INTRODUCTION OF COCOACocoa is an under storey tree 6-8 m tall but sometimes reaching 12m.The fruits is an drupe ,commonly called pod,10-32cm long. The shape varies from nearly spherical to cylindrical, pointed or blunt, smooth or warty, with or without five furrows.In Malaysian, cocoa is grown either as an intercrop under coconut or as a monocrop under auxiliary shade trees, particulary members of Leguminoceae. The colours of young pods are from white and green to red ,turning to green, yellow, red or purple on ripening. Full size is attained 4-5 months after fertilization with a further month required for ripering.

HISTORY OF COCOAORIGINS IN THE NEW WORLDThe latin name for cocoa is theobroma, literally means food of the gods. This valuable crop played an important role in many accident south America cultures.In its earliest form , the Mayans used cocoa to create a ritual beverage that has shared during bethoral and marrige ceremonies, providing one of the first known link between chocolate and romance.

ORIGIN OF THE COCOAThe cacao tree is native to the Americas. It may have originated in the foothills of the andes in the amazon and orinocco basins of south American, current day Columbia and vanezuela, where today ,examples of wild cacao still can be found. However, it may have had a large range in the past, eviedence for which may be obscured because of its cultivation in these areas long before, as well after the Spanish arrived

VARIETIES OF COCOACORIOLLO-THE GRAND CRU -This variety is the original cocoa tree, the earliest plant plantation of which were recorded in the 17th century. Origanally grow in venezuela.FORASTERO-THE HARDY-This group is very diverse and,as a species, is more resistant to disease and pests and therefore more productive than the oriollo. Original grown in the high amazon region.TRINITARIO-THE ALL ROUNDED-This species of cocoa tree is a natural biological hybrid between the oriollo and forastero.which was exported from trinidad where the Spanish colonist had established plantations.

CULTIVAR OF COCOATheobroma cacao cultivar grown in venezuela are internationally, the most appreciated, due to their excellent flavor and aroma. The main objective of the present study was to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of cocoa butter extracted from different cultivars of Criollo cacao belonging to the germplasm bank of the Fondo Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (National Foundation for Agricultural Research). It was found that there were stastical diffrences in the proximate composition of the cocoa beans among the cultivars, studied as well as the iodine and saponification indices. Saturated fatty acids were present in higher proportions than unsaturated fatty acids, with palmitic and stearic acids as the main fractions. OC66 was the only cultivar where linoleic acid was present in detectable amounts (1.3%).

CLASSIFICATION OF COCOA

Scientific Classification

KingdomPlantae

(unranked)Angiosperms

(unranked)Eudicots

(unranked)Rosids

OrderMalvales

FamilyMalvaceas

GenusTheobroma

USES (GENERALLY)OR USED BY COUNTRIES(COCOA)

i. Food and drinksii. Cosmeticsiii. Medicine

SOIL AND CLIMATE(SOIL)Cocoa is grown on a wide range of soil type but soils with moderate to high fertility are favoured since fertilizer input traditional product systems are low. The main requirement are;i. 1.5m dept of free draining soilii. Good moisture holding capacitypH range from 4.5 to 7.0 preferably close to 6.5

CLIMATEClimate and site requirements place cocoa in the tropical regions of the world generally within 15 of the equator. This region is predominantly underdeveloped and highly populated, and cocoa production has envolved with eccess to cheap and plentiful labour. Irrigation is rarely used and planting has been restricted to regions with reliable, year around rainfall. Cocoa is usually grown under remnant forest, planted shade trees or intercropped with other commercial crops that protect the cocoa. In Malaysia and Indonesia, cocoa also grown in full sun, although shade is used during establishment.The height of cocoa is kept to about 3-5m to make management and harvesting easier. It also depends on the ability of the varieties to adapt to direct to sunlight. Most producing countries plant cocoa at a density 1000-1200 tree per hactares, but some countries such as Papua New Guinea, where conditions are very favourable for vegetative growth use lower densities.

PROPAGATION METHOD(COCOA TREES)Cocoa is rised from seed. Seeds will germinate and produce good plants when taken from pods not more than 15 days underipe. Vegetative propagation can be by cutting, budding or marcotting.(CUTTING)Tree cuttings are taken with between two and five leaves and one or two buds. The leaves are cut in half and the cutting placed in a pot under poly there until roots begin grow.(BUDDING)A bud is cut from a tree and plced under a flap of bark on another tree. The budding patch is then bound with raffia, waxed tape of clear plastic to prevent moisture loss. When the bud is growing the old tree above it is cut downMARCOTTINGA strip of bark is removed from a branch and the area covered in sawdust and a polythene sheet. The area will produce roots and branch can then be chopped off planted.

PEST AND DISEASES OF COCOAPESTMIRDS: Cocoa mirids pierce the surface of cocoa stems, branches and pods, killing the penetrated host cells and producing unsightly necrotic lesions. Mirids feeding on shoots often result in the death of terminal branches and leaves, causing dieback. Mated female mirids lay up to 60 eggs that that are embedded in the bark of stems or inside the pod husk. Pests usually occur on trees trend to bear more fresh shoots and pods. Although the insect in attracted to trees exposed to sunlight, after locating their soures of food they inhabit shady areas on trees. Some indigenous plant grown with cocoa have been identified as alternative hosts for some species of mirids. (sourse:ICCO)DESEASESPod Rot / Black Pod: Obvious symptoms are the rotting or necrosis of pods. Pod can be attacked at any stage or development, and the initial symptoms are small, hard, dark spots on any part of the pod. Internal tissues, including the beans, are colonized and shrivel to from a mummified pod.(source: ICCO)

HARVESTING AND PRODUCT PROCESSINGHARVESTINGOn ripening pods turn from green or deep red or yellow or orange. Only the ripe pod that have change colour are harvested though the timing is not critical since under ripe pod will ferment satisfactorly and ripe pods can be left on the tree for two to three weeks. After this period, pods may rot and the beans may germinate inside the pod. Harvesting is by hand using macheletes or knives to cut pods from the tree since pulling the pods from the tree can damage the flower cushion and tear the bark.After harvest, the pods are opened to extract wet beans and this can be don emmediately or delayed for up to severl days. This is also a manual operation, usually the pod is cut open and the beans are scooped out by hand. The placenta, which joins the beans inside the pod, is preferably separated from the wet beans prior to fermentation. Machines have been developed for pod breaking and bean extraction but have not been adopted either because of difficulty in separating the wet bean from broken pod fragments or because they have not suited the needs of cocoa growing operations. PRODUCT PROCESSINGFERMANTATIONFermentation and drying are the last operations carried out on farm prior to trading of dried beans fermentation is essential for the development of chocolate flavour (futher developed during roasting of the beans).After extraction, the wet beans are bulked together and gradually heat up as a result of exothermic chemical reactions in the pulp caused by the activities of microorganism. Initially, the mucilage is broken down and drain off as sweating, after 36-72 hour the beans killed and a series of chemically change takes place inside the bean some of which continue during drying. Although chemically complex, methods of fermentation are simple. Fermentation is carried out in specially constructed wooden boxes, in heaps covered by banana leaves or in baskets much of the heat generated is retained by insulation but this is more difficult with small quantities of beans and a minimum of about 90 kg is required using traditional heap or box method.DRYINGWhen the fermentation is terminated the cacao beans are sun dried. At this stage the smell of cocoa can be observed. In small plantations the fermend beans are spread by hand, and later turned over by the hand or foot. In central America the beans are dried on wooden floor which can be covered by asliding roof if starts to rain. On larger plantations electric dryers are used. The drying process takes 1-2 weeks, and during that period the colour changes from reddish brown to dark brown. The beans are then polished by a machine to obtain an improved visual appearance

CROP MARKETADM SEALS $440M SALE OF CHOCOLATE ARM TO CARGILLThe agribusiness giant flags the pontential for higher return investments as it unveils a long awaited sale to rival Cargill.ICCO DITCHES IDEA OF WORLD COCOA OUTPUT DEFICITThe organisation highlights the increasing importance af west African in cocoa as it foresees a world output surplus in 2013-14.

REFERENCESI. Plantation crops books(DPM 1023)II. Agrimoney.com/cocoa marketIII. Agriskmanagement.com

FIELD PRACTICE AND MAINTENANCEPLANTINGThe Cocoa Tree has Tap-roots.The tap-root descends straight into the soil. The branch roots go down very deep. But many small branch roots also grow near the surface. If the soil is good structure and contain much humus, the roots penetrate well. You can improve the soil structure by spreading manure and working it into the soil. If the soil deep, the roots can go down to a good depth. Never plant cocoa tree in soil with a lot of stones, or in soil where there is some hard layer.

How To Plant Cocoa Tree. A few day before planting, fill in the hole you have dug. At the bottom of the hole, put the soil you have dug out from the top, and on top put the soil you have dug out from below. You may mix the soil with manure. When you are ready to plant, make a small hole. In this small hole place your young cocoa seedling. If you have sown your seeds in baskets or bags, make a hole big enough to hold the root ball with the cocoa seedling. Be very careful not to twist the tap-root. Do not cover te crown with earth. Pack the soil down well around the tap-root. For the first day, protect the cocoa seedling from the sun. If there are palm trees in your village, use a palm frond.

WEEDING THE COCOA.Many weed grow among the cocoa tree rows. You must not let weeds take nourishment away from the cocoa trees. When the cocoa trees are young, you should weed 4 or 5 times every year. When the cocoa trees are bigger, they cast a lot of shade and so few weeds will grow. It will be enough to weed once a year. When you are cultivating be very careful not to damage the trunk and roots of the cocoa trees.Between the roots of cocoa trees, you should not leaves the soil bare. You should cover the soil either with cut weeds or with palm fronds, if available. In this way the soil is protected against sun and erosion; it stays moist and cool. When the weeds rot, they give the soil organic matter. You can also sow a cover crop, for instance legumes. This will give the soil good protection against sun and erosion.

PRUNING COCOA TREESThe cocoa tree is tree that develops well. It has a single, straight trunk. A crown of 3 to 5 main branches forms about 1.5 metres above ground level. Sometimes, during the first year several shoots form on the trunk. Cut off these shoots and leave only the strongest. Sometimes the crown forms too low down, at less than 1 metre above ground level. Choose a shoot which grown straight up and let it develop. A new crown will then form at a good height, and the first crown will stop growing.

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY SARAWAK ASSIGNMENTNAME; BONAVENTURE ANAK ALEXIUSSTUDENT ID.NO;2014230044COURSE;PLANT SCIENCECOURSE CODE;DPM 1053DATE;TIME;2 WEEKSFACULTY;SCHOOL OF PLNTATIONSEMESTER;JULY-NOVEMBER 2014PROGRAMME;DIPLOMA PLANTATION MANAGEMENT