Cacao agroforestry systems beyond the stigmas: Biotic and abiotic stress incidence impact

Abstract

Low technological knowledge in production chains, global climate change, and misinformation are concrete threats to food security. In addition, these combined threats also trigger ecological instability in megadiverse areas of the world, especially in some cacao-producing countries in South America, where this crop plays an important socio-economic role, even being used to replace illicit crops. Accordingly, the use of agroforestry systems approaches has emerged as a good alternative to maintain productivity, add high-value commodities to producers, and provide important ecosystem services for sustainable agriculture. However, limitations associated with the competition for resources between the species composing the system, and the higher incidence of some diseases, have led many producers to abandon this strategy, opting for monoculture. In this review, we seek to gather the main information available in the literature, aiming to answer the question: what is the real scientific evidence that supports the benefits and harms of adopting agroforestry systems in cacao production? We seek to make critical scrutiny of the possible negative effects of certain associations of the agroforestry system with biotic and abiotic stress in cacao. Here, we review the possible competition for light and nutrients and discuss the main characteristics to be sought in cacao genotypes to optimize these inter-specific relationships. In addition, we review the research advances that show the behavior of the main cacao diseases (Witch’s broom disease, frosty pod rot, black pod rot) in models of agroforestry systems contrasted with monoculture, as well as the optimization of agronomic practices to reduce some of these stresses. This compendium, therefore, sheds light on a major gap in establishing truly sustainable agriculture, which has been treated much more from the perspective of negative stigma than from the real technological advantages that can be combined to the benefit of a balanced ecosystem with generating income for farmers.

Risk analysis and cacao pod survivorship curves to improve yield forecasting methods

“…This indicates that the set of risks experienced during pod development is shaped by the genetic makeup of the cocoa clone, environmental conditions, and crop management (Leach et al, 2002;Kieck et al 2016;Armengot et al, 2020;Jaimez et al, 2022). Our study site had greater cocoa plating density, shade tree density and canopy cover than recommended for shaded plots which in turn creates a favorable microclimate for pests and disease outbreaks (Dias et al, 2000;Blaser et al, 2018;Ramirez et al, 2022;Jaimes-Suaŕez et al, 2022;Somarriba et al, 2023).…”

Interactions between climate, shade canopy characteristics and cocoa production in Colombia

“…In this regard, Ndo et al (2023) indicate that the specific diversity leads to a diversity of spatial structures that can be adopted by communities, as a number of species vary greatly from one farm to another. This defines the different production and sustainability approaches that cocoa crops can have, which although, in a general way can be defined as cocoa planted in monoculture or in AFS (Jaimes et al, 2022), the latter has different variations in its design (Suárez et al, 2018;Notaro et al, 2020); where, the number and type of plants are important factors in defining the spatial structure adopted by farmers (Ndo et al, 2023).…”

“…In some of these cases, this occurs because cocoa planting projects incorporate timber species as companion species (Rodríguez et al, 2022). In other cases, it may be due to the fact that the planting was generated in areas of natural regeneration, where cocoa replaces one of the strata and the upper strata are kept as shade (Jaimes et al, 2022). This is an important practice, as it reduces establishment and maintenance costs (Rodríguez et al, 2022).…”

“…In research in Cameroon, fruit trees belonging to different families and species are one of the key components of cocoa-AFS in humid forest areas, accounting for up to 80% of the agrobiodiversity (Ndo et al, 2023). These types of companion species have a high potential for commercialization (Notaro et al, 2021), which diversifies household income sources (Asitoakor et al, 2022a;Jaimes et al, 2022). In addition, they provide food for household consumption, resulting in savings in household expenses (Hosseini et al, 2017).…”

Soil recovery in cacao and coffee agroforestry systems : Litter, roots, carbon, and water

“…Additionally, it should be noted that this thesis did not encompass the comprehensive examination of other significant benefits associated with agroforestry practices, including the preservation of biodiversity, facilitation of pollination, and protection against pests and diseases (Cerda et al 2020;Durand-Bessart et al 2020;Jaimes-Suárez et al 2022;Jezeer et al 2019;Mokondoko et al 2022;Mortimer et al 2018). These aspects contribute to the overall multifunctionality of agroforestry systems but were not within the scope of this particular thesis.…”