Plantation Crops

Planting cocoa as mixed crop with arecanut/Coconut plantation.

• Pit size : 50 cm x 50cm x 50 cm
• Fill pits with top soil and 25 kg FYM an plant seedlings of 6 months old
  A) Under Forest areas ( As pure crop) :

  • Forest trees are thinned to the desirable shade levels if natural partial shade is available. Other wise plants of silver oak or glyciridia may have to be raised 2-3 years before planting of cocoa.
  • Spacing : 2.5 m x 2.5 m to 3.0 m x 3.0 m
  • Cocoa can be successfully cultivated as a mixed crop with both arecanut and coconut. In India cocoa cultivation is under coconut and arecanut gardens.

  B) Cocoa as a mixed crop with arecanut :

  • Both arecanut and cocoa needs shade during the first two hot weather seasons after planting. Banana can be grown as a shade crop. During subsequent years shade cast by areca palms will provide the required shade for cocoa.
  Spacing and alignment
  Spacing for arecanut (Main crop : 2.7 m x 2.7 m
  Spacing for cocoa : 2.7 m x 5.4 m * (* = one row of cocoa for every two rows of areca)
  Plant population of cocoa per ha : 686 plants per ha.
  
  
  Drainage channels :There will a drainage channel for every two rows of arecanut ( i.e., at 5.4 m apart)
  If arecanut is planted in quincunx method at 4m x 4m spacing : Cocoa occupies the centre of the square

  Spacing in coconut plantation as a crop	Population per ha
  2.7 m x 5.4 m	686

   

  C) Cocoa as a mixed crop with Coconut:

  • The elongation phase of cell growth depends on absorption of water.
  • Single hedge system :cocoa at 2.7 m apart between cocoa plants in between two rows of coconut.
  • Double hedge system (Paired row system) : cocoa at 2.5 m apart in double rows in between two row of coconut.
  • A row of cocoa is planted, between 2 rows of coconut when a spacing of 7.5 m x 7.5 m is provided for cocoa. Here cocoa is planted at a spacing of 3 m with in row ( i.e., 3 m x 7.5 m ) accommodating a population of 444 plants per ha. One more cocoa plant each can logically come between columns of coconut leading the population to 614 per ha (444 + 170 = 614). If the spacing is more, it may be possible to accommodate even 3 rows of cocoa between coconut rows.

  Spacing in coconut plantation as a crop	Population per ha
  2.7 m x 2.7 m (single hedge)	1370
  2.5 m x 2.5 m (double hedge)	1600