OCOA NOTEBOOK
ICAR- CENTRAL PLANTATION CROPS RESEARCH
INSTITUTE- CPCRI
REGIONAL STATION, VITTAL - 574 243, KARNATAKA
Technical bulletin No.: 144
Cocoa Note Book
ICAR- Central Plantation Crops Research
Institute- CPCRI
Kasaragod, Kerala- 671 124.
Telephone: 04994- 232893 to 232896
Fax: 04994- 232322
E-mail: directorcpcri@gmail.com
Published by
Dr. Anitha Karun, Director, ICAR- CPCRI
Dr. Venkatesh N. Hubballi, Director, DCCD
Edited by
Dr. S. Elain Apshara
Dr. Shivaji Hausrao Thube
Dr. M. Chaithra
Dr. R. Thavaprakasa Pandian
Printed at
December, 2019
• Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.)
called as ‘Food of Gods’.
Important beverage/ industrial/
plantation crop.
• Area in India: 82,940 Hectares
Production: 18,920 Tonnes
• Main Cocoa Growing States:
Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu &
Andhra Pradesh.
• Growing Zones:
Western Ghats Hills and Plains,
Palm based Cropping Systems of
Humid Tropics, Irrigated Arecanut,
Coconut and Oil Palm Gardens,
Lower hills with forest and fruit
trees as permanent and temporary
shades.
1
CLIMATE
• Latitude: 200N 200S
Main growing area 100N 100S
• Elevation: 500 m Mean Sea Level,
best up to 300 m MSL.
• Rainfall: 90-100 mm/ month
1500-2000 mm/ year
Supplementary irrigation during
rainless periods.
• Temperature:15-390C,
Optimum 250C.
• Humidity: 85-90%
Cocoa at CPCRI Centres
Vittal: 73-90 m MSL
Kidu: 290 m MSL
Ne centres: 50-91 m MSL
2
SOIL
• Soil type:
Deep well-drained soil,
Clay loam, sandy loam, laterite.
• Soil pH: 4.5-8.0,
Optimum 6.5-7.0.
• Ideal soil: 1.5 m depth,
3.5% organic matter,
>9 C:N ratio
SHADE
• 50% shade and 50% sunlight.
• Partial shade under arecanut,
coconut and oil palm gardens and
forest trees.
• Initial years (10-12 years) shade
requirement for cocoa is more.
• Leaves provides self shading
effect in old trees.
3
CRIOLLO TYPE
Fine
Cocoa
Pod colour Red to Orange
Pod shape Thin wall, rough surface,
Angoleta shape
Bean colour White, Plumpy, Round
Bean no. 20-30/ pod
Fermentation 3 days
Flavour Bland & Pleasant
Vigour Less vigorous
Adaptability Lesser, susceptible to
pests & diseases
4
FORASTERO TYPE
Basic/
Bulk
Cocoa
Pod colour Green to Yellow
Pod shape Melon shaped,
smooth surfaced
Bean colour Purple, Flat
Bean no. 30 or more
Fermentation 6 days
Flavour Harsh & Bitter
Vigour More vigorous
Adaptability Wider, tolerant to
pests & diseases
5
TRINITARIO TYPE
Naturalof
Hybrid
Criollo &
Forastero
Pod colour Mixtures of Green, Red and
Purple
Pod shape Thick & thin wall, smooth
surface, mixture of shapes
Bean colour Variable in colour
Bean no. 30 or more
Fermentation Intermediate/ 6 days
Flavour Mixture
Vigour Intermediate
Adaptability Wider, tolerant to pests &
diseases
6
COCOA VARIETIES
VTLCH 1 (Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 1)
• Heavy bearer, adapted well
• Dry bean yield/ tree/ year- 1.48 kg/ 16m2
canopy
VTLCH 2 (Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 2)
• High yielder, tolerant to black pod rot
• Dry bean yield/ tree/ year- 1.15 kg/ 15m 2
canopy
7
VTLCH 3 (Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 3)
• Suitable for water limited conditions
• Dry bean yield/ tree/ year- 1.45 kg/
18m2 canopy
VTLCH 4 (Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 4)
• Suitable for water limited conditions
• Dry bean yield/ tree/ year- 1.25 kg/
18m2 canopy
8
VTLCC 1 (Vittal Cocoa Clone 1)
• Self and cross compatible clone
• Dry bean yield/ tree/ year- 1.33 kg/ 12m2
canopy
VTLCS 1 (Vittal Cocoa Selection 1)
• Suitable in coconut/ arecanut gardens
• Dry bean yield/ tree/ year- 2.70 kg/ 15m2
canopy
9
VTLCS 2 (Vittal Cocoa Selection 2)
• Suitable in coconut/ arecanut gardens
• Dry bean yield/ tree/ year- 2.52 kg/ 15m2
canopy
VTLCH 5 (Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 5)
• Suitable for high density planting
• Dry bean yield/ tree/ year- 2.5-3.0 kg/ 16-
17m2 canopy
Grow multiple varieties to overcome the
problem of incompatibility
10
SEED GARDEN
Bi Clonal Orchard: Assembled with two
self incompatible but cross compatible
parents to produce hybrid of particular
variety of known parentage and
performance.
Poly Clonal Orchard: Assembled with
multiple self incompatible but cross
compatible parents to produce hybrid of
mixed varieties.
11
COCOA NURSERY
• Mother trees: Forasteros & Trinitarios
• Pod yield in mother trees:
50-100 pods/ tree/ year after 6 years
and 12 years respectively.
• Seed pod: 350 g weight with smooth or
shallow surface without neck, Husk
thickness of 1 cm,
>35 bold beans from the middle
portion of the pod.
12
• Poly bag nursery:
Black polybags of 6”x 9” size,
250 gauge thickness with 9 drain holes
• Potting mixture:
2:1:1 Soil: Sand: FYM (Farm Yard
Manure/ any composts).
• Sowing:
Open pods & sow seeds immediately
after removing the mucilage,
Shallow horizontal sowing.
• For planting: 4 months old seedlings.
13
PLANTING SYSTEMS
UNDER ARECANUT
•Arecanut: 2.7 m x 2.7 m (9 ft x 9 ft)
•Cocoa in centre of four areca palms at
2.7 m x 5.4 m (9 ft x 18 ft) spacing
•686 plants/ ha
•An equal spacing of 3 m x 3 m for
arecanut & cocoa and same time planting
is recommended for new plantations.
ARECANUT BASED MULTI SPECIES
CROPPING SYSTEM
Arecanut: 2.7 m x 2.7 m
Cocoa/ Banana/ Pepper: 2.7 m x 5.4 m
14
UNDER COCONUT
• Coconut: 7.5 m x 7.5 m (25 ft x 25 ft)
Single Hedge System:
Cocoa in centre of two rows of coconut at
• 3 m x 7.5 m (10 ft x 25 ft)= 444 trees/ ha
Double Hedge System:
• 2.5 to 2.7 m (8 ft x 9 ft)= 800 trees/ ha
• 2 m away from palm basin to avoid damage
due to fallen fronds
• 3 m between cocoa is advised in widely
spaced coconut gardens.
15
UNDER OILPALM
• Oil palm: 9x9x9 m triangular planting
• Cocoa: 2.5 to 3 m= 400 plants/ ha
• Cocoa at 2 m away from palm basin.
• >15 years old oil palm at square
system of planting is good to avoid
heavy shade.
UNDER TREES
(Glyricidia/ Erythrina/ Sesbania)
Shade trees: 8-9 m spacing
Cocoa to cocoa: 3 m x 3 m
16
PLANTING
• Pit size: 60 cm3 (2 ft), take pits 2-3 weeks
before planting to ward off the field
heat.
• Fill the pits half with top soil and 5 kg
Farm Yard Manure (FYM) or any
compost one week before planting.
• Fill the pit with bottom soil and plant
the seedling at the centre.
• Stake the seedlings with 2.5 ft long
stakes to give support upto 2 years.
• In case of clones, graft joint should
be above the soil surface.
• Shade the seedlings with coconut
leaves.
• Give life irrigation, if not rained.
• High rainfall zone- post monsoon
planting- August- September
• Low rainfall zone- monsoon planting-
May- June
17
FERTILIZER SCHEDULE
• First dose: April- May (Pre Monsoon)
• Second dose: September- October
(Post Monsoon)
• Additional potassium in split doses to
get more dry bean yields.
Fertilizer I year II year III year
(g/plant/year) onwards
Nitrogen 33 66 100
Phosphorous 13 26 40
Potash 46 92 140
Urea 72 144 220
Rock 65 130 200
phosphate
Muriate of 77 154 230
Potash
Shallow basins 1 ft 2.5 ft 3 ft
18
IRRIGATION
• Flood/ furrow irrigation:
Once in five days, 175 litres of water
• Drip irrigation:
20 liters of water/ day/ tree.
• Fertigation:
Urea- 107 g
Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP)- 145 g
Muriate of Potash (MOP)- 180 g
19
COCOA PRUNING
Pruning in cocoa is necessary
• To decide height of first jorquette, no. of
jorquettes/ tree, no. of fans/ jorquette.
• Maintain medium tree size, cone/ umbrella
shaped canopy architecture.
• Induce flowering & efficient fruiting.
Formation pruning: In young plants
• Adjust first branching height to 1 m.
• Allow 4 fan branches in 4 directions
North South East West
• Maintain single tier canopy.
• Remove chupons/ upward growing
orthotropic shoots/ hanging branches.
Structural pruning: In old trees
• Canopy spread of 3.8-4.0 m and height
2.7 m under arecanut/ coconut.
• Annual pruning- September.
Sanitary pruning:
• Remove diseased, dead shoots, rotten,
rodent damaged pods, epiphytes,
climbers, ant nests.
20
SEEDLING TREE
CLONAL TREE
21
COCOA DISEASES
AND DISORDERS
22
SEEDLING DIEBACK/ BLIGHT
Symptoms: Drying & dying of sprouts from
tip; internal vascular discoloration, yellowing,
blight.
Management: Remove & destruct infected
seedlings: improve drainage facilities.
• Solarise potting mixture in sun and cover
with black polythene sheet for 1 month.
• Bio-prime with 2.5g Cocoa Probio or
Trichoderma harzianum (isolate CPTD-
28) microbial culture per Kg seed.
• Drench with Bordeaux mixture (1%)
or Copper Oxy Chloride (0.2%) before
monsoon. Repeat at 15 days intervals.
23
CHERELLE WILT/ ROT
Physiological wilt: Yellowing, browning and
blackening of young cherelles/ small
developing pods.
• Natural thinning mechanism at 25, 50, 75
days of fruit set.
• Manual removal of wilted cherelles helps
developing pods to gain size.
Pathological wilt: (Colletotrichum gleosporioides)
• Small water soaked lesion at stalk end,
sunken spots with diffused yellow halo,
mummification of cherelles.
• Spray Carbendazim @0.05% or Mancozeb
@0.2%
24
CHARCOAL POD ROT
(Lasiodiplodia theobromae )
Symptoms:
• Infection starts as dark brown spot,
turns black and remains as mummified
fruit on the tree.
• Internal tissues become rotten and
affected beans turns black.
• Severe during summer months.
• Pods of all ages are susceptible.
Management:
• Spray Bordeaux mixture (1%).
25
BLACK POD DISEASE OR POD ROT
(Phytophthora spp.)
Symptoms:
• Small circular water soaked lesion on
pods turns to dark brown spot.
• Within 14 days of initial infection, entire
pod turn to black colour.
• Black pod disease occurs during south
west monsoon season.
Management:
• Removal & destruction of infected pods;
maintain field sanitation.
• Prune branches to get more sun light
on main stem and branches.
• Spray Bordeaux mixture (1%) at 45 days
interval.
26
STEM CANKER (Phytophthora spp.)
Symptoms:
• Dark brown, round to oval shaped
discolored area on the bark.
• Oozing of reddish brown liquid.
• Yellowing, wilting symptoms on leaves
& shoots followed by death of plant.
Management:
• Phytosanitation, removal and destruction
of black pods.
• Avoid trunk covering or mulch near
main stem, clean the basin.
• Provide drainage facility in garden.
• Proper pruning twice in a year-
structural and sanitary pruning.
• Early stage- remove infected tissues
And apply bordeaux paste.
• Long term management- wound treatment
with Trichoderma coir pith cake and soil
application.
27
28
VASCULAR STREAK DIEBACK (VSD)
(Ceratobasidium theobromae)
Symptoms:
• Typical yellowing of one or two leaves
of 2nd or 3rd flush behind shoot tip.
• Affected leaf dries, falls off, youngest
and oldest leaves will remain intact.
• Cut open stem will show long
longitudinal brown streak, due to
infection of xylem vessels.
29
Management:
• Uprooting and burning of severely
of infected plants.
• Pruning of infected leaves, branches,
30-40 cm below the end of visible
brown streaking.
• Swab the cut ends with Bordeaux
paste (10%).
• Prophylactic spray- Bordeaux
mixture @1% or Copper oxy chloride
@0.25% twice in a year during May-
June and October months.
• Soil drenching with 0.25% Copper
oxy chloride (2.5g/ litre of water).
30
COCOA DIEBACK
(Lasiodiplodia theobromae)
Symptoms:
• Yellowing of leaves, drying in
particular pattern from tip of the
twigs to main stem as die back
symptom.
• Cross section of affected branc-
hes showed dark brown colour
necrotic areas advancing from
tip to base.
• Drying of all branches, whole
canopy and death of plant.
31
Management:
• Periodic surveillance to identify
the disease in early stage of
yellowing.
• Trimming, pruning & of effected
abranches to prevent spread of
disease.
• Disinfect pruning knives and
harvesters to prevent carrying
pathogen to healthy plants.
• Swab the cut ends with Bordeaux
paste (10%) to ensure protection.
• Prophylactic spray of Bordeaux
mixture 1% to healthy plants
surrounding the diseased ones.
• Emergence of new flushes from
collar region and chupons from
basal portion of dead trees are
observed.
•If not, dead trees to be uprooted,
discarded away from plot and
burnt.
32
ZINC DEFECIENCY
Symptoms:
• Chlorosis of the leaves.
• Vein- banding.
• Mottling & crinkling with
wavy margin.
• Younger leaves become nar-
row and sickle shaped.
• Twigs shows shortened intern-
odes or rosette
Management:
• Spray 0.3% Zinc Sulphate as
foliar application.
33
IRON DEFECIENCY
Symptoms:
• Darker green veins in younger leaves
against paler green background.
• Green tinted veins against pale
yellowish white or almost completely
white background and tip scorching.
• Narrow marginal and tip scorching in
older leaves.
Management:
• Spray 1% aqueous Ferrous Sulphate
solution repeatedly.
34
BORDEAUX MIXTURE
Preparation of 1% Bordeaux mixture
•Dissolve 1 kg Copper Sulphate cry-
stals in 10 litres of water in a plastic
container.
•Dissolve lime (Quick Lime- 750-850
g; Hydrated Lime- 375-450 g) in 10
litres of water in another plastic
container.
•Pour both solutions simultaneously
to 80 litres of water with constant
stirring.
•Dip pH paper in the solution and if
it turns blue, the mixture is neutral
with 7.0 pH or
• Dip a well- polished knife or sickle,
if the blade shows reddish colour,
add lime to the mixture till the blade
does not show staining.
•Wetting agent at 1ml/ litre can be
added to Bordeaux mixture before
spraying.
•Spray effectively with mist nozzle.
35
36
Precautions
•Fresh Bordeaux solution should be
prepared always in the earthen or
wooden or plastic containers.
•Prepared mixture should be sprayed
within 4-5 hrs.
•At the time of preparation and spray-
ing proper stirring is required.
•Don’t add hot water.
•1% Bordeaux mixture is recomme-
nded twice as prophylactic spray.
•First spray during pre-monsoon
showers and second spray after 40-
45 days of first spray in coconut,
arecanut and cocoa orchards for
Phytophthora disease manage-
ment.
•Spray effectively with mist nozzle.
37
BORDEAUX PASTE
Preparation of 10% Bordeaux paste
• Dissolve 100 g Copper Sulphate and
100 g Quick Lime each in 500 ml of
water separately.
• Mix thoroughly to get a paste.
• Swab Bordeaux paste in cut ends of
pruned branches of cocoa and also in
the coconut/ arecanut crown portion
after removing the diseased spindle
leaves.
38
COCOA PESTS
39
APHIDS
(Toxoptera aurantii )
Symptoms:
• Aphids colonize terminal/ growing
shoots causing leaf deformation and
curling of leaves during summer.
• Colonize on succulent stem, flower
buds, small cherelles cause premature
shedding.
Management:
• Many natural enemies feed on aphids
and exert natural check.
• If infestation is severe, spray Imida-
cloprid (17.8 % SL) at 0.3 ml/ L as spot
application.
40
TEA MOSQUITO BUG (TMB)
(Helopeltis spp.)
Symptoms:
• Infestation starts in young flushes
developed after pruning, in October,
then in small cherelles and pods.
• Feeding spot appear as discoloured
necrotic and darker lesion.
• Circular lesions externally visible as
hardened scars on the plant parts.
41
Management:
• Shade regulation through proper
pruning and training of cocoa
plants.
• Removal of alternate hosts like
neem, cashew, guava from the
surroundings.
• Less infestation: Spray Beauveria
bassiana @4gm/ L of water or neem
oil @ 3%.
• Persistent infestation: Repeat spray
at 20 to 30 days interval.
• Severe infestation: Spray any one
of following insecticides viz.,
Lamdacyhalothrin 5EC (0.003%)
0.3 ml/ L (or) Imidacloprid 17.8 SL
(0.004%) 0.25 ml/ L.
• One spray each during flushing,
flowering and fruiting times.
• Spray during morning hours.
42
MEALY BUG
(Planococcus lilacinus and P. citri)
Symptoms:
• Nymphs and adult females occur in
colonies in summer and infest growing
shoots, foliage, terminal buds, flower
stalks, pods by sucking the sap.
• Seedlings colonized by mealy bugs
show retarded growth and excessive
branching at undesired height.
• Tender leaves deform into hair like
structures, affects flower development.
• Cherelles and young pods dry up.
• Reduction in size and vigour of pods
in severely affected gardens.
43
Management:
• Conservation of lady beetles Pullus spp.,
Lycaenid, Spalgius epius encourage bio-
suppression of mealy bugs.
• On incidence of Paracoccus marginatus,
field release parasitoid Acerophagus
papayae @ 100/ hamlet.
• Spot application on the pest colony
with 0.5% neem oil emulsion along
with 5% soap solution two-times at
fortnightly intervals .
• Spray with biorational molecules like
Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs), such
as Buprofezin, if population is high.
• Need-based application of insecticides
such as Imidacloprid (17.8% SL) at
0.3 ml/ L of water or Dimet- hoate 30 EC
at 1.6 ml/ L of water.
44
STEM BORER
(Rhaphipodus subopacus)
Symptoms:
• Grubs tunnel the bark and penetrate
deeper by making zig-zag galleries.
• Younger trees: Infestation occurs at
the jorquette, results in drying or
breaking of the portion above.
• Older trees: Attack in main stem or
trunk region, yellowing, browning of
leaves and death of plants.
• Infestation is severe where cocoa is
planted in forest cleared tracts or
near forest zones or unmanaged
plots.
45
Management:
• Mechanical collection of grubs from
the affected branches with iron spike
or needle stick and destruction.
• Clean the webs, excreta and plug the
holes with cotton wool soaked with
Chloroform, Formalin or Petrol and
seal it with mud.
• Place Chlorpyriphos 0.05% soaked
cotton and fasten with polythene
tape.
• Swab Coal tar + Kerosene @ 1: 2 in
basal portion of the trunk at 3 feet
height after scraping the loose bark
to prevent laying eggs by adults.
• Maintain farm sanitation. Avoid over
crowding of trees.
• Cut and burn the dead and severely
affected branches.
• Avoid piling or dumping too much
pruned branches and weeded grass
in the tree basin.
46
COCOA FRUIT BORER
(Conogethes punctiferalis)
Symptoms:
• Minor pest became key pest with
climate change effect.
• Caterpillars feed on rind/ husk of cocoa
pods, bore, feed the internal contents,
extruding granular faecal pellets.
• Found in most cushion bearing trees
where the pods are too compact.
Management:
• Collect and destruct infested pods.
• Plant castor as trap crop in borders.
47
RED BANDED THRIPS
(Selenothrips rubrocinctus)
Symptoms:
• Adults and nymphs appear in
colonies on the under surface of the
leaves and pods.
• Infested leaves turn pale green to
pale brown and dry up later.
• Thrips feed on the fluid exuding from
the scraped tissues and appear as
brown streaks and patches on pods.
Management:
• Apply Imidacloprid (17.8% SL) at 0.3
ml/ L of water.
48
RATS
(Rattus rattus)
Symptoms:
• Rats gnaw the pods near the stalk.
• Rats damage both the mature and
immature pods.
Management:
• Keep 10 g Bromadiolone (0.005%) wax
cakes on the branches of cocoa trees
twice at an interval of 10-12 days.
• Rat traps with fried coconut pieces can
be used.
49
SQUIRRELS
( Funambulus tristriatus and F. palmarum)
Symptoms:
• Squirrels gnaw the pods in the center,
damage the mature, ripe pods and eat
the sweet mucilage/ beans.
Management:
• Trap with wooden or wire mesh single
catch ‘live’ trap with ripe coconut
kernel as the bait.
• Trap during lean periods (October-
November), when alternate foods like
paddy, cashew apples, mangoes and
jackfruits are not available.
• Timely harvest of pods and proper
plant density increase the efficiency
of baiting and trapping.
50
COCOA
PROCESSING
51
HARVESTING
nd
• Cocoa flowering: 2 year in clones,
th
4 year in seedlings.
• Main flowering: November- December
in Karnataka.
• Fruit development: January- April,
matures in 135-170 days.
• Stage of maturity: pod colour change
Green (unripe) to Yellow (ripe) and
Red (unripe) to Orange (ripe).
• Depend on management cocoa tend
to yield throughout the year.
Kerala/ May-Aug- main harvest
Karnataka Oct-Dec- second harvest
Jun-Jul- main harvest
Tamil Nadu
Nov-Jan- second harvest
Andhra Jan-Jun- main harvest
Pradesh Jul-Dec- second harvest
52
• Maturity stage of pods and timely
harvests are crucial for processing.
• Under-ripe pods affects quality,
Over-ripe pods shows vivipary.
• Harvest interval: 10-15 days.
• Cut the fruit stalk with sharp knife.
• CPCRI cocoa harvester- with light
weighted telescopic pipe, two sided
sharp blades can be used.
• Heap and keep the harvested pods in
shade for 3 days to enhance pre
fermentation activity.
• Sort and discard diseased and
damaged pods.
53
• Break open the pods with wooden
hammer or carefully with knife
without damaging beans.
• After crosswise opening of pods,
collect beans and discard husk along
with placenta.
• Fresh husk can be used as cattle feed
and composted for use as a
component in potting mixture. Husk
is rich in potassium.
• Each pod will have 25-45 beans
embedded in white pulp or mucilage
which is important for fermentation.
54
FERMENTATION
Fermentation is essential to,
• Remove adhering mucilagenous pulp,
• Kill the germ of the seed,
• Loosen the testa,
• Develop brown color, chocolate flavour
and aroma precursors and
• Reduce bitterness of beans.
During fermentation process
• Beans are covered with banana leaves/
gunny bags to generate heat.
• Fermentation takes 6-7 days.
rd th
• Mixing/ turning of beans on 3 & 5 day
will ensure uniform distribution of heat.
• Completion: Beans attain a reddish
th
brown colour at the end of 6 day.
• Incomplete fermentation makes the
cured beans bitter and astringent.
th
• On 7 day, beans are taken out for
drying.
55
1. Basket method
• Bamboo/ cane/ baskets made of local
vines, 25 cm dia. x 15 cm height with
lid & handle, holds 5-6 kg wet beans.
• Banana leaves placed at bottom to
drain sweatings and to cover beans.
• After filling, close with lid, cover with
gunny bag and keep a weight over it.
• Change banana leaves during each
turnings. Can be processed without
banana leaves also.
• Keep basket on raised surface or on a
tray to facilitate drainage of
sweatings.
rd th
• Mixing of beans- 3 and 5 day.
56
2. Box method
• Wooden box- 45 cm length x 30 cm
width x 20 cm height with drain holes
to allow the sweatings to flowout.
• Fermentation box holds 13-15 kg wet
beans.
• After filling, close tightly with lid.
• Mixing on alternate days, to facilitate
uniform fermentation, maintain
proper temperature, moisture and
aeration.
• Temperature of fermentation mass
rise about 42-48°C after 48 hours.
• Six days (144 hours) required to
complete fermentation.
57
3. Mini tray method
• Wooden trays or plastic crates of 45
cm length x 30 cm width x 15 cm
height with drain holes can be used.
• About 10 kg wet beans are filled in
these trays, levelled and covered.
• Multiple trays can also be staked
one above the other, if quantity of
beans are more.
• Fungal infection is less in these
trays and easy to wash for next
usage.
58
4. Gunny bag method
• Clean gunny bags, cloth bags and
polythene lined bags are used in this
method for small quantity of beans.
• Beans are filled loosely in bags and
allowed to drain sweatings for 1 day.
• Gunny bags are heaped one over the
other and covered properly to
conserve the heat.
• Beans are mixed without opening
rd th
the bag on 3 and 5 day by rolling.
• In this method, beans tend to get
more fungal infection and so care
should be taken while mixing.
59
DRYING
Fermented cocoa beans have 55-69%
moisture which has to be brought down
to 6-7% by drying.
Sun drying: Sun drying gives superior
quality produce.
• Fermented beans are spread in a thin
layer over a bamboo mat/ cement
floor/ polythene sheet for 5-6 days.
• Turning from time to time for uniform
drying and to prevent clogging.
• Properly dried fistful of beans when
compressed in palm produce cracking
sound.
• Sun drying is widely practised in TN &
AP, where humidity and rainfall is less.
60
Artificial drying
• During monsoon, artificial drying to be
adopted in Kerala and Karnataka.
• Partially enclosed solar dryers could
attain high temperature quickly, rate of
drying is faster (3-4 days) and give
better quality produce.
• Poly house/ Glass house can be used
for drying beans.
• Duration of artificial drying varies
o
from 48-96 hrs (2-4 days) with 50 C.
• Very high temperature should be
avoided to reduce burnt smell.
• Slow drying in the initial stage will
give better quality beans.
61
Electric oven
• Oven drying is practised in research
institutes.
• Beans have to be dried for 8-10 hours
at 50-550 C for the first two days,
followed by continuous drying at 600 C.
• Total drying period- 72-96 hrs (3-4 days).
• Beans are to be mixed at regular
intervals for uniform drying, to prevent
clump formation and from breaking.
• While shelling, whole beans are
expected by proper drying.
• Properly processed and dried beans
will have more fat content for chocolate
making.
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Grading and storage
• Dried cocoa beans after cooling to
room temperature are cleaned before
storage.
• Flat, slaty, shrivelled, broken, mouldy
beans and other extraneous materials
are to be removed.
• Cleaned beans are packed in fresh
polythene- lined (150-200 gauge) gunny
bags.
• Bags packed with dry beans are kept on
a raised platform of wooden planks.
• Rooms should be free of spices,
pesticides and fertilizers or beans may
absorb odour from these materials.
• Beans should be stored in humid free
environment to avoid fungal infection
as well as storage pests.
• Properly cured and dried beans can be
stored from 3-6 months.
63
Yield potential: Under normal culti-
vation conditions as a mixed crop under
palms, each cocoa tree is expected to
yield 1 kg dry beans annually.
• Under arecanut with spacing of 2.7 m x
5.4 m, one hectare accommodates 686
trees with yield potential of 686 to 1300
kg dry beans with an optimal canopy
area of 15-20 m2.
• Under coconut potential yield upto 3-4
kg is obtained from cocoa trees with
two storey canopy.
• Income: Rs. 1.0- 1.4 lakhs per hectare
(@Rs. 150- 200/ 1 kg dry beans)
Cost of planting materials
• Cocoa seed pod - Rs. 30/-
• Cocoa seedling - Rs. 10/-
• Cocoa graft - Rs. 30/-
64
PEST & DISEASES
65
Cost of operations
S. No. Operation
1 Land cleaning & peg marking
2 Digging pits
3 Pit filling, planting, staking,
mulching, shading
4 Weeding twice a year
5 Pruning and training
6 Soil working
7 Application of manures and
fertilizers
8 Plant protection- spraying
9 Irrigation
10 Fencing, watch & ward
11 Miscellaneous operations-
removal of chupons, cherelles,
diseased pods, transportation
of inputs, seedling for gap
filling
Total
Wages @Rs.200/- per man day
66
- man days - for 500 plants
1st year 2nd year 3rd year Total
(man (man (man
days) days) days)
15 - - 15
30 - - 30
15 10 - 25
10 10 10 30
10 10 10 30
5 5 5 15
10 10 10 30
5 5 5 15
10 5 5 20
5 5 5 15
5 10 10 25
120 70 60 250
Rs. 24,000 Rs. 14,000 Rs. Rs.
12,000 50,000
67
Cost of cultivation under arecanut
S. No. Particulars
1 Establishment cost during pre-
bearing stage (3 years)
2 Cost of drip system
3 Total establishment cost including
drip system
4 Annuity value for establishment cost
5 Annual fixed cost of drip irrigation
system
6 Labour charges for annual
maintenance
7 Input charges for annual
maintenance
8 Total annual maintenance cost
during bearing stage
9 Total cost of cultivation per year with
annuity value during bearing stage
10 Total cost of cultivation per year with
annuity value during bearing stage
with fixed cost for drip irrigation
Annual production of cocoa
B: C Ratio
68
Cost of cultivation under arecanut
Rs./ Ha
50,000
15,000
65,000
4,800
3,000
13,200
10,000
23,200
28,000
31,225
650 kg/ ha
1: 2
69
Contact Address
The Head
ICAR- Central Plantation Crops Research
Institute- CPCRI
Regional Station, Vittal,
Bantwal Tk., Dakshina Kannada Dt.,
Karnataka- 574 243.
cpcrivtl@gmail.com, Ph: 08255- 239238
Cocoa Promotional Activities
The Director
Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa
Development (DCCD),
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare,
Kera Bhavan, Cochin- 682 011, Kerala.
www.dccd.nic.in
Cocoa Processing and Marketing
CCentral Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing
and Processing Co-operative Ltd.
(CAMPCO), Chocolate Factory,
Kemminje, Puttur- 574 202
www.campco.org
70
COCOA AT A GLANCE
Cocoa : Chocolate Tree
Types : Criollo, Forastero,
Trinitario
Cropping model : Palm based mixed
cropping system
Economic part : Beans
Cropping period : 35 years
Plant habit : Branching in tiers of
chupons & fans
Reproductive phase : Cushion flowering,
cherelles, pods
Pollination : Cross pollination
Breeding behaviour : Self incompatible &
Cross compatible
Main season May- August
Pruning & Flushing : September- October
Flowering : November- December
Fruit development : January- April
Pod/ Dry bean yield : 50 nos./ 1 kg/ tree/ year
Single bean weight : >1g
Pod : Bean/ Wet : Dry : 3 : 1
Shelling : 10-15%
Nib recovery : 85-90%
Fat content : 50%
71
ICAR- CENTRAL PLANTATION CROPS RESEARCH
INSTITUTE- CPCRI
REGIONAL STATION, VITTAL - 574 243, KARNATAKA
