Effect of Pruning on Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao L) on Morphological, Flowering and Yield and Quality of Cocoa Beans

Abstract

An experiment was conducted, to study the effect of canopy management in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), at Department of Spices and Plantation Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore during the year 2011-2012. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with five treatments with four replications each consisted of five trees. The pruning intensities were light pruning, medium pruning, heavy pruning, open centre pruning and control farmer's practice, i.e., sanitary pruning (removal of unnecessary chupons and dead branches). The studies were made on various parameters like morphological, physiological, yield and quality and biochemical parameters. In morphological character the number days taken for flowering from pruning, flower cushions per tree and number of flowers per cushion per tree and in a fruiting character number of pods per tree, pod weight (g), the number of beans per pod, wet bean weight per pod (g), dry bean weight per pod (g), dry yield per tree (Kg) were assessed. The treatments did exhibit significant differences, among the other treatment methods Medium Pruning (20% reduction of secondary branches) resulted in the improvement of all beneficial parameters leading to enhanced yield and quality of cocoa.