On-farm cocoa yields increase with canopy cover of shade trees in two agro-ecological zones in Ghana

Asare, Richard; Markussen, Bo; Asare, Rebecca Ashley; Anim‐Kwapong, G. J.; Ræbild, Anders

doi:10.1080/17565529.2018.1442805

Cited by 78 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Higher yields in UEMZ and MEZ can be attributed to more favourable rainfall conditions (Vigneri, 2007) compared to DSFZ. Yields from the MEZ in the Western region were higher than in DSFZ in the Ashanti region and this is consistent with Asare et al (2018) and Madsen & Helledie (2018).…”

Section: Organic Carbon Stored and Pod Count Relationshipsupporting

confidence: 89%

Carbon storage in cocoa growing systems across different agroecological zones in Ghana

Afele

Dawoe

Abunyewa

et al. 2021

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Shade grown cocoa systems have been credited with stocking high quantities of carbon and therefore possess the potential to mitigate climate change and help achieve targets of the United Nations Collaborative Program on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). This study quantifies and compares carbon stored as well as estimated cocoa yields in two shade management types (i.e., shaded and full sun) across three agroecological zones: Dry Semi-Deciduous Fire Zone (DSFZ), Moist Evergreen Zone (MEZ) and Upland Evergreen Moist Zone (UEMZ) in Ghana. Results show that Soil organic carbon (SOC) stored decreased with increasing soil depth across all agroecological zones. Cocoa farms with shade trees stored 6 times more soil carbon (35.90±1.56 Mg C ha-1) compared to the full sun systems (5.98±1.56 Mg C ha-1). Carbon stocks in the DSFZ and the MEZ were 61.73±1.02 Mg C/ha and 67.46±1.02 Mg C ha-1 respectively whiles the UEMZ recorded 85.10 Mg C ha-1. Across agroecological zones, pod count in the UEMZ and the MEZ were similar but varied from that of the DSFZ, which recorded the least. Wilting of pods and cherrelles, was minimal and similar in the UMEZ and the MEZ but was significantly higher in the DSFZ. It is recommended that farmers should be encouraged through strong policies to adopt the integration of shade trees in the production of cocoa in Ghana to mitigate the effects of climate change.

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Section: Organic Carbon Stored and Pod Count Relationshipsupporting

confidence: 89%

Carbon storage in cocoa growing systems across different agroecological zones in Ghana

Afele

Dawoe

Abunyewa

et al. 2021

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“…The most important strategy for decreasing HANPP in cocoa dominated landscapes is to encourage the cultivation of shade trees. Research has also shown that cocoa yields can increase with increasing canopy cover provided by shade trees (Schroth et al, 2017;Asare et al, 2019), further strengthening the case that the key to climate smart strategies for cocoa is the presence of shade trees. Increasing shade tree cover not only reduces HANPP, but has other benefits including increased biodiversity and possibly more resilience of the cocoa crop to climate extremes and regional warming (Rice and Greenberg, 2000;Schroth et al, 2016).…”

Section: Npp and Hanpp Of Complex Mosaic Landscapementioning

confidence: 89%

Human Appropriated Net Primary Productivity of Complex Mosaic Landscapes

Moore

Morel

Asare³

et al. 2019

Front. For. Glob. Change

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Quantifying human impact on the environment is increasingly important and particularly so in complex mosaic landscapes. Such landscapes are prolific in the developing world, notably in West African, small holder cocoa farming communities. Human Appropriated Net Primary Productivity (HANPP) is a metric which has been developed to quantify the human impact on the environment and has been used in a number of studies globally. However, most operationalization's of HANPP have been done on a coarse global scale or a very local scale, and few studies exist of complex mosaic landscapes. This study utilizes Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (UAV), or drones, to classify land use and HANPP for three cocoa farming regions in Ghana's Central Region. The results of the study indicate while all regions differ in land use composition, the primary crop for all is cocoa, followed by palm and then land that was previously cultivated which has been left fallow. The average HANPP was 44% for all measured regions, calculated using net primary productivity (NPP) values of an adjacent natural tropical forest. The HANPP for the three regions studied was found to be approximately 6.69, 8.00, and 9.85 Mg C ha −1 yr −1. These values are higher than those that have been reported in some widely accepted global studies, and highlight the need for more regional and landscape scale studies to supplement global assessments of HANPP.

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“…However, yields have also been reported to decline faster in these conditions (Obiri et al 2007), particularly where no fertiliser is used (Ahenkorah et al 1974). Canopy cover up to 39% has been shown in increase bean yields at the field level in Ghana compared to cacao grown in full sun, but increasing shade above this level can limit yields Asare et al 2018). While in Cameroon, increasing canopy cover up to 47% enhanced yield but greater than 60% cover caused yield limitations (Bisseleua et al 2009).…”

Section: Irradiancementioning

confidence: 99%

The physiological responses of cacao to the environment and the implications for climate change resilience. A review

Lahive

Hadley

Daymond

2018

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

152

109

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Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is a tropical perennial crop which is of great economic importance to the confectionary industry and to the economies of many countries of the humid tropics where it is grown. Some recent studies have suggested that climate change could severely impact cacao production in West Africa. It is essential to incorporate our understanding of the physiology and genetic variation within cacao germplasm when discussing the implications of climate change on cacao productivity and developing strategies for climate resilience in cacao production. Here, we review the current research on the physiological responses of cacao to various climate factors. Our main findings are as follows: (1) water limitation causes significant yield reduction in cacao, but genotypic variation in sensitivity is evident; (2) in the field, cacao experiences higher temperatures than is often reported in the literature; (3) the complexity of the cacao/shade tree interaction can lead to contradictory results; (4) elevated CO 2 may alleviate some negative effects of climate change; (5) implementation of mitigation strategies can help reduce environmental stress; and (6) significant gaps in the research need addressing to accelerate the development of climate resilience. Harnessing the significant genetic variation apparent within cacao germplasm is essential to develop modern varieties capable of high yields in non-optimal conditions. Mitigation strategies will also be essential, but to use shading to best effect shade tree selection is crucial to avoid resource competition. Cacao is often described as being sensitive to climate change, but genetic variation, adaptive responses, appropriate mitigation strategies and interactive climate effects should all be considered when predicting the future of cacao production. Incorporating these physiological responses to various environmental conditions and developing a deeper understanding of the processes underlying these responses will help to accelerate the development of a more resource use efficient tree ensuring sustainable production into the future.

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On-farm cocoa yields increase with canopy cover of shade trees in two agro-ecological zones in Ghana

Cited by 78 publications

References 34 publications

Carbon storage in cocoa growing systems across different agroecological zones in Ghana

Carbon storage in cocoa growing systems across different agroecological zones in Ghana

Human Appropriated Net Primary Productivity of Complex Mosaic Landscapes

The physiological responses of cacao to the environment and the implications for climate change resilience. A review

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