Cocoa Research Institute Of Ghana Research Articles

Cacao sustainability: The case of cacao swollen-shoot virus co-infection.

The cacao swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD) is among the most economically damaging diseases of cacao trees and accounts for almost 15-50% of harvest losses in Ghana. This virus is transmitted by several species of mealybugs (Pseudococcidae, Homoptera) when they feed on cacao plants. One of the mitigation strategies for CSSVD investigated at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) is the use of mild-strain cross-protection of cacao trees against the effects of severe strains. In this study, simple deterministic, delay, and stochastic ordinary differential equation-based models to describe the dynamic of the disease and spread of the virus are suggested. Model parameters are estimated using detailed empirical data from CRIG. The modeling outcomes demonstrate a remarkable resemblance between real and simulated dynamics. We have found that models with delay approximate the data better and this agrees with the knowledge that CSSVD epidemics develop slowly. Also, since there are large variations in the data, stochastic models lead to better results. We show that these models can be used to gain useful informative insights about the nature of disease spread.

Heritability and Genetic Advance Estimates of Key Shea Fruit Traits

Genetic erosion of shea trees, which has been on-going at an alarming rate, has necessitated urgent conservation attentions. Owing to the vast geographical distribution of the species across Ghana, in situ germplasms conservation was established by tagging and monitoring selected trees annually. Technologies have been developed that enable shea germplasms to be grafted, allowing for the development of germplasm banks at the research station of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, Bole. However, before these materials could be used in crop improvement programs, there is a need to evaluate them for key fruit traits relevant to the global shea business. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the tagged in situ shea trees for fruit and nut traits. Freshly harvested shea fruits were evaluated for their brix, pulp yield and kernel size properties to see if there was the needed diversity for crop improvement gains. Eight key traits were studied, with all showing significant difference, with high broad sense heritability and genetic advance for all the traits, indicating the potential for genetic gains in breeding programs. Qualitative analysis classified the fruits into five shapes, ellipsoid fruit shape was the most frequent observation (69.5%), while oblong was the least represented (1%). Fruit surface pubescence indicated that the surfaces without hairs (smooth) were slightly higher in number (52.6%) than the surface with hairs (rough), which were 47.4%. Pearson correlation studies showed a positive significant relationship between kernel weight and fruit weight (0.68), fruit length (0.48), fruit width (0.51), pulp weight (0.5) and shell weight (0.77). Key components responsible for total variations observed were decomposed from the first two principal components (PC), which cumulatively explained 78.4% of the total observed variation within the materials. PC1 alone contributed 46.4%, while PC2 contributed 32%. Fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, pulp weight, nut weight, shell weight and kernel weight were contributing traits to variations observed in PC1, while brix and percent pulp contributed to the variations observed in PC2. Percent kernel to nut ratio contributed to the variations observed in PC3. Clustering of the germplasms showed no regular pattern based on location or any particular trait, indicating a high level of diversity at 58% of the Pearson dissimilarity index.

Genetic variability for vigor and yield of robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) clones in Ghana

Effectiveness of plant improvement programs, especially in perennial crops like coffee, may be improved by knowing the level of genetic variation which exist within a breeding population coupled with the knowledge of estimates of genetic parameters for key agronomic traits. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate C. canephora clones for growth (stem diameter, number of laterals and span) and yield traits; estimate genetic parameters of these traits; and determine the phenotypic and genetic associations between these traits to guide future crop improvement efforts. The productivity of 56 coffee clones was assessed from 2012 to 2020 in a clonal experiment planted in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Each plot consisted of eight plants spaced at 2 × 3 m at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana. There were significant (p < 0.001) differences among clones for all the traits assessed. Broad sense heritability was low-to-moderate for all the traits evaluated with the highest (0.34) observed for cumulative yield (CY). Cumulative yield was genetically correlated (p < 0.001) with span and number of laterals (NOL). For the growth traits, NOL was the most strongly associated with CY (rg = 0.49, p < 0.001). The results revealed that selection based on early years’ yield (MY1) could be as effective as selection based on CY (rg = 0.87, p < 0.001). Our findings indicate that there is significant genetic variation among the test clones for the parameters assessed and presents a good opportunity for future variety development.

Screening for drought tolerance potential of nine cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) genotypes from Ghana

This study was conducted with a view to screen nine genotypes of Cacao from The Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) to test their abilities to withstand drought stress conditions using parameters such as leaf relative water content (RWC), proline accumulation in leaves and trichomes. The experimental design consisted of three replicates of the genotypes used and these were laid out in Complete Randomized Block Design (CRBD) to determine the drought tolerance potentials of the nine genotypes of cocoa at the seedling stage. Two water treatments were used which involved withholding water from one day after full saturation with water prior to the first appearance of drought symptoms (FADS) and watering every two days to the completion of the experiment. Results in this research revealed that proline was found to gather in water-stressed seedlings, and the differences in the mean proline amounts in the genotypes was found to be significant. Genotype T63/971 x Sca9 had the most elevated concentration of free proline at FADS (4 μg/g DW) followed by genotype T60 x Pound10 (3.5 μg/g DW) whereas genotype PA150 × 9006 had the smallest amount of accumulated proline in leaves. Genotype PA150 × 6020 had the highest RWC and SMC of 65% and 1.5% respectively at FADS whilst genotype PA7 x 6035 had the lowest RWC of 43%. There was a direct relationship between the amounts of free proline of genotypes T63/971 x SCA9 and T60 x POUND10 and their respective RWC of the leaves. Genotypes T63/971 x SCA9 and PA150 × 9006 had the highest and lowest numbers of trichomes respectively. Inference from this study revealed that T63/971 x SCA9 and T60 x POUND10 genotypes appear to be the most drought-tolerant genotypes in view of their relatively high values of free proline content, leaf RWC, trichomes and lower values of soil water use (SMC).

Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Growth and Nutrient Uptake by Young Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.)

Sustainable cacao cultivation in Ghana has been seriously hampered by high seedling mortality due to the low soil fertility of lands used for the establishment of new cacao farms. Alleviating the low soil fertility to enhance sustainable cacao cultivation requires the use of fertilizers. A study was therefore conducted at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana to determine the effect of integrated application of poultry manure (PM) and sulphate of ammonia (SOA) fertilizers on survival, growth, and nutrient uptake by cacao seedlings under marginal field conditions. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used to evaluate the effects of six treatments. Traits assessed were percentage survival, height, trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), and nutrient uptake. Results from the study showed no significant differences in soil N and K among the treatments. PM-amended plots had significantly higher soil P than nonamended control and SOA alone. Seedling survival rate ranged from 73.3 to 89.3% with a higher proportion of surviving plants in PM amended soils. The application of PM alone and its combination with SOA improved growth. Cacao trees of T4 (75% recommended dosage of SOA + PM) had the largest TCSA increment, which was significantly different from the other soil treatments. Leaf nutrient concentrations in cacao of T4 were higher than the other soil treatments. It was therefore concluded that T4 could be used during cacao establishment in marginal areas for improved plant survival and growth.

Effects of roasted coffee on the chemical, microbiological and sensory qualities of fermented cocoa and cashew juices

PurposeRoasted coffee provides a complex blend of different flavours which produce a range of sensory qualities. With the development of protocols for the production of fresh juices, jams and marmalades from cocoa and cashew pulp juices at Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, this paper aims to study the effects of roasted coffee powder on fermented cocoa and cashew juices to diversify the uses of these two juices.Design/methodology/approachCocoa and cashew juices were fermented with the incorporation of 2% roasted coffee powder using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast starter. The fermenting juices were monitored by measuring pH, temperature, specific gravity and titratable acidity. At the end of the fermentation, the juices were poured into clean, sterilized containers to mature. They were then analysed for their physicochemical, microbiological and sensory qualities. These were repeated with cocoa and cashew juices without coffee powder to determine the effects of the roasted coffee on the fermented juices.FindingsThe addition of roasted coffee powder to cocoa and cashew juices did not have any significant effect on the fermentation performance of the juices. Three out of the four juices took a total of 13 days to complete fermentation with an average final specific gravity of 0.99. The quality of the fermented juices was not compromised by microbial activities. However, the addition of roasted coffee powder reduced the alcohol content of fermented cocoa juice from 9.0 to 5.0% and that of cashew from 11.0% to 7.5%. Sensory analysis using untrained panellists, who were ordinary consumers, showed significant differences among the four fermented juices in terms of appearance, taste and aroma. Their mean scores for coffee aroma ranged from 0.3 to 2.0 with coffee incorporated fermented juices having higher rankings.Originality/valueThese findings have shown the possibility of processing cocoa and cashew juices, which under normal circumstances would have been discarded along their value chains, into coffee-flavoured wines. They are also important to cocoa, cashew and coffee farmers, processors, as well as wine enthusiasts.

Growth Response of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Seedlings to Application of Cocoa Pod Husk-based Compost

Aim: To study the effects of cocoa pod husk based compost: Soil mixtures on growth of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) seedlings.&#x0D; Study Design: The experiment was laid out in a Complete Randomized Design with four replications.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at the main nursery of Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana at New Tafo - Akim (06°13’ N and 00°22’ W) in the Eastern Region of Ghana, between November, 2016 and December 2017.&#x0D; Methodology: Surface soil classified as Ferric Lixisols together with four compost types produced from cocoa pod husk, poultry manure and Panicum maximum was used to fill polythene bags. A Soil alone (T1) and Soil + standard foliar fertilizer (T2) with a four compost:soil mixture treatments namely T3 - 1:1 w/w, T4 - 1:2 w/w, T5 -1:3 w/w and T6 - 2:1 w/w were tested. Each of the four compost types was used for T3 to T6. Surface soil, poultry manure, compost and compost-soil mixtures were carried out using standard laboratory procedures. Mixed hybrid cocoa seedlings were raised and growth evaluated monthly.&#x0D; Results: Interaction effect was observed between compost types and compost-soil mixtures on dry matter yield of cocoa seedlings. Cocoa seedlings grown in T5 of compost 1 had the highest dry matter yield. Higher shoot: root ratio of cocoa seedlings were observed in compost 1. The order of desirability for the four compost types in terms of compost-soil mixtures was compost:soil (1:3 w/w) &gt; compost:soil (1:2 w/w) &gt; compost:soil (2:1 w/w) &gt; compost:soil (1:1 w/w). CMPT1 will ensure more vigorous cocoa seedlings growth after transplanting and subsequently, higher establishment rate.&#x0D; Conclusion: The optimum mixture of compost and soil for growing cocoa seedlings under limited availability of fertile surface soil is compost 1 mixed with surface soil at the ratio of 1:3.

Early selection for yield in robusta coffee based on juvenile growth traits

Variety development, particularly for tree crops is a long-term exercise requiring significant resource investments, over many years of evaluation. Identification of traits at early growth stages that are predictive of future performance would facilitate the breeding process. The objective of this study was to assess the value of juvenile trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) and number of laterals for selecting high-yielding Robusta coffee ( Coffea canephora ) genotypes, early in a breeding programme. Seventy-two Robusta coffee clones developed by either ortet selection, from previous progeny trials/clonal trials carried out at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), were planted in 2011 in a randomised complete-block design with five replications, at CRIG’s experimental fields. Juvenile TCSA and number of laterals were effective predictors of yield. Genotypes that combined small TCSA and less number of laterals at the juvenile growth phase had the lowest cumulative yields, and vice versa. TCSA was significantly associated with yearly yields (2015: r = 0.49, P < 0.001; 2017: r = 0.35, P < 0.001) and cumulative yield (r = 0.41, P < 0.001). Similarly, a significant (P < 0.001) correlation was observed between juvenile number of laterals and yearly yields (2015: r = 0.58, 2016: r = 0.24; 2017: r = 0.48), and cumulative yield (r = 0.57, P < 0.001). A selection index that combines large juvenile TCSA and many number of laterals has the potential of identifying productive genotypes early in a Robusta coffee breeding programme. Key words: Coffea canephora , number of laterals, trunk cross-sectional area

Effects of cacao swollen shoot virus mild strains N1 and SS365B on growth and yield of cacao - a follow-up report

The cumulative effects of cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV) mild strains N1 and SS365B on growth and yield of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) were evaluated in a 12-year field trial at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG). The treatments consisted of mixed hybrid cacao plants inoculated with N1 or SS365B prior to sowing and a non-inoculated control. Growth of mild strain-inoculated cacao plants did not differ significantly from that of non-inoculated plants. However, growth of N1-inoculated cacao plants was significantly higher than that of SS365B-inoculated ones. The yield of N1-inoculated cacao plants did not differ significantly from that of the non-inoculated plants. However, yield of SS365B-inoculated plants was significantly lower compared to N1-inoculated and the non-inoculated plants. In comparison with the non-inoculated control, yield was 77% and 20% lower in SS365B- and N1-inoculated cacao plants, respectively. Virus indexing conducted over a period of six months on randomly collected budwood from the field revealed the presence of mixed infection of CSSV strains in the field. Cacao tree mortality did not differ among the treatments. These results provide further evidence that the CSSV mild strain N1 is milder in its effect on cacao growth and yield than SS365B and suggest that the former would be a more suitable candidate for cross protection in cacao.

Spatiotemporal Spread of Cacao Swollen Shoot Virus Severe Strain 1A in Mixed Hybrid Cacao Pre-inoculated With Mild Strain N1.

The spatiotemporal spread of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD), which is caused by cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV) severe strain 1A in mixed hybrid cacao pre-inoculated with CSSV mild strain N1 (CSSV-N1), was investigated during a field experiment from 2006 to 2017, at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana. The development of disease epidemics has been described by the use of statistical modeling. Protecting all cacao plants with CSSV-N1 reduced the rate of CSSV-1A symptom appearance by 43% (P = 0.05) compared with the nonprotected control and by 33% compared with plots where cacao plants in the outer three or five rows were protected with CSSV-N1. Similarly, creating the protective outer rings three or five rows deep reduced the rate of CSSV-1A symptoms by 14% (P = 0.05) compared with the nonprotected control. CSSV-1A epidemics increased approximately 18% faster (P = 0.05) in transects oriented from the north and east compared with those oriented from the south and west. During the last 2 years of the study, CSSVD spread decreased significantly (P = 0.05) faster in plots where all test cacao plants were inoculated with CSSV-N1 compared with other treatments. The growth of cacao did not differ significantly among the treatments over the 9-year assessment period. Similarly, differences in the cumulative yield among the treatments over the 8-year assessment period were not significant.

Genetic variation among biparental Robusta coffee families and implications for variety development

AbstractUnderstanding the genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance (GA) of traits in any plant population is an important pre-requisite for variety development. The objectives of the study were to assess the level of genetic variability among vegetative growth traits and yield, assess the relationship among the growth traits and yield and predict GA for the most heritable traits among Robusta coffee full-sib families. The trial was established in June 2009 at the experimental fields of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana with 62 full-sib families planted in a randomized complete block design with six replications. Significant (p&lt; 0.05) variation was observed among the full-sib families evaluated for all traits, except for span (canopy diameter). Span and number of laterals were genetically correlated (p&lt; 0.001) with cumulative yield (2013–2017), with span being the vegetative growth trait most strongly related to cumulative yield (rg= 0.60,p&lt; 0.001). The most heritable vegetative growth and yield traits were, respectively, number of laterals (H2= 0.59) and cumulative yield (H2= 0.41). The top 10 families (BP40, BP41, BP9, BP36, BP34, BP28, BP37, BP14, BP4 and BP10) in terms of cumulative yield are proposed for multi-location evaluation and possible release as hybrids for coffee farmers in Ghana.

English

Weeds are a limitation to cocoa production, and herbicide use in cocoa cultivation is known to lower the cost of weed management and support better plant growth. As a result, glyphosate was recommended for use in cocoa cultivation following a two-year field trial at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana. Recent informal debates among scientists and farmers, however, point towards a disagreement regarding the effect of glyphosate on young cocoa. Consequently, an experiment was conducted from 2011 to 2013 at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana to re-evaluate the suitability of glyphosate (Isopropylamine) for weed management and its effects on growth and yield of young cocoa. Five rates of glyphosate viz: (i) 1,920 g active ingredient a.i. ha-1 using polyjet nozzle; (ii) 1,920 g a.i. ha-1 using very low volume (vlv) nozzle; (iii) 960 g a.i. ha-1 vlv; (iv) 720 g a.i. ha-1 vlv; (v) 480 g a.i. ha-1 vlv; and (vi) manual weeding were tested in a randomized complete block design with four replicates in the field. Effects of treatments on weeds, cocoa growth and yield were recorded for three years. In a gauze house study, cowpea and maize were used to determine residual effects of glyphosate. Emergence, survival and dry matter accumulation by these plants were recorded. Results from the gauze house study showed that glyphosate did not exhibit residual soil activity at these rates. Glyphosate at 960 g ha-1 significantly increased yield of three year old cocoa compared to the other rates and manual weeding. The 1,920 g ha-1 rates significantly reduced the initial yield of 3 year old cocoa compared to the other glyphosate rates. Cost analysis showed that glyphosate at 960 g a.i. ha-1 was GhE¼ 136.00 (11%) and GhE¼ 1,784.00 (61%) cheaper than the 1,920 g a.i. ha-1 rates and manual weeding respectively. It was therefore concluded that glyphosate can be applied at 960 g a.i. ha-1 (equivalent to 2.0 l ha-1 in 120 l of water) for effective weed management without significant adverse effects on growth and yield of young cocoa. Key words: Weeds, glyphosate, cocoa, growth, bean yield and cost.

Effect of Municipal Solid Waste Compost on Soil Chemical Properties and Growth Performance of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Seedlings at the Nursery in Ghana

Aims: Availability of nutrients-rich topsoil for nursing cocoa seedlings is becoming limited and poor growth of cocoa seedlings in the nurseries has been ascribed to the use of unsuitable potting media. Experiments were conducted to investigate the suitability of compost in improving soil chemical properties and boost the growth of cocoa seedlings at the nursery.&#x0D; Study Design: The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out at the main nursery of Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, New Tafo-Akim, between September, 2014 and June 2015.&#x0D; Methodology: Polybags were filled with soil obtained from an old cocoa plot (K6O2) at Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana. The soil has been classified as Rhodic-Lixic Ferrasol. Three soil: compost mixtures treatments, that is, 90:10, 80:20 and 70:30% w/w were tested. A Standard foliar fertilizer and unamended soil were included as treated and untreated controls. Seedlings were raised from mixed hybrid cocoa and assessed at bi-monthly intervals for six months for growth. Pre and post treatments soil analyses were carried out using standard laboratory procedures.&#x0D; Results: Initial soil analyses showed that OC (1.18%), Ca (5.60 cmol kg-1), P (14.23 mg kg-1) and pH (5.63) were below the critical values required for good cocoa growth. The 70:30 soil: compost treatment produced significantly (P = .05) tallest plant (41.9 cm) with the unamended control the shortest (30.7 cm) at the end of the study. Residual pH (6.98), OC (2.30%), P (14.23 mg kg-1) and Ca (13.02 cmol kg-1) were significantly (P = .05) higher under the same treatment compared to the unamended control; pH (5.36), OC (1.04%), P (11.65 mg kg-1) and Ca (5.60 cmol kg-1).&#x0D; Conclusion: Less fertile soils could be improved with the addition of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) compost for raising good quality cocoa seedlings at the nursery in Ghana.

The effects of mild cacao swollen shoot virus strains N1 and SS365B on growth and yield of cacao

A field experiment started at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana in 2007 to investigate the effects of the cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV) mild stains N1 and SS365B on growth and yield of mixed hybrid cacao (Theobroma cacao L.). Growth was significantly influenced by the duration of infection with the two CSSV mild strains. Slicing analyses showed no significant differences in stem circumference among treatments up to the third year of field data collection. However, from the fourth to the seventh year, growth of N1-inoculated cacao plants was significantly higher than that of SS365B-inoculated plants. Overall, growth did not differ significantly between cacao plants inoculated with mild strain and the non-inoculated plants. Contrary to some previous reports, yield of mild strain-inoculated cacao plants was significantly lower than that of the non-inoculated plants. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the presence of CSSV in randomly selected field samples. The implications of these results (based on field data collected from 2008 to 2014) in the management of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease in Ghana are discussed.

Researched Extensively into Insect Pests of Agricultural and Medical Importance, as well as Carrying Monitoring and Evaluation Assignments

Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu was born at Tarkwa, to Ebenezer Owusu Okyere who hails from Mpraeso-Kwahu and Florence Ekua Soma Intsiful (deceased), who hailed from Elmina. Prof. Owusu started his elementary school education at Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) primary school, Akim Tafo from where he proceeded to St. Peters Secondary School, Nkwatia Kwahu for his Ordinary Level School Certificate. He later did his Advanced Level at Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS), Takoradi. Prof. Owusu gained admission to the University of Ghana to read BSc Agriculture, (after a year as an Engineering student at UST). He graduated with a Second Class Upper Division in 1987 and served as a Teaching/Research Assistant in the Department of Crop Science for two years.

Next generation sequencing elucidates cacao badnavirus diversity and reveals the existence of more than ten viral species

Cacao swollen shoot virus is a member of the family Caulimoviridae, genus Badnavirus and is naturally transmitted to Theobroma cacao (L.) by several mealybug species. CSSV populations in West African countries are highly variable and genetically structured into several different groups based on the diversity in the first part of ORF3 which encodes the movement protein. To unravel the extent of isolate diversity and address the problems of low titer and mixed viral sequences in samples, we used Illumina MiSeq and HiSeq technology. We were able to reconstruct de novo 20 new complete genomes from cacao samples collected in the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) Museum and from the field samples collected in Côte d’Ivoire or Ghana. Based on the 20% threshold of nucleotide divergence in the reverse transcriptase/ribonuclease H (RT/RNase H) region which denotes species demarcation, we conclude there exist seven new species associated with the cacao swollen shoot disease. These new species along with the three already described leads to ten, the total number of the complex of viral species associated with the disease. A sample from Sri Lanka exhibiting similar leaf symptomology to West African CSSD-affected plants was also included in the study and the corresponding sequence represents the genome of a new virus named cacao bacilliform SriLanka virus (CBSLV).

Use of Immune Crops as Barrier in the Management of Cacao Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD)-Long-Term Assessment.

A field trial was conducted at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana from 1992 to 2004 to investigate the prospects of using Cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV)-immune crops as a barrier to prevent the spread of the virus from existing outbreaks into newly established cacao plantings. The treatments consisted of four crops-citrus (Citrus spp.), oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), kola (Cola nitida Vent.), and cacao (Theobroma cacao L.)-planted as a barrier between cacao trees serving as test plants on one side and as source of CSSV strain 1A infection on the other. Over a 7-year period post CSSV 1A inoculation, the citrus and oil palm barriers were the most effective in protecting test cacao trees from cacao swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD) spread. The two crops gave comparable results (P = 0.9766) in terms of the cumulative number of visibly infected trees (1 and 5 of 522, respectively). The kola barrier, on the other hand, had a significantly (P < 0.000l) higher number of symptomatic trees (89 of 522) than citrus and oil palm. All three crops (citrus, oil palm, and kola) provided better protection than the control (cacao), which had 134 visibly infected trees out of 522. As shown by economic analyses, growing citrus, oil palm, or kola as barrier crops was as profitable as growing cacao. The implications of the results on the management of CSSVD in Ghana are discussed.

ADOPTION OF FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY SMALLHOLDER COCOA FARMERS IN PRESTEA HUNI-VALLEY DISTRICT, GHANA

As part of Ghana’s que st to increase cocoa production, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana has recommended farm management practices to help boost production levels. However, adoption of these management practices had been low, leading to yield levels below potential. This study investigates the adoption intensity and factors explaining the variation in adoption among smallholder c ocoa farmers in Prestea Huni - Valley district of Ghana. A sample size of 180 cocoa farm households from eight communities were randomly selected and interviewed through a well - structured questionnaire. M ajority (80%) of the sampled farmers have adopted four to six out of seven cocoa farm management practices identified. The Poison regressi on model was used to examine the determinants of intensity of adoption of the farm management practices. The results generally reveal ed that, marital status of the farmer, household size, educational attainment, membership of farmer - based organization and farmer receiving extension services are all significant variables explaining farmer’s decision to adopt cocoa farm management practices. The study concludes by suggesting that farm level policies such as extension service delivery system should be strengthen in terms of staff and methodologies .

Appraisal of Cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV) Mild Isolates for Cross Protection of Cocoa Against Severe Strains in Ghana.

Two mild strains of Cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV), N1 and SS365B, were assessed for their capability to mitigate the devastating effects of CSSV in field trials at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana in comparison with noninoculated cocoa plants. Analysis of growth, mortality, and yield of cocoa trees inoculated with the mild strains over a period of two decades between 1996 and 2014 indicated that the cocoa plants inoculated with mild strains performed significantly (P < 0.05) better in the presence of the severe strains (CSSV 1A) than noninoculated cocoa, albeit degenerated over time. The development of cocoa hybrids studied in the trial showed differences in their performance in the presence of the mild-strain viruses. Spread of the severe virus increased and deteriorated the effects of the mild isolates over time, thereby decreasing the economic life span of the cocoa trees. This observation was consistent in all the trials regardless of the type of mild strain involved. Apparently, the immunity and protection conferred by mild strains of CSSV (SS365B and N1) on cocoa declined over time, and we further confirmed 'Amelonado' cocoa to be very susceptible to CSSV infection in terms of effects on growth and yield.

Natural Skin-care Products: The Case of Soap Made from Cocoa Pod Husk Potash

Consumer demand for natural and organic personal care products has increased steadily due to the fact that some synthetic chemicals have been proven to be harmful to human health. Soaps are general personal hygiene and general cleaning products and they can either be natural or synthetic. A popular local soap produced in Ghana is considered to be a natural soap because it is made from natural ingredients such as potash obtained from cocoa pod husk (CPH) and u nrefined vegetable oils such as palm kernel oil. At the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), the soap has been re - formulated by adding cocoa butter or shea butter to improve on its nourishing effect. Soap made with CPH potash is found to be soft on th e skin and has the properties of the ingredients used in its preparation, making it effective against bacterial and fungal diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. The lathering volume of the soap ranges from 200 - 300 ml, total fatty matter from 84 - 87% and an average pH value of 10, an indication of the absence of free caustic alkali. There is a high demand for the soap locally and it is therefore recommended that its industry be expanded for both local and international markets.