America MAJOR PRODUCTION : Africa MAJOR PRODUCTION IN INDIA: Karnataka , Kerala , TN. POLLINATION- cross pollination

It is beverage crop and it is introduced to the india in 1965. In India , cocoa is cultivated in 22,000ha and production is

8000t/annum. In India , It is grown as a mixed crop in coconut and areca

nut gardens. Compare to vegetative production , seedling production is

very easier and cheaper. So we go for quality seed production.

BOTANY:ECONOMIC LIFE PERIOD: 25-30 years.FIRST BEARING: 3rd yearGROWTH OF TREE:

LEAVES AND INFLORECENCE: Leaves on the fan branches grow alternatively in a

series of group – Flushes. The leaves mature before another flush grows. The site of flowering enlarge at a time to form

‘cushion’, which will carry many flower.

FRUITS AND SEED:It is commonly called a ‘pod’.DURATION: 5-6 months• Certain characteristic shape designated by names:• Calaacillo , amelonada , cundeamo , angoleta.• Each seed consist of 2 cotyledons , which are joined at

their base by a radicle and rudimentory plumule .The colour of cotyledons - white to dark purple,

TYPES OF CUTIVATED COCOA:CHARACTER CRIOLLO FORASTERO TRINITARIO1.Staminode Pale pink purple Criollo*Forastero

Intermediate quality.

2.Pod colour before ripening

Green/red green

3.Pod shape cundeamor varying4.Pericarp Warty , thin thick5.Mesocarp Slight woody , thin Very woody6.Bean Plump , round flat7.Cotyledons White/ slightly

pigmentedDark purple

8. Cocoa quality

superior moderate

General growth Less vigorous , slow growing susceptible to diseases.

Well adopted , promising

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS:

CRITERIA FOR MOTHER PLANT SELECTION:1.Pod size-medium to large (350g)2.Yieldnot<100 pods/year3.Pod husk not >than 1cm.

OPTIMUM RANGE

REMARKS

Temperatue Max:30-32˚CMin:18-21C

Respond well in relatively high T.

RF 1500-2000mm

Well distributed

Humidity Day-70-80%Night-100%

Light and shade

50% Progressively reduced after 2 years of planting.

soil Well drained soil with a ph of 5-8

Pod value ( no of pod required for 1 kg dry bean ) not>121 pod = not <35Bean weight <1.2gPRODUCTION OF SEEDLING:SEED REQUIREMENT:

Spacing 10*10ftNo of trees / ha 1000No of seedling required including replanting

1250

Viable seed / pod 25Total seed pod requirement 50

NURSERY SITE SELECTION:Site must be flat or gentle slope.80m2 is required to produced 1 ha.The seeds are either sow in polybag of 30*20cm or

in soil.Mostly poly bags are used.Red soil+ FYM @ 2:1:1 + Super phosphate (5 kg/ton)

was found to be best media.

The germination percentage is higher for March sowing(94.5%) followed by february(85.6%)

Germination-6-8 days First four real leaves appear after 15 days.One month before planting , progressively removing

the shade.SEEDLING SELECTION:

Select seedling of 3-4 month old with a height of not less than 30 cm and total leaves not less than 8-10 is selected.

ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTANANCE OF COCOA PLANTATION:

METHOD OF PLANTINGCocoa is a shade loving plant. TEMPORARY SHADE: banana , pigeon pea ,

papaya , castor PERMANANT SHADING: Leucaena leucocephala , Gluricidia sepium , Albizzia sp.

The plant is grown as a mixed crop with other plants like spices and rubber mainly under rainfed conditions.

Cocoa is planted as an intercrop in coconut and arecanut gardens.

Main crop Spacing (m) Cocoa as inter crop

Coconut 7.5 x 7.5

One Cocoa row of plants at 3m interval at the center of two Coconut rows and One Cocoa at the center of two Coconut plants along the Coconut row. This layout will hold about 500 plants per hectare

Arecanut 2.7 x 2.7

One Cocoa row of plants at 2.7m interval at the center of two Arecanut rows. Likewise alternate gaps of Arecanut rows should be filled in. This layout will hold about 686 plants/ha.

Oil palm 4.5 x 4.5Five cocoa plants would come between four oil plants resulting in 400 plants per hectare.

• 50cm3 dug, weather for one month , refilled with topsoil , 15-20 kg of compost of FYM to ground level.

PRUNING:

IRRIGATION:

FERTILIZER APPLICATION:

Age of the plant Water requirement(litre/ plant / day)

1st year 3-52nd  year 10

3rd year and later 20-25

Fertilizer (g/

plant)I year II year III year

onwards

Urea 72 144 220Rock phosphate

65 130 200

Muriate of Potash 77 154 230

FLOWERING:• 3-4 Years first bearingFACTORS AFFECTING FLOWERING:1.INTERNAL FACTORS:A. AGEB. GRIDLING-The removal of ring of bark from the trunk of

mature trees – increase floweringC. CAMBIUM ACTIVITY- Minimum cambial activity –

minimal flowering.

EXTERNAL FACTORS:A. SHADING- Plants grows without shade result early and

profuse flowers.B. TEMPEARATURE- Flowering was inhibited when mean

monthly temperature is below 23CC.MOISTURE-moisture stress inhibite the flowering.

POLLINATION: It is a cross pollinated crop.Pollinators – Insects , midges , thrips , ants.Pollen viability – 48hNon- pollinated flowers fall next 24-28h after

anthesis. It is artificially pollinated by agitating flowers with a

hand brush , blowing airMajor problem is self incompatabilityTo overcome this , Co2 treatment is also followed.

SEED DEVELOPEMENT AND MATURATION:• Pod colour changes from green to yellowish orange

• Average maturated period – 161 days.

FRUIT COLOUR

FRUIT WEIGHT(G)

SEED RECOVERY (%)

SEED WEIGHT(G)

GERMINATION (%)

VIGOUR INDEX

Yellowish green

0.05 - - - -

green 62.6 - - - -Greenish yellow

360.8 35 127.3 52 1737

Light yellow 398.8 38 151.3 60 2123Yellowish orange

434.4 43 185.7 94 3398

Dark orange 414.4 39 159.5 90 3238

HARVESTING:Harvest the pod when they are ripe.Harvested by making clear cut through stalk with

sharp blade.Harvesting should be carried out at regular interval

of 10-15 days and not exceed three weeks.Care is taken not to damage the flower cushion

which will produce flowers and frits of subsequent harvest.

POD SELECTION:Large and medium pods weighing more than 350g with

not less than 400cc is better for seed extraction.

• Seed from middle portion of pod recorded high germination.

POD SIZE

POD WEIGHT(g)

POD VOLUME(cc)

SEED WEIGHT(g)

GERMINATION(%)

SEEDLING DRY WEIGHT(mg)

Large 465 517 2.88 83.9 2470

Medium 314 368 2.49 83.3 3084

Small 229 276 2.21 81.9 1842

SEED EXTARCTION:Pods are opened and seeds are removed by hand.The seeds are to be extracted from the mucilaginous

pulp which surrounds the seeds.Seed extract by using HCL at 8 ml /250 g of pulp for

5 min recorded more germination

EXTRACTION METHOD (250 G PULP)

100 SEED WEIGHT(g)

GERMINATIN(%)

DRY MATTER PRODUCTION (mg)

VIGOUR INDEX

control 221 51 196 1924

NAOH 2% @ 20ml

174 60 208 2303

Acid @ 8ml for 5 min

177 91 253 4118

Lime 10% for 10 min

186 82 246 3415

STORAGE OF COCOA SEED : It is desiccation sensitive and cannot be stored under conditions

of low temperature and below freezing temperatures.

METHODS OF STORAGE: Seed stored at 100% RH -98.3% -50 days Seed stored in aerobic condition- viable with 70% after 20

days. Seed dried for 3 h -98% RH- 77% germination upto 2

months. Seed stored in pods remain viable for 7-16 days. Partial drying followed by fungicide treatment and storing at 20 C maintained for 24 weeks. Storing seeds in 40% methyl cellulose gel in dark at 25 c

maintained viability for 210 days. Thiram seed treament -79% viability upto 18 weeks.

STOARGE PERIOD(months)

1.MOISTURE(%)

VIABILITY(%)

2.MOISTURE(%)

VIABILITY(%)

0 42 68 36.7 18

2 41.4 77 26 0

8 40.6 24 23.3 0

EFFECT OF DRYING AND RH ON STORABILITY OF COCOA SEEDS:

1.Dried for 3hrs and stored at 98% RH2.Dried for 8hrs and stored at 81%RH

PEST IN COCOA:

MEALY BUG

TEA MOSQUITO BUG

PLANT HOPPER

APHIDSHAIRY CATERPILLAR

STEM GRIDLER

NON-PEST:

DISEASES:RAT ATTACK SQUIRREL

ATTACK

BLACK POD ROT

STEM CANKER VASCULAR

STREAK DIEBACK

CHERELLA WILT

THANK YOU