Shade tree management affects fruit abortion, insect pests and pathogens of cacao

Bos, Merijn M.; Steffan‐Dewenter, Ingolf; Tscharntke, Teja

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.09.004

Cited by 104 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Nevertheless, the effects of shade trees on pest and disease vectors are complex and associated with tradeoffs in terms of overall yield benefits (Schroth et al 2000, Bos et al 2007, Tscharntke et al 2011. In Southeast Sulawesi, research suggests that whereas shade trees in cacao agroforests can indeed reduce the occurrence of certain pests, increased humidity under shade tree canopy may contribute to increased black pod infections in the absence of adequate pruning (Martini et al, unpublished manuscript).…”

Section: Adoption Barriers To More Widespread Shade Tree Diversificatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farmer perceptions of plant–soil interactions can affect adoption of sustainable management practices in cocoa agroforests: a case study from Southeast Sulawesi

Wartenberg¹,

Blaser²,

Janudianto³

et al. 2018

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Despite extensive research focused on increasing the sustainability and productivity of agricultural systems in the tropics, adoption rates of improved management solutions often remain low among smallholder farmers. To address this, we evaluated how local knowledge and perceptions influenced decision-making processes among smallholder cocoa farmers. We conducted individual semistructured interviews with 72 cocoa farmers in Southeast Sulawesi and documented local knowledge about soil fertility indicators, nutrient cycling processes, and the interactions among shade trees, cocoa trees, and soils in cocoa agroforests. We further collected data regarding farmers' fertilizer preferences, additional income sources, and perceived barriers to improved cocoa production. We found that farmers' understanding of biophysical interactions in Southeast Sulawesi was comprehensive, mostly accurately aligned with scientific literature, and sometimes provided additional complementary knowledge. Cocoa farmers in Southeast Sulawesi approached decision making in a holistic way, integrating personal observations, information from external sources, and socioeconomic limitations and priorities. This finding highlights the value of flexible conservation farming approaches that allow farmers to minimize trade-offs and prioritize their households' needs. Finally, we identify a "dual" knowledge gap on the part of farmers and scientists regarding the direct benefits of shade tree inclusion for improved yields and income security. Addressing this through further research and targeted knowledge dissemination could contribute to an increase in the long-term adoption rates of more sustainable cocoa cultivation practices.

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Section: Adoption Barriers To More Widespread Shade Tree Diversificatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farmer perceptions of plant–soil interactions can affect adoption of sustainable management practices in cocoa agroforests: a case study from Southeast Sulawesi

Wartenberg¹,

Blaser²,

Janudianto³

et al. 2018

E&S

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“…Tree diversity in cocoa farms offers farmers a range of agronomic, economic, cultural, and ecological benefits (Rice and Greenberg 2000;Duguma et al 2001;Di Falco and Perrings 2003;Somarriba and Beer 2011). However, the composition and structure of shade tree stands in mixed systems have been reported to also cause excessive shade, which can lead to high humidity and create favourable conditions for black pod diseases in cocoa systems (Dakwa et al 1976;Opoku et al 2002) and also affect the mechanisms that drive fruit losses on cocoa trees (Bos et al 2007). Monocultures of cocoa tend to have higher productivity under high-input conditions (fertilizer and pesticides) than cocoa in mixed systems (Gockowski et al 2013) but also have shorter economic life span compared with low input, mixed systems, which sustain production over a relatively long period of time (Obiri et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana

Asare

Ræbild

2015

New Forests

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Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) growing systems in Ghana and West Africa consist of diverse tree species and densities. This study was conducted to determine factors that influence tree species configurations and how tree characteristics affect canopy cover in cocoa farms. Eighty-six farmers and corresponding farms were selected in a systematic approach in four districts across two agro-ecological zones in Ghana. Results show that men tend to have larger farm sizes, higher tree density and diversity than women. Tree density and canopy cover of shade trees were low on large farms, but diversity increased with increasing farm sizes. Even though there was a significant correlation between diameter at breast height and crown area for all species investigated, tree species differed considerably in their crown area and thus the amount of ground cover provided. Current recommendations for shade are usually expressed in number of trees per ha, and our results suggest that these should be refined to reflect the effects of species, the size of their diameter at breast height and the crown area.

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“…Trees in AFS increase the biodiversity that enhances biological control of P&D (Staver et al 2001;Bos et al 2007;Perfecto et al 2007;Tscharntke et al 2011). The role of companion trees in climate change adaptation and mitigation needs to be better documented and compared to monocropping systems (Cerdán et al 2012;Harvey et al 2014;Rahn et al 2013;Vaast et al 2005Vaast et al , 2006.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local tree knowledge can fast-track agroforestry recommendations for coffee smallholders along a climate gradient in Mount Elgon, Uganda

et al. 2017

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Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) is economically important for many smallholder farmers in the Mount Elgon region of East Uganda, but its production is increasingly threatened by climate change. However, ecosystem services (ES) provided by companion trees in coffee agroforestry systems (AFS) can help farmers adapt to climate change. The objectives of this research were to develop agroforestry species recommendations and tailor these to the farmers' needs and local context, taking into consideration gender. Local knowledge of agroforestry species and ES preferences was collected through farmer interviews and rankings. Using the Bradley-Terry approach, analysis was done along an altitudinal gradient in order to study different climate change scenarios for coffee suitability. Farmers had different needs in terms of ES and tree species at different altitudes, e.g. at low altitude they need a relatively larger set of ES to sustain their coffee production and livelihood. Local knowledge is found to be gender blind as no differences were observed in the rankings of species and ES by men and women. Ranking species by ES and ranking ES by preference is a useful method to help scientists and extension agents to use local knowledge for the development of recommendations on companion trees in AFS for smallholder farmers.

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Shade tree management affects fruit abortion, insect pests and pathogens of cacao

Cited by 104 publications

References 24 publications

Farmer perceptions of plant–soil interactions can affect adoption of sustainable management practices in cocoa agroforests: a case study from Southeast Sulawesi

Farmer perceptions of plant–soil interactions can affect adoption of sustainable management practices in cocoa agroforests: a case study from Southeast Sulawesi

Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana

Local tree knowledge can fast-track agroforestry recommendations for coffee smallholders along a climate gradient in Mount Elgon, Uganda

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Shade tree management affects fruit abortion, insect pests and pathogens of cacao

Cited by 104 publications

References 24 publications

Farmer perceptions of plant&#8211;soil interactions can affect adoption of sustainable management practices in cocoa agroforests: a case study from Southeast Sulawesi

Farmer perceptions of plant&#8211;soil interactions can affect adoption of sustainable management practices in cocoa agroforests: a case study from Southeast Sulawesi

Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana

Local tree knowledge can fast-track agroforestry recommendations for coffee smallholders along a climate gradient in Mount Elgon, Uganda

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Farmer perceptions of plant–soil interactions can affect adoption of sustainable management practices in cocoa agroforests: a case study from Southeast Sulawesi

Farmer perceptions of plant–soil interactions can affect adoption of sustainable management practices in cocoa agroforests: a case study from Southeast Sulawesi