Yield characteristics of Theobroma cacao L. with special reference to studies in Nigeria
The amount of cured cocoa produced per acre is the ultimate interest of cacao farmers. This is a function of number of pods produced and pod value, which is defined in this paper as the weight of cured beans realised per pod. From the manufacturer's point of view, butterfat content and flavour of the beans are two most important quality criteria. Pod production in cacao varies widely with the genotypes and environmental conditions. Under Nigerian conditions, Amazon cultivars are more variable than the Trinitarios, Criollos and West African Amelonado. Precocity (earliness in bearing) high yield and early decline in pod production of Amazon cultivars have been discussed in relation to nutritional requirement and efficiency index which is defined as the fresh pod weight required to produce 1 g of dry cocoa bean. While all the components of pod value covered in this paper - namely number of beans per pod, bean weight, wet to dry weight conversion, percentage shell and butterfat content - are all affected by seasonal influence, number of beans per pod is the most variable parameter while percentage shell, is comparatively, the least variable. In West African Amelonado variety, butterfat content ranges between 54-57 per cent, while in Amazon cultivars, this range is as wide as 48-62 per cent. Both the butterfat content and the flavour of the West African Amelonado are considered as standards by the manufacturers
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Published: |
1975
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| Subjects: | THEOBROMA CACAO, GENOTIPOS, FRUTO, RENDIMIENTO, CARACTERISTICAS AGRONOMICAS, CLONES TRINITARIOS, CLONES CRIOLLOS, CLONES AMELONADOS, |
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