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Archives (2001)
How to raise healthy
cacao seedlings
by Maria Rowena Briones |
July-September
2001
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Raising cacao in nurseries is one way of raising
healthy planting materials. Not only will cacao become pest-free,
it will grow robustly. Like maintenance of a healthy body
through proper diet and exercise, maintenance of cacao under
nursery is through proper site and seed selection (stock and
scion), and planting techniques.
 The
site of the nursery must be situated in an area near the source
of water, with an excellent drainage system. A more ideal
site is in a shaded area because cacao grows well in shades
especially during its first two months. In the absence of
coconut frond, black plastic nets attached on two-meter bamboo
poles will do. Fortunately, cacao needs less and less shade
as it grows prior to planting. Healthy plants grow from healthy
seeds. Thus, only healthy and big seed varieties-the UIT1,
UIT2, ICS 20 and UF42, of cacao are grown in nurseries. Unhealthy
seedlings are removed as soon as detected.
As soon as cacao seeds mature or removed from
the pods, it starts to germinate within one week. Thus, it
should immediately be planted into the prepared polybags with
sieved fertile topsoil. Some organic fertilizer is mixed in
the medium to insure sound root and stem development of seedlings.
If pH of the soil is low, ground magnesium limestone can be
added to improve the pH to 5-6 level.
The size of the polybags depend on the length
of time cacao will be kept in the nurseries-- the longer the
time, the larger are the polybags. For instance, for seedlings
kept from five to six months, a polybag measuring 12.5 cm
x 15 cm with .003 thickness is an ideal size.
Systematic arrangement of the polybags inside
the nursery leads to a more efficient maintenance and grafting
of cacao plants as they mature. The arrangement can be in
four rows with 50 cm spacing between each rows. After two
months, seedlings should be lifted manually to avoid root
penetration to the nursery soil. Aside from proper spacing,
there should be constant weeding to prevent the weeds from
competing with the growing seedlings in the absorption of
soil nutrients. While it is tedious, weeding should be done
manually because the use of herbicides is not advisable. However,
occasional application of fertilizer, such as urea (46-0-0),
is encouraged to achieve speedy growth.
Only seedlings with hardened leaves are planted
out to the field. Field planting is ideal at the start of
the rainy season, not during dry season unless irrigation
is available in the field. The transplanting of the cacao
seedlings from nursery to the field is a good start. Since
the seedlings are healthy, with correct and constant care
of the crop, the harvest is as healthy. 
Source: Maintenance of Cacao under Nursery. Cacao RDE
Sub-network. University of Southern Mindanao
(For more information, contact Cacao RDE Sub-network University
of Southern Mindanao Kabacan North Cotabato Tel. No. (062)
248 2323)
More Articles:
Vol. 3 No. 3 July-September 2001
»»
USM recommends high-yielding rubber clones
»» GMA okays
P2B R&D Fund
»» New
sciences to produce more food
»» Five
cacao clones now ready for farmer use
»» NIRDEAP
for rubber: stretching opportunities for rubber industry
»» Rubber:
the oozing tree
»» Village
processing technologies: approach to solve low production of rubber
»» Smallholder
rubber farming system "no break" in farmers' income
»»
NIRDEAP for coffee: perking up the coffee sector
»» Clonal
propagation in coffee: a promising technology
»» How
to raise healthy cacao seedlings
»» Earning
more from canes
»» Coping
with acidic soils
»» Muscovado:
the promise of the 'other sugar'
»» Rock
candy: a 'tasteful' example of a profitable home business
»» Propagating
cacao by nodal grafting
»»
Making vinegar a business venture
»» The
Philippine coffee industry: a profile
»» Prospects
in cocoa
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