Organic fertilizers generally come from agricultural co-products. Their valuation is therefore a major issue for sustainable development. The main objective of this study aims to develop an organic fertilizer derived ...Organic fertilizers generally come from agricultural co-products. Their valuation is therefore a major issue for sustainable development. The main objective of this study aims to develop an organic fertilizer derived from moringa leaves and cocoa pod husks that can improve soil quality and plant growth. The experimental design consisted of completely randomized blocks in three repetitions. The experiment was carried out in five treatments: T0: no fertilization, T1: 100% cocoa pods, T2: 75% cocoa pods + 25% Moringa leaves;T3: 50% cocoa pods + 50% Moringa leaves;T4: 25% cocoa pods + 75% Moringa leaves;T5: 100% Moringa leaves. Three doses were applied: 1;2;4 kg/m2. The trial took place over three growing cycles. The results of the soil analysis compared to the control revealed a significant improvement in physicochemical parameters. Variation of pH from (6.1 to 7.2), calcium from (1.4 to 4.13), magnesium from (0.450 to 0.870), potassium from (0.096 to 0.365) cmol+/kg. Carbon and nitrogen were recorded (1.02% to 2.77%) and (0.12% to 2.56%) respectively. The CEC (cation exchange capacity) saw a clear improvement (4.2 to 9.03) cmol+/kg. Concerning the growth parameters, the control plants recorded an average height of (31.19 cm) while those that benefited from the treatments oscillated between (55.51 to 105.57 cm). In terms of production, the best yields are attributed to treatments T3 and T4 with (37.66 t/ha) and (51.176 t/ha) respectively. The T3 and T4 formulations could help improve the fertility of agricultural soils and the yield of market garden products such as eggplant.展开更多
The effect of a storage system on drying time and estimation of drying parameters of cocoa beans using an indirect solar dryer with a sensible heat energy storage system (stones which act as both absorber and heat sto...The effect of a storage system on drying time and estimation of drying parameters of cocoa beans using an indirect solar dryer with a sensible heat energy storage system (stones which act as both absorber and heat storage media) is the main subject of this article. This dryer, which uses stones as storage material and is made of wood and plywood, was used to dry a quantity of 5 kg of fermented cocoa beans. The drying parameters for the drying curves and the drying efficiency of cocoa beans were established and studied. The drying curves were modelled from semi-empirical models. The results showed that the moisture of cocoa beans decreased from 60% to 7% in wet basis. With a solar collector and drying efficiency of 40% and 34%, respectively. And this with a maximum average difference temperature between the drying air and the ambient temperature of 13.25˚C day or night. The best concordances are obtained with R2 values of 0.9983, 0.9843, 0.9813 and 0.9837 respectively from the models of Hii, Jena and Das, Demir et al. and Alibas.展开更多
Côte d’Ivoire has been the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans for several decades. Apart from this production performance, the quality of the beans, which are mainly exported to the major chocolate-making ...Côte d’Ivoire has been the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans for several decades. Apart from this production performance, the quality of the beans, which are mainly exported to the major chocolate-making countries, presents a quality problem to the point of suffering a discount on the international market. One of these quality problems is the content of ochratoxin A, a mycotoxin produced by fungi. Finally, to verify the level of contamination in beans produced in Côte d’Ivoire, a study was carried out. It consisted of collecting information on fermentation and drying times (The two major post-harvest operations) and collecting beans, which were analyzed by electrophoresis using the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method. The results obtained show ochratoxin A contents of between 0.05 µg/kg and 0.17 µg/kg. The general level of contamination is therefore very low and below the tolerable limit which is 2 µg/kg. In addition, the correlative study between the fermentation and drying times of the beans revealed no significant influence (p < 0.01) of the duration of these operations on the level of ochratoxin A contamination. Major contamination can occur after post-harvest activities carried out by producers. This is certainly due to the development of fungi responsible for the production of ochratoxin A during the period of storage and marketing of cocoa beans in conditions of high humidity in storage enclosures. Producers need to be made more aware of the need to ensure that cocoa beans are properly dried and stored in dry areas to avoid moisture build-up, which is a source of mould growth and ochratoxin A production.展开更多
The productive evaluation of cocoa in this research is proposed through an assessment of soil quality and crop health in an organic production system(SPO)Taisha canton and a conventional production system(SPCv)Morona ...The productive evaluation of cocoa in this research is proposed through an assessment of soil quality and crop health in an organic production system(SPO)Taisha canton and a conventional production system(SPCv)Morona canton.Methodology:Altieri and Nicholls establish a diagnosis of chemical,physical,biological and health indicators,with weightings high(10),medium(5)and low(1).Results:SPO soil quality,reflects weights 10(high)for ammonium ion,zinc,copper,iron,manganese,moisture retention,biological activity,compaction,apparent density,residue status,color,organic matter,root development,erosion incidence,5(medium)potassium,phosphorus,calcium,sulfur,pH,texture,1(low)magnesium,boron,topsoil depth,for crop health values of 10(high)appearance,crop growth,stress resistance or tolerance,weed competition,agrosilvopastoral system,plant diversity and management system,5(medium)potential yield,incidence of pests and diseases.The SPCv soil quality presented a weighting of 10(high)for nitrogen,zinc,copper,iron,biological activity,compaction,bulk density,color,organic matter,root development,erosion incidence,5(medium)manganese,pH,texture,moisture retention,residue status,1(low)potassium,phosphorus,calcium,magnesium,sulfur,boron,topsoil depth,crop health 10(high)crop appearance and growth,stress resistance or tolerance,weed competition,agrosilvopastoral system,plant diversity,management system,potential yield,5(medium)incidence of pests and diseases,1(low)surrounding natural diversity.Conclusions:The SPO for soil quality:7.41 and for crop health:7.59 weighted as sustainable,while the SPCv for soil quality:6 and crop health:6.76,resulting in a moderately sustainable production system.展开更多
A field trial to evaluate the growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa intercropped with coconut was conducted in Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria(CRIN)Headquarters,Idi-Ayunre,Ibadan,Oyo State between 2019 and 2022.Ther...A field trial to evaluate the growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa intercropped with coconut was conducted in Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria(CRIN)Headquarters,Idi-Ayunre,Ibadan,Oyo State between 2019 and 2022.There were four treatments comprising of cocoa sole,cocoa/plantain,cocoa/coconut and cocoa/coconut/plantain intercrop.The experimental design was Randomized Complete Block(RCB)replicated three times.Result obtained showed that cocoa/plantain was significantly higher(p<0.05)than all other treatments in all parameters considered and closely followed by cocoa/coconut,then cocoa sole with cocoa/plantain/coconut giving the least performance.The same trend was observed in the nutrient uptake.It was also observed in the trial that the two crops:cocoa and coconut did not show any deleterious effect on their growth when intercropped together.This showed that the two crops are compatible when grown on the same piece of land.Therefore,cocoa/coconut intercrop could be recommended to cocoa farmers in south west Nigeria to increase their revenue generation when coconut starts bearing fruit instead of sole planting of cocoa.展开更多
About 44%of the world’s cocoa is produced in one single country,Côte d’Ivoire.Providing this important raw material,most Ivorian cocoa farmers live in severe poverty,which,despite a multitude of sector interven...About 44%of the world’s cocoa is produced in one single country,Côte d’Ivoire.Providing this important raw material,most Ivorian cocoa farmers live in severe poverty,which,despite a multitude of sector interventions,is still widespread,affecting social and environmental sustainability in cocoa production.In this context,cocoa farmers are still often treated as a homogeneous group of small-scale producers(mainly males),resulting in interventions being conceptualized as one-size-fits-all approaches and failing to deliver support schemes that take farmers’specific conditions appropriately into account.Applying a broader typology approach that combines farm characteristics with farmers’characteristics,this study aims to delineate Ivorian cocoa farmers and their farms into specific types in order to improve advice for targeted sustainability interventions and living income(LI)potentials.Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis of a household dataset collected in 2022 in five cocoa-growing regions of Côte d’Ivoire were chosen to identify types of male-headed farms.To assure gender sensitive analysis,a female-headed farm type was created artificially.The specific characteristics of the identified types were captured using descriptive analysis.Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were then applied to examine the relationships between these farm types and various outcomes.Additionally,a binary logistic model was used to estimate the probability of these links in relation to variables relevant for achieving a LI.Finally,Spearman non-parametric correlation was used to identify eventual differences in the strength of relationships between key variables per farm type.Three different types of male-headed farms are identified:type 1(the most productive and diversified farms with larger size),type 2(middle-sized farms with strong focus on cash crops),and type 3(small-sized farms with a good level of diversification for self-consumption).The artificially created type 4 represents female-headed farms with the smallest size.On average,none of these farm types achieves a LI.However,type 1 shows the smallest LI gap,while type 4 is by far the worst.Our analyses reveal underlying socio-economic factors systematically disadvantaging female-headed cocoa farms,most notably limited access to land and other material assets.The key contribution of this study lies in the empirical identification of the different characteristics of farms in a given farming system,thereby identifying the need for targeted support interventions.Type-specific recommendations are made,showing pathways to provide tailored programs to farmers of different types in order to reduce their LI gaps.展开更多
This study examines the effects of germination substrates incorporating spent mushroom substrate(SMS)and locally sourced organic materials on the growth and vigor of cocoa seedlings.Seven treatments were evaluated usi...This study examines the effects of germination substrates incorporating spent mushroom substrate(SMS)and locally sourced organic materials on the growth and vigor of cocoa seedlings.Seven treatments were evaluated using a Completely Randomized Design(CRD),comprising combinations of coconut coir,rice husk,sugarcane bagasse,and biochar.Key findings reveal that treatments combining SMS,sugarcane bagasse,and either coconut coir or biochar(T6 and T7)achieved significantly higher survival rates and Dickson Quality Index(DQI)scores compared to conventional soil(T1).These treatments provided favorable chemical properties,including optimal pH,electrical conductivity,and nutrient content(N,P,K),which are critical for cocoa seedling development.The results suggest that using SMS with agricultural waste as an alternative germination medium can reduce cultivation costs,enhance seedling growth,and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices by repurposing organic waste.This approach not only offers cost-effective benefits for farmers but also mitigates environmental impacts associated with waste disposal.展开更多
The overall objective of the present study is to evaluate the impact of the heap fermentation of cocoa on microbial dynamics and physicochemical parameters of the soil. The methodology was to heap fermentation broad b...The overall objective of the present study is to evaluate the impact of the heap fermentation of cocoa on microbial dynamics and physicochemical parameters of the soil. The methodology was to heap fermentation broad beans 600 cocoa pods moved to a place after the soil was taken for microbiological and physicochemical analyzes considered the control sample. In addition, cocoa lixiviate and soil were subjected to analyze. Chemical analysis of cocoa lixiviate revealed the absence of heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium. It appears from the analysis of soil than clays represent on average 46.67%, 8.03% for fine silt, heavy silt 5.69%, 15.39% fine sands and heavy sands 20.02%. Microbiological analysis revealed the abundance of total coliform up to 4.6× 103 CFU/g soil. The variations of the abundance of yeasts are 0.01 × 103 CFU/g soil obtained on day 2 at 12 o＇clock to 3.5 × 103 CFU/g soil observed on day 3 to 18 pm （0-3 cm deep）. However, further study on the assessment of biodiversity after the fermentation would determine its species richness.展开更多
Looking of finding an alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers to increase yields of cassava (</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Manihot esculenta</span>...Looking of finding an alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers to increase yields of cassava (</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Manihot esculenta</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">), trials were carried out in the Lamto zone in central Côte d’Ivoire. Thus, the effects of compost and ash from cocoa shell and NPK were tested on the agronomic parameters of cassava. The trial was conducted for two years with four varieties of cassava: </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Yacé</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Alleda agba</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Six mois</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> and </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Bonoua</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">, grown on elementary plots treated with one of these fertilizers. The experimental design was complete randomized blocks with three replicates. Analysis of the results showed that the </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Six</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">mois</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> variety gave the longest stems (131,</span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:""> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">67 cm) with the cocoa shell compost. The </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Bonoua</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> variety, on the other hand, gave the largest diameter of the stem base (21.56 mm), a higher number of leaves (77.30) and a large wingspan (136</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">.</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">89 cm) with cocoa shell compost. The leaves developed by the plants of this variety were wider (19.30 cm) and longer (17.96 cm) with cocoa shell compost. Also, this </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Bonoua</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> variety treated with shell compost yielded a high number of tuberized roots (5.11), high average weight per plant (5.83 kg/plant) and higher yield (58.29 t/ha). This compost of cocoa shell has also allowed a better conservation of the cultivated soils quality.展开更多
Sahlbergella singularis （brown cocoa mirid） is responsible for over 30% yield loss of cocoa, while Phytophthora megakarya （causal organism of black pod disease） causes between 70-100% yield loss of cocoa in Nigeri...Sahlbergella singularis （brown cocoa mirid） is responsible for over 30% yield loss of cocoa, while Phytophthora megakarya （causal organism of black pod disease） causes between 70-100% yield loss of cocoa in Nigeria. In all the Nigerian cocoa agroecological zones, the use of pesticides still remains an important component among the strategies for effective control of major insect pests and diseases of cocoa. The Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria （CRIN）, has the national mandate to evaluate and recommend novel pesticides from various groups that fall within the European-Union standards for use on cocoa farms in Nigeria. Such pesticides usually undergo rigorous testing spanning over 3 years to determine correct dose necessary to produce toxic reactions to the targeted pests without any adverse effects on the environment, man and non-target organisms. The screening exercise for candidate pesticides starts with confirmatory test of the constituent active ingredient, laboratory bioassay, phytotoxicity test, first, second and third year field evaluation and residue analysis of beans harvested from the treated plots. This paper critically examines these standard procedures, which must be followed judiciously for novel pesticides certification and recommendation for use in Nigeria.展开更多
Large areas of the indigenous tropical forests in the southwestern part of Nigeria are being converted into agricultural lands and this has been reported to have serious implications for biodiversity and the environme...Large areas of the indigenous tropical forests in the southwestern part of Nigeria are being converted into agricultural lands and this has been reported to have serious implications for biodiversity and the environment. Cocoa based agroforestry is one of the common agricultural practices in this region and comparative information on the carbon storage capacity of the cocoa agroforests is generally lacking. In this study the above-ground carbon storage and partitioning in a protected primary forest were evaluated and compared with those of the two categories of cocoa agroforests (sparse and dense) identified in the area. Above-ground biomass accumulation and carbon stock varied significantly with land use type, with the primary rainforest having the highest values and sparse cocoa agroforests having the lowest. A reduction in above-ground carbon stock of 89.82% and 71.20% was observed 10 years after conversion of tropical rainforest to sparse and dense cocoa agroforests respectively.展开更多
Adoption of recommended technologies as a package is the prelude to increase cocoa productivity per unit area. This is due to the interactive benefits of individual technologies which have been recommended by the Coco...Adoption of recommended technologies as a package is the prelude to increase cocoa productivity per unit area. This is due to the interactive benefits of individual technologies which have been recommended by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG). However, many surveys among cocoa farmers have reported low adoption of technologies resulting in low productivity of cocoa with an average of 450 kg/ha among small holder cocoa farmers in Ghana. The current study investigates the adoption behavior of some cocoa farmers belonging to some self help farmer associations in the Eastern Region who are being monitored by CRIG since 2011. Primary data was collected from 131 respondents using questionnaires to interview farmers between 2013 and 2015. The results showed that adoption of recommended cocoa technologies as a package was still low. Respondents, however, identified a number of challenges including high cost of inputs, lack of finance and access to credit, high cost of labour and old age as some factors hampering composite adoption of the full CRIG technologies. It is recommended that small-scale cocoa farmers need a sustainable and convenient microfinance that can motivate and help them afford the cost associated with the full package of technologies. Farmers’ savings culture should also be nurtured to enhance their financial capabilities and investment in the cocoa farm.展开更多
Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa ...Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.展开更多
The effect of agricultural practices on soil organic nitrogen （N） fractions in a cocoa plantation has not been much revealed till now. Despite the fact that soil organic N has been long admitted for its importance t...The effect of agricultural practices on soil organic nitrogen （N） fractions in a cocoa plantation has not been much revealed till now. Despite the fact that soil organic N has been long admitted for its importance to maintain soil fertility. Presented field experiment was conducted in Kaliwining Experimental Station, Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute （ICCRI）, Jember, East Java, Indonesia, to investigate the effect of cocoa farm management, namely fertilization, weeding and soil tillage on the content of soil organic N fractions. The design of experiment was arranged in a split-split plot with two levels of weeding as main plots, two levels of soil tillage as subplot and three different fertilizer treatments as sub-sub plot. The analysis of soil N including total N and soil organic N fractions, namely, total hydrolized N, ammonium N, amino sugar N and amino acid N, were performed. The result showed that the effect of fertilization treatment was significant to the content of total N, ammonium N, amino sugar N and amino acid N. No-tillage treatment resulted in total N and amino sugar-N content increasing by 8% and 24%, respectively, over tillage treatment. Slashing treatment caused increase of the total N by 3% from herbicide treatment, whilst decrease of ammonium N and amino sugar N by 7% and 24%, respectively.展开更多
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and presents a unique scenario for the food and agriculture industry, because there is no food safety legislation. The application of Good Agricultural Practices ...Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and presents a unique scenario for the food and agriculture industry, because there is no food safety legislation. The application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) leads to improvements of quality, safety and sustainability of agricultural products. The purpose of the study was to assess the status of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in cocoa and coffee farms in Northern Haiti. A general survey captured information about the farmer and the farm, and an audit checklist was used to assess compliance to GAPs. A total of 11 farms (n = 11) were audited, of which 7 were cocoa farms (64%) and 4 were coffee farms (34%) in the regions of Dondon, Limonade and Milot. Average overall audit scores for coffee farms (73%) were higher than for cocoa farms (55%). Farms affiliated with a cooperative scored higher (78%) than those that were not part of a cooperative (55%). The sections of the survey on “Practices related to premises and production site”, and the “use of agricultural inputs and chemicals” received the lowest scores but were confined to the cocoa farms. “Record keeping” plus “distribution, transportation, and traceability” were cause for concern with both the cocoa and coffee farms. Critical non-conformances included the access of livestock animals and domestic pets to processing and storage areas, the lack of control in the application of agricultural chemicals, a lack of safeguards on equipment and elevated surfaces, and washing of fresh cocoa beans to remove the mucilage with water that had not been treated or tested for potability. The root cause of the non-conformances, regardless of the commodity, was either related to poor physical and organizational infrastructures, or to a lack of technical training.展开更多
A field study was conducted at CRIN Uhonmora Substation, Edo State in Derived Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria between 2007 and 2008. The experiment determined influence of intercropping cocoa with rice and plantain at ...A field study was conducted at CRIN Uhonmora Substation, Edo State in Derived Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria between 2007 and 2008. The experiment determined influence of intercropping cocoa with rice and plantain at early stage of field establishment. Four treatments considered were cocoa （sole）, cocoa/rice, cocoa/plantain and cocoa/rice/plantain. Spacing of 3.1 m apart was used for cocoa and plantain while rice was 30 cm. Plot laid out was randomized complete block design replicated three times. Data on cocoa morphological parameters comprising plant height, girth and leaf area as well as weed biomass were measured monthly. Cocoa survival count was also determined. Data collected were subjected to ANOVA, and LSD was used to separate the means. Survival count showed over 95% survival in all treatments without any significance differences. On plant height and leaf area vegetative growth were significantly higher （P 〈 0.05） in the intercrops than the sole cocoa but not significantly different in all the months. Plant vigour was significantly higher in cocoa/plantain intercrop. Cocoa/rice/plantain produced the least weed biomass while cocoa sole gave the highest. Therefore, cocoa/rice and cocoa/plantain intercrops could be recommended to cocoa farmers in Nigeria instead of sole planting at early age of field establishment.展开更多
A greenhouse study was carried out at Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan to study the effect of water stress on the four popular cocoa genotypes at the institute. F3 Amazon, T1, T7 and Amelonado were raised u...A greenhouse study was carried out at Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan to study the effect of water stress on the four popular cocoa genotypes at the institute. F3 Amazon, T1, T7 and Amelonado were raised under different water regimes (daily, 3-day interval, 5-day interval and 7-day interval) at 100%, 50% and 25% field capacities. Data were collected on the height, leaf area, root length, stomata conductance, photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency of the plants. Results showed that plant performances showed genotypic variation in their response to water stress. Generally, there were linear and positive relationships between water level and values in both physiological and morphological responses of cocoa genotypes.展开更多
Among all the plagues threatening cocoa cultivation in general, and particularly in West Africa, the swollen shoot viral disease is currently the most dangerous. The greatest challenge in the fight to eradicate this p...Among all the plagues threatening cocoa cultivation in general, and particularly in West Africa, the swollen shoot viral disease is currently the most dangerous. The greatest challenge in the fight to eradicate this pandemic remains its early detection. Traditional methods of swollen shoot detection are mostly based on visual observations, leading to late detection and/or diagnostic errors. The use of machine learning algorithms is now an alternative for effective plant disease detection. It is therefore crucial to provide efficient solutions to farmers’ cooperatives. In our study, we built a database of healthy and diseased cocoa leaves. We then explored the power of feature extractors based on convolutional neural networks such as VGG 19, Inception V3, DenseNet 201, and a custom CNN, combining their strengths with the XGBOOST classifier. The results of our experiments showed that this fusion of methods with XGBOOST yielded highly promising scores, outperforming the results of algorithms using the sigmoid function. These results were further consolidated by the use of evaluation metrics such as accuracy, mean squared error, F score, recall, and Matthews’s correlation coefficient. The proposed approach, combining state of the art feature extractors and the XGBOOST classifier, offers an efficient and reliable solution for the early detection of swollen shoot. Its implementation could significantly assist West African cocoa farmers in combating this devastating disease and preserving their crops.展开更多
文摘Organic fertilizers generally come from agricultural co-products. Their valuation is therefore a major issue for sustainable development. The main objective of this study aims to develop an organic fertilizer derived from moringa leaves and cocoa pod husks that can improve soil quality and plant growth. The experimental design consisted of completely randomized blocks in three repetitions. The experiment was carried out in five treatments: T0: no fertilization, T1: 100% cocoa pods, T2: 75% cocoa pods + 25% Moringa leaves;T3: 50% cocoa pods + 50% Moringa leaves;T4: 25% cocoa pods + 75% Moringa leaves;T5: 100% Moringa leaves. Three doses were applied: 1;2;4 kg/m2. The trial took place over three growing cycles. The results of the soil analysis compared to the control revealed a significant improvement in physicochemical parameters. Variation of pH from (6.1 to 7.2), calcium from (1.4 to 4.13), magnesium from (0.450 to 0.870), potassium from (0.096 to 0.365) cmol+/kg. Carbon and nitrogen were recorded (1.02% to 2.77%) and (0.12% to 2.56%) respectively. The CEC (cation exchange capacity) saw a clear improvement (4.2 to 9.03) cmol+/kg. Concerning the growth parameters, the control plants recorded an average height of (31.19 cm) while those that benefited from the treatments oscillated between (55.51 to 105.57 cm). In terms of production, the best yields are attributed to treatments T3 and T4 with (37.66 t/ha) and (51.176 t/ha) respectively. The T3 and T4 formulations could help improve the fertility of agricultural soils and the yield of market garden products such as eggplant.
文摘The effect of a storage system on drying time and estimation of drying parameters of cocoa beans using an indirect solar dryer with a sensible heat energy storage system (stones which act as both absorber and heat storage media) is the main subject of this article. This dryer, which uses stones as storage material and is made of wood and plywood, was used to dry a quantity of 5 kg of fermented cocoa beans. The drying parameters for the drying curves and the drying efficiency of cocoa beans were established and studied. The drying curves were modelled from semi-empirical models. The results showed that the moisture of cocoa beans decreased from 60% to 7% in wet basis. With a solar collector and drying efficiency of 40% and 34%, respectively. And this with a maximum average difference temperature between the drying air and the ambient temperature of 13.25˚C day or night. The best concordances are obtained with R2 values of 0.9983, 0.9843, 0.9813 and 0.9837 respectively from the models of Hii, Jena and Das, Demir et al. and Alibas.
文摘Côte d’Ivoire has been the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans for several decades. Apart from this production performance, the quality of the beans, which are mainly exported to the major chocolate-making countries, presents a quality problem to the point of suffering a discount on the international market. One of these quality problems is the content of ochratoxin A, a mycotoxin produced by fungi. Finally, to verify the level of contamination in beans produced in Côte d’Ivoire, a study was carried out. It consisted of collecting information on fermentation and drying times (The two major post-harvest operations) and collecting beans, which were analyzed by electrophoresis using the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method. The results obtained show ochratoxin A contents of between 0.05 µg/kg and 0.17 µg/kg. The general level of contamination is therefore very low and below the tolerable limit which is 2 µg/kg. In addition, the correlative study between the fermentation and drying times of the beans revealed no significant influence (p < 0.01) of the duration of these operations on the level of ochratoxin A contamination. Major contamination can occur after post-harvest activities carried out by producers. This is certainly due to the development of fungi responsible for the production of ochratoxin A during the period of storage and marketing of cocoa beans in conditions of high humidity in storage enclosures. Producers need to be made more aware of the need to ensure that cocoa beans are properly dried and stored in dry areas to avoid moisture build-up, which is a source of mould growth and ochratoxin A production.
文摘The productive evaluation of cocoa in this research is proposed through an assessment of soil quality and crop health in an organic production system(SPO)Taisha canton and a conventional production system(SPCv)Morona canton.Methodology:Altieri and Nicholls establish a diagnosis of chemical,physical,biological and health indicators,with weightings high(10),medium(5)and low(1).Results:SPO soil quality,reflects weights 10(high)for ammonium ion,zinc,copper,iron,manganese,moisture retention,biological activity,compaction,apparent density,residue status,color,organic matter,root development,erosion incidence,5(medium)potassium,phosphorus,calcium,sulfur,pH,texture,1(low)magnesium,boron,topsoil depth,for crop health values of 10(high)appearance,crop growth,stress resistance or tolerance,weed competition,agrosilvopastoral system,plant diversity and management system,5(medium)potential yield,incidence of pests and diseases.The SPCv soil quality presented a weighting of 10(high)for nitrogen,zinc,copper,iron,biological activity,compaction,bulk density,color,organic matter,root development,erosion incidence,5(medium)manganese,pH,texture,moisture retention,residue status,1(low)potassium,phosphorus,calcium,magnesium,sulfur,boron,topsoil depth,crop health 10(high)crop appearance and growth,stress resistance or tolerance,weed competition,agrosilvopastoral system,plant diversity,management system,potential yield,5(medium)incidence of pests and diseases,1(low)surrounding natural diversity.Conclusions:The SPO for soil quality:7.41 and for crop health:7.59 weighted as sustainable,while the SPCv for soil quality:6 and crop health:6.76,resulting in a moderately sustainable production system.
文摘A field trial to evaluate the growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa intercropped with coconut was conducted in Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria(CRIN)Headquarters,Idi-Ayunre,Ibadan,Oyo State between 2019 and 2022.There were four treatments comprising of cocoa sole,cocoa/plantain,cocoa/coconut and cocoa/coconut/plantain intercrop.The experimental design was Randomized Complete Block(RCB)replicated three times.Result obtained showed that cocoa/plantain was significantly higher(p<0.05)than all other treatments in all parameters considered and closely followed by cocoa/coconut,then cocoa sole with cocoa/plantain/coconut giving the least performance.The same trend was observed in the nutrient uptake.It was also observed in the trial that the two crops:cocoa and coconut did not show any deleterious effect on their growth when intercropped together.This showed that the two crops are compatible when grown on the same piece of land.Therefore,cocoa/coconut intercrop could be recommended to cocoa farmers in south west Nigeria to increase their revenue generation when coconut starts bearing fruit instead of sole planting of cocoa.
基金This work was conducted in the frame of the accompanying research on strategies for improving farmer families’incomes and sustainable cocoa production funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development(BMZ).
文摘About 44%of the world’s cocoa is produced in one single country,Côte d’Ivoire.Providing this important raw material,most Ivorian cocoa farmers live in severe poverty,which,despite a multitude of sector interventions,is still widespread,affecting social and environmental sustainability in cocoa production.In this context,cocoa farmers are still often treated as a homogeneous group of small-scale producers(mainly males),resulting in interventions being conceptualized as one-size-fits-all approaches and failing to deliver support schemes that take farmers’specific conditions appropriately into account.Applying a broader typology approach that combines farm characteristics with farmers’characteristics,this study aims to delineate Ivorian cocoa farmers and their farms into specific types in order to improve advice for targeted sustainability interventions and living income(LI)potentials.Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis of a household dataset collected in 2022 in five cocoa-growing regions of Côte d’Ivoire were chosen to identify types of male-headed farms.To assure gender sensitive analysis,a female-headed farm type was created artificially.The specific characteristics of the identified types were captured using descriptive analysis.Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were then applied to examine the relationships between these farm types and various outcomes.Additionally,a binary logistic model was used to estimate the probability of these links in relation to variables relevant for achieving a LI.Finally,Spearman non-parametric correlation was used to identify eventual differences in the strength of relationships between key variables per farm type.Three different types of male-headed farms are identified:type 1(the most productive and diversified farms with larger size),type 2(middle-sized farms with strong focus on cash crops),and type 3(small-sized farms with a good level of diversification for self-consumption).The artificially created type 4 represents female-headed farms with the smallest size.On average,none of these farm types achieves a LI.However,type 1 shows the smallest LI gap,while type 4 is by far the worst.Our analyses reveal underlying socio-economic factors systematically disadvantaging female-headed cocoa farms,most notably limited access to land and other material assets.The key contribution of this study lies in the empirical identification of the different characteristics of farms in a given farming system,thereby identifying the need for targeted support interventions.Type-specific recommendations are made,showing pathways to provide tailored programs to farmers of different types in order to reduce their LI gaps.
文摘This study examines the effects of germination substrates incorporating spent mushroom substrate(SMS)and locally sourced organic materials on the growth and vigor of cocoa seedlings.Seven treatments were evaluated using a Completely Randomized Design(CRD),comprising combinations of coconut coir,rice husk,sugarcane bagasse,and biochar.Key findings reveal that treatments combining SMS,sugarcane bagasse,and either coconut coir or biochar(T6 and T7)achieved significantly higher survival rates and Dickson Quality Index(DQI)scores compared to conventional soil(T1).These treatments provided favorable chemical properties,including optimal pH,electrical conductivity,and nutrient content(N,P,K),which are critical for cocoa seedling development.The results suggest that using SMS with agricultural waste as an alternative germination medium can reduce cultivation costs,enhance seedling growth,and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices by repurposing organic waste.This approach not only offers cost-effective benefits for farmers but also mitigates environmental impacts associated with waste disposal.
文摘The overall objective of the present study is to evaluate the impact of the heap fermentation of cocoa on microbial dynamics and physicochemical parameters of the soil. The methodology was to heap fermentation broad beans 600 cocoa pods moved to a place after the soil was taken for microbiological and physicochemical analyzes considered the control sample. In addition, cocoa lixiviate and soil were subjected to analyze. Chemical analysis of cocoa lixiviate revealed the absence of heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium. It appears from the analysis of soil than clays represent on average 46.67%, 8.03% for fine silt, heavy silt 5.69%, 15.39% fine sands and heavy sands 20.02%. Microbiological analysis revealed the abundance of total coliform up to 4.6× 103 CFU/g soil. The variations of the abundance of yeasts are 0.01 × 103 CFU/g soil obtained on day 2 at 12 o＇clock to 3.5 × 103 CFU/g soil observed on day 3 to 18 pm （0-3 cm deep）. However, further study on the assessment of biodiversity after the fermentation would determine its species richness.
文摘Looking of finding an alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers to increase yields of cassava (</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Manihot esculenta</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">), trials were carried out in the Lamto zone in central Côte d’Ivoire. Thus, the effects of compost and ash from cocoa shell and NPK were tested on the agronomic parameters of cassava. The trial was conducted for two years with four varieties of cassava: </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Yacé</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Alleda agba</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Six mois</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> and </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Bonoua</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">, grown on elementary plots treated with one of these fertilizers. The experimental design was complete randomized blocks with three replicates. Analysis of the results showed that the </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Six</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">mois</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> variety gave the longest stems (131,</span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:""> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">67 cm) with the cocoa shell compost. The </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Bonoua</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> variety, on the other hand, gave the largest diameter of the stem base (21.56 mm), a higher number of leaves (77.30) and a large wingspan (136</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">.</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">89 cm) with cocoa shell compost. The leaves developed by the plants of this variety were wider (19.30 cm) and longer (17.96 cm) with cocoa shell compost. Also, this </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;">Bonoua</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;"> variety treated with shell compost yielded a high number of tuberized roots (5.11), high average weight per plant (5.83 kg/plant) and higher yield (58.29 t/ha). This compost of cocoa shell has also allowed a better conservation of the cultivated soils quality.
文摘Sahlbergella singularis （brown cocoa mirid） is responsible for over 30% yield loss of cocoa, while Phytophthora megakarya （causal organism of black pod disease） causes between 70-100% yield loss of cocoa in Nigeria. In all the Nigerian cocoa agroecological zones, the use of pesticides still remains an important component among the strategies for effective control of major insect pests and diseases of cocoa. The Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria （CRIN）, has the national mandate to evaluate and recommend novel pesticides from various groups that fall within the European-Union standards for use on cocoa farms in Nigeria. Such pesticides usually undergo rigorous testing spanning over 3 years to determine correct dose necessary to produce toxic reactions to the targeted pests without any adverse effects on the environment, man and non-target organisms. The screening exercise for candidate pesticides starts with confirmatory test of the constituent active ingredient, laboratory bioassay, phytotoxicity test, first, second and third year field evaluation and residue analysis of beans harvested from the treated plots. This paper critically examines these standard procedures, which must be followed judiciously for novel pesticides certification and recommendation for use in Nigeria.
文摘Large areas of the indigenous tropical forests in the southwestern part of Nigeria are being converted into agricultural lands and this has been reported to have serious implications for biodiversity and the environment. Cocoa based agroforestry is one of the common agricultural practices in this region and comparative information on the carbon storage capacity of the cocoa agroforests is generally lacking. In this study the above-ground carbon storage and partitioning in a protected primary forest were evaluated and compared with those of the two categories of cocoa agroforests (sparse and dense) identified in the area. Above-ground biomass accumulation and carbon stock varied significantly with land use type, with the primary rainforest having the highest values and sparse cocoa agroforests having the lowest. A reduction in above-ground carbon stock of 89.82% and 71.20% was observed 10 years after conversion of tropical rainforest to sparse and dense cocoa agroforests respectively.
文摘Adoption of recommended technologies as a package is the prelude to increase cocoa productivity per unit area. This is due to the interactive benefits of individual technologies which have been recommended by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG). However, many surveys among cocoa farmers have reported low adoption of technologies resulting in low productivity of cocoa with an average of 450 kg/ha among small holder cocoa farmers in Ghana. The current study investigates the adoption behavior of some cocoa farmers belonging to some self help farmer associations in the Eastern Region who are being monitored by CRIG since 2011. Primary data was collected from 131 respondents using questionnaires to interview farmers between 2013 and 2015. The results showed that adoption of recommended cocoa technologies as a package was still low. Respondents, however, identified a number of challenges including high cost of inputs, lack of finance and access to credit, high cost of labour and old age as some factors hampering composite adoption of the full CRIG technologies. It is recommended that small-scale cocoa farmers need a sustainable and convenient microfinance that can motivate and help them afford the cost associated with the full package of technologies. Farmers’ savings culture should also be nurtured to enhance their financial capabilities and investment in the cocoa farm.
文摘Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.
文摘The effect of agricultural practices on soil organic nitrogen （N） fractions in a cocoa plantation has not been much revealed till now. Despite the fact that soil organic N has been long admitted for its importance to maintain soil fertility. Presented field experiment was conducted in Kaliwining Experimental Station, Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute （ICCRI）, Jember, East Java, Indonesia, to investigate the effect of cocoa farm management, namely fertilization, weeding and soil tillage on the content of soil organic N fractions. The design of experiment was arranged in a split-split plot with two levels of weeding as main plots, two levels of soil tillage as subplot and three different fertilizer treatments as sub-sub plot. The analysis of soil N including total N and soil organic N fractions, namely, total hydrolized N, ammonium N, amino sugar N and amino acid N, were performed. The result showed that the effect of fertilization treatment was significant to the content of total N, ammonium N, amino sugar N and amino acid N. No-tillage treatment resulted in total N and amino sugar-N content increasing by 8% and 24%, respectively, over tillage treatment. Slashing treatment caused increase of the total N by 3% from herbicide treatment, whilst decrease of ammonium N and amino sugar N by 7% and 24%, respectively.
文摘Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and presents a unique scenario for the food and agriculture industry, because there is no food safety legislation. The application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) leads to improvements of quality, safety and sustainability of agricultural products. The purpose of the study was to assess the status of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in cocoa and coffee farms in Northern Haiti. A general survey captured information about the farmer and the farm, and an audit checklist was used to assess compliance to GAPs. A total of 11 farms (n = 11) were audited, of which 7 were cocoa farms (64%) and 4 were coffee farms (34%) in the regions of Dondon, Limonade and Milot. Average overall audit scores for coffee farms (73%) were higher than for cocoa farms (55%). Farms affiliated with a cooperative scored higher (78%) than those that were not part of a cooperative (55%). The sections of the survey on “Practices related to premises and production site”, and the “use of agricultural inputs and chemicals” received the lowest scores but were confined to the cocoa farms. “Record keeping” plus “distribution, transportation, and traceability” were cause for concern with both the cocoa and coffee farms. Critical non-conformances included the access of livestock animals and domestic pets to processing and storage areas, the lack of control in the application of agricultural chemicals, a lack of safeguards on equipment and elevated surfaces, and washing of fresh cocoa beans to remove the mucilage with water that had not been treated or tested for potability. The root cause of the non-conformances, regardless of the commodity, was either related to poor physical and organizational infrastructures, or to a lack of technical training.
文摘A field study was conducted at CRIN Uhonmora Substation, Edo State in Derived Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria between 2007 and 2008. The experiment determined influence of intercropping cocoa with rice and plantain at early stage of field establishment. Four treatments considered were cocoa （sole）, cocoa/rice, cocoa/plantain and cocoa/rice/plantain. Spacing of 3.1 m apart was used for cocoa and plantain while rice was 30 cm. Plot laid out was randomized complete block design replicated three times. Data on cocoa morphological parameters comprising plant height, girth and leaf area as well as weed biomass were measured monthly. Cocoa survival count was also determined. Data collected were subjected to ANOVA, and LSD was used to separate the means. Survival count showed over 95% survival in all treatments without any significance differences. On plant height and leaf area vegetative growth were significantly higher （P 〈 0.05） in the intercrops than the sole cocoa but not significantly different in all the months. Plant vigour was significantly higher in cocoa/plantain intercrop. Cocoa/rice/plantain produced the least weed biomass while cocoa sole gave the highest. Therefore, cocoa/rice and cocoa/plantain intercrops could be recommended to cocoa farmers in Nigeria instead of sole planting at early age of field establishment.
文摘A greenhouse study was carried out at Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan to study the effect of water stress on the four popular cocoa genotypes at the institute. F3 Amazon, T1, T7 and Amelonado were raised under different water regimes (daily, 3-day interval, 5-day interval and 7-day interval) at 100%, 50% and 25% field capacities. Data were collected on the height, leaf area, root length, stomata conductance, photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency of the plants. Results showed that plant performances showed genotypic variation in their response to water stress. Generally, there were linear and positive relationships between water level and values in both physiological and morphological responses of cocoa genotypes.
文摘Among all the plagues threatening cocoa cultivation in general, and particularly in West Africa, the swollen shoot viral disease is currently the most dangerous. The greatest challenge in the fight to eradicate this pandemic remains its early detection. Traditional methods of swollen shoot detection are mostly based on visual observations, leading to late detection and/or diagnostic errors. The use of machine learning algorithms is now an alternative for effective plant disease detection. It is therefore crucial to provide efficient solutions to farmers’ cooperatives. In our study, we built a database of healthy and diseased cocoa leaves. We then explored the power of feature extractors based on convolutional neural networks such as VGG 19, Inception V3, DenseNet 201, and a custom CNN, combining their strengths with the XGBOOST classifier. The results of our experiments showed that this fusion of methods with XGBOOST yielded highly promising scores, outperforming the results of algorithms using the sigmoid function. These results were further consolidated by the use of evaluation metrics such as accuracy, mean squared error, F score, recall, and Matthews’s correlation coefficient. The proposed approach, combining state of the art feature extractors and the XGBOOST classifier, offers an efficient and reliable solution for the early detection of swollen shoot. Its implementation could significantly assist West African cocoa farmers in combating this devastating disease and preserving their crops.
