Effect of shade tree planting and soil management on rehabilitation success of a 22-year-old degraded cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) plantation

Vanhove, Wouter; Vanhoudt, Niels; Damme, Patrick Van

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2015.12.005

Cited by 46 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…[8] reported higher species diversity on organic cocoa farms compared to conventional cocoa farms from the Ashanti region of Ghana. Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of high shade tree diversity to cocoa such as suppression of weeds and pests, host for beneficial insects, enrichment of soils and reduction of cocoa physiological stress [16; 17]; it is obvious organic farmers in our study sought to exploit these benefits through the introduction or retention of a rich list of shade trees on their farms. In general, the high species richness and diversity on organic farms compared to conventional farms show their potential for tree species conservation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Organic cocoa monocultures rely solely on organic agrochemicals for soil nutrient replenishment and control of weeds, pests and diseases. Organic cocoa agroforests make use of a variety of shade trees to suppress weed growth and insect pest outbreaks [16; 17] and to compensate for nutrient losses due to nutrient uptake by cocoa trees through nitrogen fixation, reduced nutrient leakage and decomposition of litter from shade trees [17; 18]. Cocoa trees also benefit from microclimate amelioration and increased water retention [4; 6; 16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tree diversity and its ecological importance value in organic and conventional cocoa agroforests in Ghana

et al. 2019

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Cocoa agroforestry systems have the potential to conserve biodiversity and provide environmental or ecological benefits at various nested scales ranging from the plot to ecoregion. While integrating organic practices into cocoa agroforestry may further enhance these potentials, empirical and robust data to support this claim is lacking, and mechanisms for biodiversity conservation and the provision of environmental and ecological benefits are poorly understood. A field study was conducted in the Eastern Region of Ghana to evaluate the potential of organic cocoa agroforests to conserve native floristic diversity in comparison with conventional cocoa agroforests. Shade tree species richness, Shannon, Simpson’s reciprocal and Margalef diversity indices were estimated from 84 organic and conventional cocoa agroforestry plots. Species importance value index, a measure of how dominant a species is in a given ecosystem, and conservation status were used to evaluate the conservation potential of shade trees on studied cocoa farms. Organic farms recorded higher mean shade tree species richness (5.10 ± 0.38) compared to conventional farms (3.48 ± 0.39). Similarly, mean Shannon diversity index, Simpson’s reciprocal diversity index and Margalef diversity index were significantly higher on organic farms compared to conventional farms. According to the importance value index, fruit and native shade tree species were the most important on both organic and conventional farms for all the cocoa age groups but more so on organic farms. Organic farms maintained 14 native tree species facing a conservation issue compared to 10 on conventional cocoa farms. The results suggest that diversified organic cocoa farms can serve as reservoirs of native tree species, including those currently facing conservation concerns thereby providing support and contributing to the conservation of tree species in the landscape.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree diversity and its ecological importance value in organic and conventional cocoa agroforests in Ghana

et al. 2019

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“…Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is one of the most economically important tropical crops, which can be managed under agroforestry systems (Suárez et al, 2018). In this association, besides providing shade and climate regulation to the crop, other environmental benefits related to the improvement of edaphic properties are provided (Vanhove et al, 2016;Wartenberg et al, 2017). Soil aggregation is among the edaphic properties improved by modifying the management conditions of the crop under agroforestry systems (Chen et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formation of Macroaggregates and Organic Carbon in Cocoa Agroforestry Systems

2019

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The objective of this study was to analyze the biological contribution to macroaggregate formation under cocoa agroforestry systems, as well as to evaluate the potential of macroaggregates to store carbon. The variation of the populations of macrofauna and the relationship with the morphology of aggregates was monitored in five agroforestry systems associated with cocoa established from different land uses, taking as reference the forest and pasture. Some cacao agroforestry systems favored the presence of macrofauna functional groups similar to the forest (p < 0.05). According to the principal component analysis, the effect of land use on macroaggregate formation is highly significant (p < 0.001) and explained 55% of the total variance. The macrofauna and macroaggregates showed significant covariation (RV = 0.22, p-value = 0.001). Biogenic macroaggregates contained more carbon when they came from agroforestry systems.

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“…As CCN‐51 is less susceptible to sun damage, it is often grown under reduced shade levels or in full‐sun conditions. Shaded agroforestry systems, traditionally associated with Nacional varieties, can harbor high levels of biodiversity (Clough et al, ; De Beenhouwer, Aerts, & Honnay, ; Middendorp, Vanacker, & Lambin, ), sequester large amounts of carbon (Somarriba et al, ; Wade et al, ), and improve soil management (Vanhove, Vanhoudt, & Van Damme, ). Shade reduction in agroforestry systems has been found to reduce biodiversity levels (Clough et al, ; Deheuvels et al, ; Maas, Tscharntke, Saleh, Dwi Putra, & Clough, ) and ecosystem services (Franzen & Borgerhoff Mulder, ; Tondoh et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving smallholder livelihoods and ecosystems through direct trade relations: High‐quality cocoa producers in Ecuador

et al. 2019

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Global trade in niche commodities has increased the influence of consumers' choices on land use change and livelihoods in developing rural areas. New niche commodity markets for fine cocoa—produced by old tree varieties frequently grown in shaded agroforestry systems—create more direct linkages between producers and buyers. We explored the socioeconomic and environmental outcomes for cocoa smallholders that participated in direct trade relations compared with smallholders that sold through mainstream markets. Household interviews were conducted with cocoa smallholders in northern Ecuador. Biodiversity conditions at farm level were monitored for 75% of surveyed households. Using a counterfactual based on genetic matching, we found that smallholders engaged in direct trade (a) captured superior prices for cocoa sales; (b) had greater access to agricultural training, technical assistance, and improved social networks; and (b) applied more nature‐friendly management practices, compared with smallholders selling through mainstream markets. However, a strong overlap between direct trading practices and organic certification made attribution of environmental benefits difficult. This overlap likely explained why farmers engaged in direct trade used more organic fertilizers and less herbicide. Shade level and plant species richness and abundance in plantations were unrelated to market participation. Additional qualitative analyses suggest that certification facilitates engagement in direct trade and that some direct buyers request certification. This study provides insights on the potential of developing value chain innovations for high‐quality commodity trade. The success of value chain innovations hinges on the competitiveness of farmers' cooperatives and involvement of governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private actors.

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Effect of shade tree planting and soil management on rehabilitation success of a 22-year-old degraded cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) plantation

Cited by 46 publications

References 56 publications

Tree diversity and its ecological importance value in organic and conventional cocoa agroforests in Ghana

Tree diversity and its ecological importance value in organic and conventional cocoa agroforests in Ghana

Formation of Macroaggregates and Organic Carbon in Cocoa Agroforestry Systems

Improving smallholder livelihoods and ecosystems through direct trade relations: High‐quality cocoa producers in Ecuador

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