Analysis and design of the shade canopy of cocoa-based agroforestry systems

Chávez, Eduardo Somarriba; Aguilar, Luis Orozco; Bustillos, Rolando Cerda; Sampson, Arlene López; Cook, James E.

doi:10.19103/as.2017.0021.29

Cited by 26 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…The most visible impact was a decrease in stem diameter and cocoa bean yield recorded from YCAF and OCAF systems. Decreasing tree density in agroforestry systems is a determining factor for cocoa bean yield (Somarriba et al 2018). Koko et al (2013) noted that the amount of fruit harvested decreased by 50% in shaded orchards.…”

Section: Cocoa Growth and Yield Under Shadedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree density impact on growth, roots length density, and yield in agroforestry based cocoa

Saleh

GUSLI²,

Ala³

et al. 2022

Biodiversitas

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Abstract. Saleh AR, Gusli S, Ala A, Neswati R, Sudewi S. 2021. Tree density impact on growth, roots length density, and yield in agroforestry based cocoa. Biodiversitas 23: 496-506. Cocoa-based agroforestry systems using langsat trees as shade is aimed to maximize the absorptions of solar energy, water, and nutrients, and increase income sources for farmers. Limited information about interspecific interactions between cocoa and langsat which is needed to improve the performance of agroforestry systems is a challenging idea. We studied the relationship characteristics of cocoa trees as a present shaded effect in the agroforestry system. Compared agroforestry systems were based on ages, namely young and old cocoa agroforestry or YCAF and OCAF, and monoculture systems (Mono) regardless of plant age. On above stony soil, we observed root length density (RLD) of cocoa and langsat fine roots, from under cocoa canopy to three distance levels from the cocoa stem (i.e. at a distance 0.4 m, 1.2 m and, 1.7 m), and four distance depths for all systems (i.e. at a depth 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm and, 30-40 cm). Stem diameter, basal area, canopy cover, yield cocoa beans, and convertible products non-cocoa were equivalent to the price of cocoa beans by tree equivalent yield (TEY) formula. Cocoa RLD in the Mono system did not differ from RLD-cocoa in the OCAF system, but both significantly differed with RLD-cocoa in the YCAF system. Shade trees increased tree density in both agroforestry systems, triggering competition in the canopy for sunlight. Expansion of langsat roots that spread closer to the cocoa trunk increased competition for nutrients and water. Both cocoa and langsat roots overlapped, exploring the same area. The yield of cocoa beans harvested by farmers from the YCAF and OCAF systems decreased by 50%. However, the langsat tree and several other species were accounted for 50% of the TEY in the agroforestry system, thereby adding a source of income to farmers is equivalent to the yield of cocoa beans from a monoculture system.

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Section: Cocoa Growth and Yield Under Shadedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree density impact on growth, roots length density, and yield in agroforestry based cocoa

Saleh

GUSLI²,

Ala³

et al. 2022

Biodiversitas

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“…Consensus reached by experts in both countries are also in line with the fact that the expansion of cocoa across the countries has been mainly driven by external forces, institutional landscape, and access to finance, yet the sector might be quite sensitive to outer shocks and sudden events, thus cocoa might switch from an agent of reforestation to a driver of deforestation within decades. Besides the significant increase in cultivated areas, the cocoa sector has little relevance and political weight in Nicaragua and in most Central American countries (Somarriba et al, 2008;Orozco Aguilar et al, 2015), whereas in Peru is gaining influence in governmental, non-governmental, and international for development cooperation aid (Technoserve, 2015;Mithöfer et al, 2017b;Wiegel et al, 2020). In both countries, current high prices for cocoa have motivated governments, donors, and NGOs to promote the cultivation of cocoa to reduce poverty in remote, economically depressed regions (Iturrios, 2016;Martorell Mir, 2019;Wiegel et al, 2020).…”

Section: Cocoa Cultivation and Links To Reforestation And Deforestation In Nicaragua And Perumentioning

confidence: 99%

Elucidating Pathways and Discourses Linking Cocoa Cultivation to Deforestation, Reforestation, and Tree Cover Change in Nicaragua and Peru

Orozco-Aguilar¹,

López-Sampson

Leandro-Muñoz

et al. 2021

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Cocoa cultivation is labeled as a driver of both deforestation and reforestation, yet the extent of the phenomena varies at farm and landscape level and as a response to national and local contexts. In this study, we documented the main pathways and contexts behind cocoa cultivation in two sites with different histories of cocoa cultivation. We combined official statistics, land-use trajectory, satellite imagery, and the Q-analysis to explore the discourses of country experts in Nicaragua and Peru. The Q-statements were based on an analysis of a set of legal, institutional, social, and technical guidelines that the cocoa cultivation/sector influences or is influenced by. Based on the responses of national experts to 31 statements we found four discourses linking cocoa cultivation and reforestation and deforestation in each country-case study. The enabling and limiting conditions driving tree cover change were a combination of landscape configuration, governance, management/commercialization models, and farmer's knowledge. Overall, between 60 and 64% of the variance was explained by four discourse factors in each country. In Nicaragua, the conditions associated with reforestation were the cocoa-agroforestry model promoted by local organizations/NGOs, the existence of incentives, degree of technical knowledge, access to safe market, and availability of improved genetic material. The circumstances associated with deforestation were the age of the farmers, fluctuation of cocoa beans prices, low productivity of cocoa plantations, and weak legal environmental frameworks. Whereas, in Peru, the main factors connecting cocoa cultivation to reforestation were access to market, degree of experimentation in cocoa, the economic weight of cocoa on family's income, certification processes, the existence of incentives, and the level of organization/association of cocoa farmers. The elements linking cocoa farming to deforestation were the influence of stakeholders in the cocoa value chain, weak legal environmental frameworks, fluctuation of cocoa prices, the existence of private investors, and insecure land tenure rights. This article demonstrated the utility of discourse analysis, through its application to two contrasting country case-studies, to elucidate the conditions that might minimize the deforestation footprint of cocoa cultivation and maximize its role as an agent for reforestation/restoration in the agricultural landscape of cocoa-growing areas in Latin America.

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“…They show that changing the composition of tree species in agroforestry systems may be the best approach to adapting most of the coffee and cocoa production areas, and that cocoa could potentially become an alternative in most of the coffee-vulnerable areas. An illustrated manual for cocoa farmers was developed by CATIE to help farmers optimize their shade canopy given their specific context and production system through a five-step diagnosis method (Somarriba-Chavez et al 2011;Somarriba 2018). The Shade Tree Advice tool is based on the collection of local knowledge.…”

Section: Adaptation Of Tree Crop Plantationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation to Climate Change with Forests, Trees and Agroforestry

Meubeck¹,

C.²,

Gitz³

2021

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Ten years of forests, trees and agroforestry research in partnership for sustainable development About the FTA Highlights seriesThis publication is part of a series that highlights the main findings, results and achievements of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA), from 2011 to 2021 (see full list of chapters on the last page).FTA, the world's largest research for development partnership on forests, trees and agroforestry, started in 2011. FTA gathers partners that work across a range of projects and initiatives, organized around a set of operational priorities. Such research was funded by multiple sources: CGIAR funders through program-level funding, and funders of bilateral projects attached to the programme, undertaken by one or several of its partners. Overall this represented an effort of about 850 million USD over a decade.The ambition of this series is, on each topic, to show the actual contributions of FTA to research and development challenges and solutions over a decade. It features the work undertaken as part of the FTA program, by the strategic partners of FTA (CIFOR-ICRAF, The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, CATIE, CIRAD, Tropenbos and INBAR) and/or with other international and national partners. Such work is presented indifferently in the text as work "from FTA" and/ or from the particular partner/organization that led it. Most of the references cited are from the FTA program.This series was elaborated under the leadership of the FTA Director, overall guidance of an Editorial Committee constituted by the Management Team of FTA, support from the FTA Senior Technical Advisor, and oversight of the FTA Independent Steering Committee whose independent members acted as peer-reviewers of all the volumes in the series.

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Analysis and design of the shade canopy of cocoa-based agroforestry systems

Cited by 26 publications

References 73 publications

Tree density impact on growth, roots length density, and yield in agroforestry based cocoa

Tree density impact on growth, roots length density, and yield in agroforestry based cocoa

Elucidating Pathways and Discourses Linking Cocoa Cultivation to Deforestation, Reforestation, and Tree Cover Change in Nicaragua and Peru

Adaptation to Climate Change with Forests, Trees and Agroforestry

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