Cocoa farm sanitation
Cocoa farm sanitation:
Cocoa farm sanitation is the removal of unwanted elements from the farm. Unwanted elements include stagnant water, weeds, piled Cocoa husks, Chupons, Moss, Epiphytes (Mistletoes), dead branches, unwanted pods. Removing these unwanted elements from the farm regularly reduces the incidence of pests and diseases because some of these elements serve as hosts.
Cocoa husks have to be removed regularly from the farm especially in cases where the incidence of Black pod disease is high. It is recommended that husks collected from Black pod diseased farms are used to make compost away from the farm. This compost can later be applied to the soil as a form of organic fertilizer.
Stagnant water in Cocoa farms creates high humidity and encourages the spread of fungal diseases such as Black pod disease. Remove stagnant water by creating tunnels that direct the stagnant water away from the Cocoa farm.
Weeding of Cocoa farms must be done at least twice a year. It is very common to observe some farmers weeding only once a year or not at all. Weeding can be done manually or by use of approved herbicides.
Regular Chupons removal is necessary. Chupons are shoots that appear at the base of the main stem and larger branches of Cocoa trees. Chupons are a drain on available nutrients in the Cocoa plants. Chupons removal is usually done every 3 months. Sometimes, one can allow a Chupon to grow into a main stem and replace a damaged or unhealthy main stem. Other times, you may leave Chupons to grow when a Cocoa tree lacks enough stems and leaves to capture sunlight and produce pods.
Another relevant activity to ensure Cocoa farm sanitation is sanitary harvesting. It involves removal of dead or diseased pods from the farm. This should be done regularly to prevent the spread of Black pod disease. It is recommended that sanitary harvesting is done after every rainfall and special attention has to be given to Black pod infested pods. These pods may be burnt or used for the production of compost away from the farm. Never bury Black pod infested pods in your farm as this will only spread the disease to other healthy pods on the farm. If you want to bury Black pod infested pods in your farm, ensure you spray these with fungicides before burying.
Moss must be removed anytime they are identified. Moss usually grow on old stems and branches and in environments of high humidity and a lot of shade. Because of where they are located, Moss impedes the production of flower and pods. They also promote the spread of Black pod disease because they usually hold a lot of moisture. Remove moss by scraping with a Cutlass but be careful not to damage the bark of the stem. Other recommended methods exist for the control of Moss. Epiphytes (Mistletoes) are also removed carefully with Cutlasses or a long handled pruner. Mistletoes are plants that grow on the Cocoa tree and depend on the nutrients of Cocoa trees to survive. A farmer who abides by the above processes regarding Cocoa farm sanitation will increase productivity.
Reference:
S. David 2010. Good agricultural practices for sustainable cocoa production: a guide for farmer training. Manual 2: Integrated crop and pest management for mature cocoa farms. Sustainable Tree Crops Program, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Accra, Ghana. November 2010 version
