Cacao

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Cacao
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World Production and Distribution

• World Production
• (2,895 x 1000MT)
• Produced throughout tropical Americas and Africa

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World Production and Distribution

• Major Producers
• Cote Divoire (1,119 x 1000MT)
• Ghana (370 x 1000MT)
• Indonesia (370 x 1000MT)

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World Production

• Not Produced in Florida
• (too cold)
• Introduced to Africa from Americas from Fernando
  Po and by missionaries

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Origin and Botany

• Originated in American rainforests
• Purely tropical, needs high rainfall RH will
  not tolerate freezing

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Origin and Botany

• Family- Sterculiaceae
• Includes Bottle tree and African cola tree
• 50 genera, 750 species

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Origin and Botany

• Scientific name- Theobroma cacao, 22 species in
  genus
• Subtropical and tropical trees and shrubs
• Cacao grows to 8-10 m tall in shade

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Growth and Development

• Temperature has a major effect
• No freezing tolerance
• Optimum 18-22ºC.
• 15º C minimum for growth

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Seed and Seedling Development

• Seed has epigeal germination 3cm above ground
  level
• Seedling grows upright (orthotrophic) until 1-2m
  tall called a chupon

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Seed and Seedling Development

• Branching then occurs, 3 to 5 branches at right
  angles called jorquettes (handout)
• Process repeats itself in flushes
• Leaves usually change from red to green color
  with development

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Seed and Seedling Development

• Root Development
• Forms deep tap root depending on amount of water
  in soil.
• Then forms secondary roots.

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• Flowering
• Flowers are produced on trunk (cauliferous) on
  older, leafless wood of chupons jorquettes
• Leaf scar bearing flowers is called a cushion.
• Staminodes( sterile)

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• Flowering
• Flower is small (15mm)
• 5 sepals, 5 petals, 10 stamens in whorls
• 5 fused carpels with a superior ovary.
  Hermaphrodite
• Stamens(5) are fertile, 5 are staminodes(
  sterile)

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• Pollination
• Primarily by midges, also aphids and thrips
• Self incompatibility is a problem
• Can be done by hand, increases set

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• Fruit characteristics
• Fruit is called a pod, botanically it is a
  drupe, 10-32cm in length
• Fruit mature in 5 to 6 months, temperature
  dependent
• Small fruit are called cherelles.
• Considerable fruit drop occurs before harvest

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• Fruit characteristics
• Fruit contains 20-50 seeds surrounded by tissues
  containing citric acid and sugars
• Fruit color- green or green-white, ripen to
  yellow or red

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• Cultivars- several distinct
• Criollo cocoa- central Americas, long, narrow
  pods, white cotyledons, excellent cocoa
• Amasonian Forastero (Amelonado)-purple
  cotyledons, less flavor
• Many hybrids (Trinitareo, from Trinidad)

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Soil Types

• Grows over a wide range
• Must be well-drained
• pH range, 5.0-7.5

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Planting Density and Yield

• Depends on growing area
• 2.5 x 2.5(1600 t/ha) to 5 x 5(400 t/ha) m is
  typical
• Yield related to density, ranges from 2 to 15
  tons/ha

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• Site Selection
• Well-drained
• Favorable pH
• Not too steeply sloped
• Minimize winds, may be planted as an under-story
  tree

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• Planting
• Most grown as seedlings- inexpensive
• Remove musilage for faster germination
• Young seeds germinate poorly
• Germination takes 7-15 days

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• Leaf Cuttings
• Rooted in sand or other dry material or plastic
  bags
• Have 2-5 leaves, and 1-2 buds
• Dipped in a rooting hormone
• Rooting takes about 21 days

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• Growing conditions
• Young plants need moderate shade- too much light
  gives a bushy tree
• Mature plants, also grows under shade but needs
  low fert and yields, also grown without shade
  with high fert, equals high yields

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• Growing conditions
• Often planted under coconuts if soil is suitable
  for both

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• Fertilization (nutrition)
• Requires major elements, N, P,K, Ca, Mg
• Requires minor elements, Mn, B, AL, CL
• N is most important for vegetative growth

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• Pruning
• Seedlings- develop jorquette at correct ht
• Remove at ground level, develop higher in the
  canopy

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• Pruning
• Remove excessive leaves to improve light
  penetration, possibly reduce disease
• Remove diseased jorquettes

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• Pests (Cause annual crop loss of 5-15)
• Insects
• Mirids, shield bugs, leafhoppers, psyllids,
  aphids, scales, thrips, borers, moths, ants,
  beetles, etc.

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• Nematodes
• Several species
• Control
• Sanitation
• Biological
• Chemical

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Diseases (cause annual crop loss of 20-45)

• Viruses
• Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus, causes swelling of
  shoots, yield reduction, chlorosis, Vectored by
  mealybugs
• Also other viruses, less important

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• Fungi
• Black pod disease, caused by Phytophthora
  species, infects flowers, leaves, pods especially

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• Fungi
• Witches broom, caused by Marasmius ( Major
  problem)
• Causes abnormal thickening of stems and buds,
  abnormal growth and pod abscission

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• Harvesting
• Fruit develop over 4-8 month period dependent on
  temperature, i.e., high Tfaster development
• The pod cushion should not be damaged when
  removing pods. Will reduce future crop.

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• Harvesting
• Pods must be harvested ripe and the seeds removed
  and fermented.
• Harvested throughout year, but most during times
  with highest T

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• Processing
• Fermentation (3-8 d in boxes)
• Removes musilage
• Kills the embryo so no germination occurs
• Encourages chemical changes to enhance flavor

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• Processing
• Fermentation (3-8 d in boxes)
• Reduces moisture content
• Changes sugars to alcohol and acetic acid,Temp to
  45-50C
• Beans must be turned and temp again increases

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• Drying- Sun or forced air, reduces spoilage
• Cleaning- vibrating sieve removes husks
• Roasting- 100-150º C for 20-50 min, develops
  flavor

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• Kibbling-breaks beans into nibs (cotyledons)
• Nibs are ground at 50-70ºC,remove butter w press
• Sold as bulk cocoa, (95) or fine cocoa (5)

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• Unsweetened chocolate liquor 50 cocoa Butter
• Bittersweet- 35 liquor 50 cocoa butter sugar
  vanilla
• Semi-sweet above more sugar
• Milk 10 liquor 12 milk solids
• White cocoa butter milk sugar vanilla