Cocoa propagation, technologies for production of seedlings

ISSN 0100-2945 DOI: http://dx.doi.org /10.1590/0100-29452019782

Corresponding author:

[email protected]

Received: Janeiro 03, 2017.

Accepted : October 02, 2017.

journal, except where otherwise

noted, is licensed under a Creative

Commons Attribution License.

Cocoa propagation, technologies

for production of seedlings

George Andrade Sodré

& Augusto Roberto Sena Gomes

Abstract- The vegetative propagation in cacao has been used in Central America since the

beginning of the last century. However, only from the end of the century this technique has been

intensied in the state of Bahia, where vegetative propagation changes have increased the yield of

cocoa growing areas, especially those using other technologies associated with clonal seedlings.

The use of clonal garden to collect stems in nursery can reduce by 80% the space required for

maintenance of stock plants. On the other hand, the buds obtained from orthotropic and plagiotropic

shoots are used to improve the performance protocols and reduce production costs of seedlings.

Among the current and future challenges in the production of cocoa seedlings emphasizes

the somatic embryogenesis and rootstock with disease resistance. These technologies to increase

the productivity of the crop and permit Brazil return to the exporter condition of cocoa beans,

which does not occur for more than two decades.

Index terms: Theobroma cacao L, clones, grafting, nursery.

Propagação de cacaueiro e tecnologias

para produção de mudas clonais

Resumo - A propagação vegetativa em cacaueiro foi iniciada na América Central no início

do século passado. No entanto, somente no nal do século essa técnica foi intensicada no

estado da Bahia onde se vericou que mudas de propagação vegetativa elevam o rendimento

de áreas de cultivo do cacaueiro, especialmente aquelas que usam outras tecnologias

associadas às mudas clonais. O uso de jardim clonal para coletar hastes em viveiro pode

reduzir em até 80% o espaço necessário para manutenção das plantas matrizes. Por outro

lado, estacas de uma gema obtidas de ramos plagiotrópicos e ortotrópicos melhoram os

protocolos de enraizamento e reduzem custos de produção das mudas. Dentre os desaos

atuais e futuros da produção de mudas de cacaueiros destacam-se o uso da embriogênese

somática e a escolha de porta-enxertos com resistência a doenças. Essas tecnologias buscam

elevar a produtividade do cultivo e fazer o Brasil retornar a condição de exportador de

amêndoas e derivados do cacau, o que não ocorre há mais de duas décadas.

Termos para indexação: Theobroma cacao L, clones, enxertia, viveiros.

Researcher MAPA- Ceplac, Itabuna-BA, Brazil E-mail: [email protected]

(ORCID 0000-0003-0711-8637)

Researcher MAPA- Ceplac, Itabuna-BA, Brazil - E-mail: [email protected]

(ORCID 0000-0003-2963-5985)

Propagation

George Andrade Sodré & Augusto Roberto Sena Gomes

Rev. Bras. Frutic., Jaboticabal, 2019, v. 41, n. 2: (e-782)

Introduction

In the early 20th century, when the cocoa planta-

tion initiated a stronger cycle of worldwide expansion the

cocoa planting was performed by the method called “beak

of machete.” In this form of planting, a small planting

holes were open using the machete and, after open the

fruit and the partial withdrawal of the pulp, three seeds

were sowed and covered up with soil. After germination

a seedling was cut and after12 months removed another

leaving the most vigorous to be conducted and form the

new cocoa plant (SODRÉ, 2013).

Even in the last century, during the decades of

1970 and 1980 the Brazilian producers implanted more

than 150 thousand hectares of cocoa using seminal seed-

lings in polyethylene bags, following recommendations

of Executive Comission for the Cocoa Farming Plan

CEPLAC, due to the results of research work showing

that it was possible to prepare vigorous seedlings in less

time. According to Sodré (2013), the recommendations

for preparing the seedlings of hybrid seeds included the

utilization of protected nurseries, polyethylene bags, fertil-

izers, foliar fertilization and pest control.

The vegetative propagation in cocoa has been little

disseminated in Brazil due to good productions obtained

by hybrids and varieties propagated by seeds (DIAS,

2001). However, due to sanitary problems since the 1990s,

there was a need for increased planting of cocoa Trinitar-

ians, more resistant, and x the genetic characteristics in

a short time.

It has been consensus among researchers in co-

coa plantation which would not be possible to replant

large areas of cocoa, in many countries, using a single

technology. In general, the majority of the producing

countries utilize conventional propagation (seeds and

grafting) for the rehabilitation and or to expand the plant-

ing areas. However, it is quite clear that some methods

are more preferred than others.

Although the technology of rooted cuttings is

limited to countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, Nigeria,

Philippines and Indonesia, it should highlight the use of

different methods in the same country or region as has

been observed in Brazil, for example, intensive planting

of seminal seedlings are utilized in Southern State of Pará,

where clonal planting and grafting on cocoa plants in the

eld are preferred by producers in the Southern State of

Bahia.

The research in genetics and plant breeding in

Brazil and in other producing countries should continue

to produce new varieties of cocoa, for attending the grow-

ing increase demand. Currently, there is already a large

demand for seedlings in Brazil in the, which clearly

indicates the need for large-scale propagation and it has

been estimated by millions of seedlings annually. Thus,

production of seedlings will be increasingly necessary.

In this context, and disease resistant clones, in addition

to techniques for production of seedlings will also be

improved.

Vegetative propagation of cocoa

According to Mooleedhar (1998), vegetative

propagation of cocoa tree was propagated with success

in Jamaica, by the budding method in 1902. Later, Pyke

(1933) developed the technique for the production of root-

ed cuttings, method that was also used by Evans(1951),

Alvim (1953), Alvim and Ovidio (1954), and Murray

(1954). Also, improvements in propagation methods were

developed by the College of Agricultural Sciences (IICA

/ OEA) in Turrialba, Costa Rica and Research Station in

Agriculture Pichilingue, Ecuador.

Other important contributions for the vegetative

propagation of cocoa were made in West African countries,

especially Ghana, by Richards (1948), Archibald (1955),

MacKelvie (1957) and Hall (1963). Evans (1953), ob-

served variation in the ability of rooting between clones

and the inuence of mineral nutrition and health of mother

plants and also pointed out that the position of the cutting

(apical or subapical) and the length are important factors in

rooting, especially because interfere on yield and quality

of the seedlings roots.

According to Leite (2006), the ability of rooting

in cocoa cuttings change with the season of the year in

which they were collected. SENA-GOMES et al. (2000)

tested types of cuttings (woody and semi-woody) in clones

resistant to the witch’s broom and the results showed that

the genotype has a strong inuence on rates of rooting

and survival of the plants. These authors also identied

clones with average rates of rooting above 70% while

others were lower than 30%.

Works performed by Sacramento et al. (2001)

and Sacramento and Faria (2003),on rooting of clones, in

mist chambers and treated with indolbutyric acid (IBA),

showed that the rates of rooting for some clones were

greater than 87%, and also observed that the beginning

of the emission of roots occurred between 20 and 30 days

after the treatment.

Rootstocks in vegetative propagation of cocoa

The rootstocks are used in many species to mini-

mize restrictive effects on the production of plants in

the eld, for example, soil compaction and infection by

pathogens from soil. In addition, the rootstock can affect

the fruit quality and plant height (Hartmann et al., 2002).

In the case of cocoa tree, it should be emphasized that the

majority of the producing countries uses as rootstock seed-

lings grown from seeds of open pollination. The rootstocks

are usually obtained from pre-germinated seeds which are

sown directly in the eld, or in polyethylene bags lled

with soil or agricultural substrate and remain for 6 to 8

months until they are grafted (Figure 1).

Cocoa propagation, technologies for production of seedlings

Rev. Bras. Frutic., Jaboticabal, 2019, v. 41, n. 2: (e-782)

The purpose of rootstocks on seedlings in co-

coa may vary with clone and environment. For ex-

ample, experimental results in Trinidad indicated that

there was no evidence of incompatibility, caused by the

interaction rootstock / graft, as mentioned by Mooleed-

har (1998). By contrast, Cheesman (1946) has been

found that rootstocks consistently reduced the average

yield in clones ICS ( International College Selection).

In conventional cultivation during five-year Efron

et al. (2003) reported that the grafted on rootstock

with dwarsm (MJ12-226) resulted in plants with short

internodes, size of multiple stems, reduction of roots and

leaves and the vigor of the trees in the early years, how-

ever, this effect is of short duration and the grafted plants

reverted to a pattern of normal growth after some time.

Twelve families of cocoa used as rootstocks were

evaluated by Yin (2004) in Sabah, Malaysia, using three

commercial clones. The results showed that the yields on

the rootstocks pure genetic type “Scavina” were about

10% above the average of clones “Amelonado” and also

that the rootstock did not inuence the bark weight,

number of seeds per fruit and the uniformity of the trees.

The purpose of rootstock on plants in the eld was

reported by Irizarry and Goenaga (2000) in Puerto Rico.

The results indicated that, on average, only 45% of the

initial yield of cocoa was a result of grafting and the differ-

ence of 55% was attributed to genetic and environmental

factors, and possibly the degree of incompatibility root-

stock graft. The authors also added that the relationship

between the canopy and rootstock in selections of the

family TSA x SCA-12 does not favored the increase in

production in the eld, in comparison with selections of

other families.

Rootstocks can influence the rate of surviv-

al of grafted seedlings as reported by González et

al. (2003). These authors showed that rootstocks of ICS-

39, Pound-4, Pound-7, Pound-12 and Catongo from seeds,

grafted with descendants of UF-677, signicantly al-

tered the survival rates of seedlings in greenhouse. A

higher percentage of survival was recorded for rootstock

Pound-4. The authors concluded that the survival rates

of rootstocks were inuenced by several factors, includ-

ing the genotype, type of graft, practices of grafting and

environmental conditions.

Marinato et al. (2006) testing four rootstocks of

cocoa four months age, grafted with a single clone and

two methods of grafting in a greenhouse at CEPLAC in

Espírito Santo State, Brazil, found that the survival rates

of grafted plants were not inuenced by the method of

grafting. However, these authors found that the rootstock

ESFIP-02 signicantly increased in the vegetative growth

of grafts of the clone TSH-1188.

Another important effect of rootstock in cocoa

seedlings is related with the transport of nutrients. Sodré

et al. (2012) found that the combination canopy/ root-

stock interfered in the transport of nutrients from root

to shoot. The clone Salobrinho-2, grafted on a selection

of Forastero cocoa “common” used as rootstock, ac-

cumulated signicantly less N, P and K in leaves when

compared to the clones CCN-51, ICS-1, CEPEC-02 and

CP-49.

In the American countries it is common to

use rootstocks for control of soil borne pathogens. For

example, rootstocks of TSH 1188 and varieties of “Co-

coa” are used by Brazilian producers to control Fusarium

spp. Cocoa farmers in Colombia using the clones PA 46,

PA 121, PA 150, IMC 67, and the hybrid seeds of PA

46, to control of root rot caused by Phythopthora spp.

and Roselinia (Florez and Calderon, 2000). In Nigeria

farmers use rootstocks selected and, according to Adewale

et al. (2013) the genotype group Amazon is more used

due to resistance to diseases.

Sena Gomes and Sodré (2015) commented that in

the state of Bahia, Brazil, during the 1990s the use of root-

stocks not tested for diseases caused considerable losses of

cocoa plants. Several areas planted with rootstocks from

clones CCN-51, PH-16, PS-1319, and others from crosses

involving ICS-1, have similar risk. Recent research with

Forastero variety “cocoa jaca” showed excellent results

for resistance to Ceratocystis spp. (SILVA et al., 2010).

Rootstocks of cocoa can be propagated by seeds,

cuttings and tissue culture, as mentioned by West-

wood (1993). However, the vast majority is still ob-

tained from seeds of open pollination. This is because it

is easy and low cost to obtaining seed production areas of

the farmer himself, as well as for the preparation of semi-

nal seedlings. Although there are many studies published

on the topic rootstock, this issue is not yet well under-

stood and particularly the mechanisms involving the

physiology of the graft and the rootstock in cocoa. Thus,

long-term studies that show the purpose of rootstocks

on the agronomic performance of grafted seedlings need

to be expanded and include more eld experiments, since

the majority of reported results on this question refer to

short-term studies, conducted mainly in the greenhouse.

It is also important to investigate and deter-

mine which variables can be used to selecting rootstocks,

including dwarsm. Rootstock dwarsm can control part

of the size and shape of the plant in the eld, as well as

improve productivity. In a recent review on the subject,

Lockwood (2013) mentioned that the effect dwarsm has

attracted the attention of researchers and this is important

for two reasons: a) when associated with the improvement

of production efciency the rootstocks can maintain or

increase commercial production, b) dwarsm let’s make

crops “friendlier”, with all the fruits of a tree in easy reach

and even simplifying the management of pests.

Changes in stomatal resistance and sap ow have

been associated with the effects of force of rootstocks,

as suggested by Simons (1986). There is considerable

George Andrade Sodré & Augusto Roberto Sena Gomes

Rev. Bras. Frutic., Jaboticabal, 2019, v. 41, n. 2: (e-782)

evidence, in perennial species, that the root systems have

qualitative differences in the anatomical structure of the

xylem and this may be related to the potential of the root

system of rootstock dwarsm in relation to graft, perhaps

by reducing the ow of water in the trunk as emphasized

by Beakbane and Thompson (1947). Root systems in

dwarf plants have a low xylem to and phloem ratio, while

the opposite is true for systems that promote the growth

of canopy, which have xylem tissue with more and larger

vessels (BEAKBANE; THOMPSON, 1947). The con-

sistency of this reasoning suggests that it can be used in

protocols for selecting rootstock in cocoa.

Because of the wide variation in growth, vigor and

disease resistance, rootstocks of half-sib cocoa seedlings,

especially collected in a mix of hybrid plants were not

selected, as an option to minimize overall risk. Thus, it

would be safer to obtain seeds from trusted sources, such

as seed gardens of government and or accredited private

organization seed which produce proven combinations

of hybrid seeds or selection families, especially for the

control of major diseases in certain regions.

In general, the production costs of rootstocks of

cocoa (seedlings) vary greatly between countries and in

accordance with the scale and protocol of production, cost

of labor, time in the nursery, size of plastic bags, substrates,

irrigation system, management procedures and admin-

istration. To produce rootstocks on a commercial scale,

Brazil requires certication by the Ministry of Agriculture

Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA). In addition to legal

procedures of production, the seed garden administration

has to pay attention to important other aspects of produc-

tion projects, such as: synchronization between demand

and production volume, supply and quality of irrigation

water, calendar and rates of foliar fertilizers, pest and dis-

ease control, elimination of atypical and sick seedlings, as

well as quality of grafting. Table 1 shows the advantages

and restrictions on use of the graft with seminal seedlings

Budding graft

The budding graft is one of the most important

methods of propagation of plants and refers to the trans-

fer of a tissue containing a single bud plants (variety

selected) for rootstocks. In order to ensure the success of

budding the bud must be placed in contact to allow the

development of functional links between the vascular tis-

sues of the bud with the corresponding tissues of rootstock.

As discussed by Hartmann et al. (2002), the physiologi-

cal processes of recognition of cells, the formation of the

callus, as well as the differentiation of vascular tissue

and parenchyma are critical steps in the formation of the

graft. The budding technique makes use efcient of graft

material, because it needs only a single bud to graft a

rootstock, contrasting with traditional methods of grafting

that requires several buds (Figure 2).

The rst experience with grafting budding in cocoa

was held in Jamaica in 1902 (Mooleedhar, 1998). Today

it is still used in countries as: Peru, Haiti, Costa Rica,

Jamaica, Ecuador, Brazil, Malaysia, São Tomé, Nigeria,

Ghana, Ivory Coast and Indonesia. In general, the bud-

ding graft has been applied to multiply parents selected

in breeding programs and becomes very important when

the amount of material of a given clone is limited, for

example, during the introduction of the new botanical

material in quarantine.

The results of the budding in cocoa vary according

to stage of maturation of the bud, quality of rootstock,

environment and management of the process. In Ma-

laysia (LEE, 1998) obtained good rates of survival with

the use of budding in seedlings of four months of age.

However, according to Yow and Lim (1994) budding

applied to rootstocks seedlings of three months of age,

takes at least six months to produce seedlings able to go

into the eld. These authors also emphasized the high

costs to prepare and maintain grafted seedlings in plastic

bags for a long time.

Researches aiming to reduce costs of conven-

tional budding and the time that the seedlings remain

in the nursery were performed by replacing it with bud-

ding green. For example, Rosenquist (1952) and Ja-

cob (1969),tested successfully budding graft in cocoa

seedlings in cotyledons while Giesenberger and Coes-

ter (1976) describe the green bud method applied to hy-

pocotyls of from two to six weeks of age with successful

from 90 to 100%. Also compared the methods “T” and

inverted “U” noting that the latter was more suitable.

Yow and Lim (1994) made extensive studies on budding

in cocoa and reported good results for budding green

in rootstocks from two weeks of age in a nursery in Sabah.

In contrast, Are (1967) in Nigeria, compared rootstocks

of seedlings from 18 months of age and found that the

clones tested in canopy had better performance in root-

stocks older.

Techniques of grafting involving rootstocks young

(seedlings) have shown good results. For example, Ra-

madasan and Ahmad (1986) have budding below of

cotyledon with success ranging from 70 to 80%. It is

a method especially promising because there is a dras-

tic reduction in the age of the rootstock for only 10 to

20 days. These authors also emphasized that the reserves

of nutrients available in the cotyledons of rootstock would

allow earlier bud to develop making the grafts more vig-

orous. Emphasize, however, cost increase to the extent

that the grafted plants require the humidication intense

until the union of the graft.

The bud grafting was tested by CEPLAC until mid

1990 and the success rates ranged from 50 to 60%. How-

ever, this modality has not been used commercially as a

methodology of clonal propagation in Bahia or in any other

producers in Brazil. This occurred because the method

requires skill of graft and good sanitary condition and

Cocoa propagation, technologies for production of seedlings

Rev. Bras. Frutic., Jaboticabal, 2019, v. 41, n. 2: (e-782)

nutritional of the bud. The restrictions also include the low

rate of survival, especially due to contamination before

and after budding and very slow start of seedlings. Among

the general guidelines to ensure success for seedlings pro-

duced by budding include: a) Rootstocks aged from sixteen

weeks produced better results than the rootstocks younger,

b) bud ranging in size from 1.5-2.5cm length were ideal,

c) the watering should be in the form of ne mist in order

to avoid any disturbance to the seedlings budded.

It is important to mention that the deterioration of

buds in the budding method in cocoa is caused by a

complex of fungi. A transfer of accesses of cocoa to the

quarantine station in Miami, Florida, USA, were identied

ve fungi associated with buds in cocoa as: Botryodiplodia

theobromea, Fusarium decemcellulare, Fusarium oxys-

porum, Pestalotiopsis spp, and Phomopsis spp., which

can trigger death of grafted seedlings of cocoa (Purdy,

1989). Table 2 presents advantages and restrictions on

use of budding in the production of cocoa seedlings.

Split grafting

The split grafting in cocoa refers the manner which

a branch containing several buds is inserted in a fraction

of top of the plant or laterally under the bark of rootstocks.

It can also be performed in basal shoots and branches of

young trees in the eld and in the nursery (Figure 3). The

same principle to the budding also applies to all forms of

graft, i.e., intimate contact of tissues and external protec-

tion against dehydration. The contact of tissues favors the

development of functional links of xylem tissue and

phloem of the canopy with the rootstock (HARTMANN et

al. 2002). These authors also point out that the physiologi-

cal processes of recognition of cells, the formation of the

callus, as well as the differentiation of vascular tissue

and parenchyma are critical processes for the formation

of the graft.

It is considered that there are many methods of

grafting, however, only the methodologies of commer-

cially important are discussed in this review. The split

grafting, for example, can be done both in basal stems

of cocoa adults as in rootstocks seedlings in the nursery

(5 to 8 months of age). The grafting is the most used by

producers to propagate clones in Bahia, Brazil, as well

as in other regions producing cocoa in South America,

Central America, Caribbean, West African and Asian

countries. Sena Gomes et al. (2000) Using split graft-

ing obtained rates of survival from 55 to 92%, varying with

clone, place of grafting and season of the year and found

that grafting has been more successful during the months

of september to march in years when weather conditions

typical of the region.

Some applications of the method of grafting are

not able to provide acceptable results. For example, stud-

ies in Malaysia by Ramadasan and Ahmad (1986) using

rootstocks of 2 to 4 weeks of age and side grafting showed

reduced rates of survival. The authors observed that the

connection was very difcult because the wedge tends to

slip out, due to the presence of viscous uid along the s-

sure tended to “squeeze” the graft. These results were also

reported by Giesenberger and Coester (1976), as well as

by Rosa (1998), in Bahia, Brazil, which recorded success

rates in the grafts of 3 weeks of only 35%.

The cleft side is the method in which the

graft is cut obliquely (laterally) wedge-shaped thin and

pushed down and inside the stem bark of rootstock. The

lateral grafting performed on the trunk of mature trees of

cocoa, as described by Yow and Lim (1994), was used

at the beginning of the program in clonal Bahia (Pinto,

1998; Sena Gomes et al., 2000) to replace plants with

high rates of infection by the witches’ broom disease of

witch (Moniliophthora perniciosa). The rates of survival,

however, were low when applied on the trunk (<30%),

but high (> 70%) when applied in basal shoots. The low

rate of survival made the grafting in trunks of cocoa trees

was not longer recommended in Bahia, Brazil (SENA

GOMES and SODRÉ 2015).

A variation of the conventional method of graft-

ing was used to propagate clones in Ecuador, where grafts

in wedge-shaped double-face and length similar to the

depth of the side are performed in seedlings of 3-4 months

of age, being inserted laterally and tied with a strip of

plastic. In Espírito Santo state, Brazil is common to carry

out the grafting by cleft side with two subsequent cuts the

canopy after 21 and 40 days. The rate of survival is 80%

and the average income man day is 450 grafts (Figure 4).

Grafting on canopy

It is grafting in the main branches of the canopy,

above the “jorquette”, known as a replacement of the

canopy and aims to rapidly restore the yield of cocoa trees

susceptible to diseases. Only the branches located above

the grafting point are removed by pruning, after about six

months from date of grafting, time when the clonal foliage

is partially established. The crown grafting is commer-

cially suitable for the replacement of the tree foliage and

part of branches under specic conditions and considering

the age of the tree. This method has been well accepted

by farmers in Bahia as a way to improve the production

of cocoa trees under 15 years old. On branches of the

canopy, the technique follows the same grafting protocol,

but using 2-4 branches per cocoa tree.

The technique of side grafting of canopy on

cocoa was successful in Indonesia, Malaysia and the

Philippines, with methodology described by Yow and

Lim (1994), in rehabilitation programs of plants. In Indo-

nesia, for example, plantations of cocoa that in the period

1998 - 2003, In South and Southeast Sulawesi had produc-

tivity of about 1,200 kg/ha/year in 2011 this productivity

has dropped to 120 to 240 kg/ha/year. Several factors

have been associated with this decline, especially age of

George Andrade Sodré & Augusto Roberto Sena Gomes

Rev. Bras. Frutic., Jaboticabal, 2019, v. 41, n. 2: (e-782)

the tree, lack of crop management (weed control, fertil-

izing, pruning and insect pests and diseases). To overcome

the decline a government program for rehabilitation of

plants was carried out using the technology side grafting

applied in shoots of old trees, as described by Yow and

Lim (1994). The eld observations showed that the success

of side grafting reached approximately 60% of farmers.

The acceptance by farmer of the grafting in

canopy, also called “technique of salvation” is related to

the fact that the process of owering in fruit species is

not interrupted, only being reduced during the replace-

ment of the old canopy of the trees, once that occurs in a

overlapped manner with the development of new leaves

from the clonal scion (SENA GOMES; CASTRO, 1999).

This is so because parts of the former canopy (branches

and foliage) are only eliminated about six months after

grafting, and this time the leaf area of the new canopy is

already well developed. The grafting of canopy in general

takes 12 to 16 months to rebuild the new leaf area of cocoa

tree (SENA GOMES and SODRÉ, 2015).

Characteristics of the rooting in cocoa tree

The production of seedlings by rooted cuttings is a

technology universally recognized for clonal propagation

of numerous species of plants, including the cocoa. The

facilities and methods for rooting vary from simple to

highly sophisticated; however, the anatomical and physi-

ological principles involved in the process are common

to all species. For example, growth of adventitious roots

from the base of a bud sticks, in an environment of high

humidity, are developed from the pericycle (region of

vascular cylinder) at the base of the stem, just above the

cut, as shown in Figure 5 B.

The main advantage of the cuttings is that the plants

are identical in all respects to the unique individual, or

parent plant, as emphasized by Kramer and Kozlowski

(1979), and they can be planted directly without use of

rootstocks. Details of anatomy, physiology, and the envi-

ronmental factors involved in the rooting of forest species

and vegetables were discussed by Hartmann et al. (2002)

and Leakey (2004).

The production of cocoa seedlings by cutting was

described and tested in the state of Bahia for the rst time

by Fowler (1955). Recently, technical characteristics and

methodologies were also described by SENA GOMES

and CASTRO (1999), MARROCOS et al. (2005), SO-

DRÉ and MARROCOS (2009), SODRÉ (2013) and Sena

Gomes and Sodré (2015). According to HALL (1963),

clones of the “Alto Amazon” and the Trinitarian root

better than the “Amelonado”, while TOXOPEUS (1970)

emphasized seasonal differences of rooting among clones.

WOOD and LASS (1985) mentioned a list of factors that

affect the rooting of cuttings, with emphasis to genetic

type, management of nurseries, plant growth regulators,

environmental factors (temperature, light and humidity)

and means of rooting.

Hartmann et al. (1997) emphasized that in general

the cutting of the apical position of woody species, due

to the intense meristematic activity, are those that present

higher levels of rooting. When it comes to cocoa, CHEES-

MAN (1935) and EVANS (1953) observed that younger

mother plants root better. In this context, SODRÉ, (2007)

found that cuttings of cocoa from the apical positions

improve the ability of rooting of the juvenile material.

Consequently, it was observed a greater productivity per

plant matrix, increased levels of rooting, as well as reduc-

tion of cost of production of seedlings.

It is also important to mention that although the

majority of studies of the cocoa propagation have been

developed in plagiotropic branches, the methods in general

are also applicable to the orthotropic material, since there

is no evidence of real difference between the two types of

growth, as mentioned by CHEESMAN (1935).

The technology of rooting of cocoa in Brazil has

been advancing in terms of environment, facilities and

logistics. At the very beginning, sand was the basic sub-

strate for rooting of cocoa. Started with the use of using

sand as substrate for rooting (ALVIM, OVIDIO, 1954;

PYKE, 1933).Thereafter, the method was evolved to

utilization of bag and cutting planted in pots containing

a mixture of sand and organic matter and covered with

canvas of polyethylene bags (MURRAY, 1954; BURLE,

1957; MACKELVIE, 1957; LEWIS, 1960). More recently,

for the production of seedlings of type “mudão”and mini

clonal garden in pots (SODRÉ, 2013). An important

advancement for large-scale propagation of cuttings was

obtained with the rooting in plastic tubes, use of commer-

cial substrates and mist chamber equipped with fertigation

system as described by SENA GOMES et al. (2000).

The success for production of cutting in cocoa

tree is inuenced by environmental factors, among which

stand out the temperature, humidity and means of rooting.

Light intensities are generally not associated with rooting,

although cuttings with leaves can produce roots in the

darkness and the high intensity of light causes the leaf fall.

The temperature normally interferes with the quantity and

quality of callus, as well as the quality of the root system.

Considerable variation in rooting occurs among clones,

seedlings of the same clone, parts of a same plant and

places in the same nursery. ARCHIBALD (1953), sug-

gested that the photosynthetic efciency of the leaf seems

to determine the survival of the cuttings. However, as

mentioned by LEAKEY (2004), the interactions between

factors (plant, environment and management) guarantee

a good rooting.

Amoah et al. (2006),observed physiological factors

affecting the rooting in cuttings of cocoa tree. Among the

relevants, this author emphasized the importance of the

anatomical components, the nutritional status of the cut-

ting and the position in the nodal plant stock. The results

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suggested that rooting of cuttings is marked by a well-

differentiated vascular region, high level of sugar content

and the C:Nratio.

Research conducted in Cocoa Research Institute

in Ghana (CRIG) shows that the roots were signicantly

affected by the nodal positions of the bud stick.. The best

rooting happen with material harvested in nodal posi-

tions 4-6 from the apex of 15-year-old tree and cocoa

type “Amelonado”. Report showing differences in the

performance of rooting in cuttings of cocoa in relation to

the cutting position in plant has also been published by

RAMADASAN and AHMAD (1986) that also highlighted

the diameter of internodes, lignications of the stems,

nutrients and carbohydrate content, as important criteria

for the selection of cuttings in clonal gardens.

Dimorphic characteristics of growth during the

rooting of cuttings of cocoa were recorded in Trinidad by

PYKE (1933), CHEESMAN (1935) and EVANS (1951).

Since then, the producers have recognized some negative

aspects of the plantation of cocoa rooted of plagiotropic

branches. In general, the cocoa trees from plagiotropic

branches develop a dense canopy and require repeated

pruning to form the canopy and facilitate the manage-

ment and harvesting. MILLER (2009), mentioned that

plagiotropic branches develop characteristics such as

susceptibility to lodging and moisture stress, possibly due

to the combination of formation of canopy unbalanced and

inaccurate root system development. LEE (1998) added

that the lack of taproots in plants of plagiotropic branches

is considered a disadvantage, especially during the dry sea-

son. In addition, it is well known that a system of brous

roots and shallow can limit growth in the production and

the survival of cocoa in conditions of water stress.

Murray (1961) in Trinidad and Tobago noted

root systems of plants cultivated in the eld from cut-

tings which were similar to those produced from seed.

In another study, this author veried the performance of

plants of clones ICS- 95 (cuttings) and ICS-1 x SCA-12

(seminal seedlings) cultivated in rectangular boxes of 0.5

m width and length of the base and 1,07m high, and noted

that 15 months after planting, the mean of the fresh weights

of clonal or seminal seedlings were similar, however, the

clone had a higher proportion of roots and leaves in rela-

tion to the total weight.

In the absence of a taproot in plants propagated by

cuttings, two or three adventitious roots tend to develop.

Normally, lateral roots working as “anchor roots” then

arise from those adventitious roots. It should be noted

that often the lack of taproot in rooted cuttings can stop

the growth and productivity of the plant during the dry

season, especially in shallow soils and with high levels

of aluminum, resulting in losses of crops and mortality

of trees.

It is technically important the production of rooted

plants from orthotropic shoots. This is so because the

trees from this material will develop plants in a similar

manner to a seminal plant, with the same structure of

branches(GLICENSTEIN et al., 1990). These authors

reported that the roots produced in orthotropic branch

sustain the tree making them less sensitive to water stress.

MILLER (2009) emphasized that orthotropic cuttings

require minimum demand in pruning by reducing labor

costs during the establishment in the eld. This author ar-

gues, however, why researches on orthotropic branch have

not expanded as expected. It is well know that the main

reason is the lack of material for large-scale production.

However, same studies on the subject have been published.

For instance, the production of cocoa clonal seedling

from orthotropic material, using rooting cuttings method

has been studied in Bahia (SODRÉ, 2013). Although the

results in Trinidad and Malaysia have shown similar yield

potential of clones grafted with orthotropic or plagiotropic

bud stick, technologies of dissemination using orthotropic

material must still be tested with large number of recom-

mended clones available in different countries.

Some initiatives to overcome the shortage of or-

thotropic seedlings were initiated in Ghana since 1984.

BERTRAND and AGBODJAN (1989) published meth-

odologies to increase the number of orthotropic bud stick

production, including severing the trunk of the tree and

bending branches. These authors observed a good pro-

duction of sprouts orthotropic after ve months, on both

methods cutting and bending. In the same line of work,

GLICENSTEIN et al. (1990) and MAXIMOVA and GUIL-

TINAN (2012) at Pennsylvania State University, USA

and SODRÉ (2013) in Bahia, Brazil, presented results

showing that the bending of cocoa tree branches in bow,

tying the tops to the ground in a greenhouse, produced

large number of orthotropic shoots on top and on the side

of the warped trunk (Figure 6).

Production of cocoa seedlings by cuttings in

state Bahia Brazil

In the state of Bahia, the mass propagation of

clonal Cocoa seedlings using rooted cuttings is in opera-

tion since 1999. For the rst time in the world, a unit of

cocoa propagation produced millions of rooted cuttings

using plastic tubes of 288 cm3,lled with substrates, fertil-

izer and acclimatized before planting in the eld (SENA

GOMES and SODRÉ 2015).

The production unit, known as the Biofactory

Institute of Cocoa IBC, is located 45 km north of the

Ilhéus city, Bahia and since 2000 has been propagating

cocoa clones recommended by CEPLAC. The project was

initially planned to meet the rehabilitation of 300,000 ha

of plantations of cocoa, heavily infected by the witches’

broom disease and with low productivity. Currently, the

unit has an annual capacity to provide up to near eight

million of rooted cuttings.

The CEPLAC and State University of Santa

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Cruz (UESC), ensure the scientic and technical support

for the IBC project, since the year of 2000. The project

has 20 units of rooting propagation “chambers”, measur-

ing 2,500 m

each, covered and protected laterally with

polypropylene mesh (50% of interception of light), with

automated system of irrigation. Each unit of rooting may

contain 216,000 cutting in rooting for a period of six

months (86 cutting/m

/6 months). It is important to high-

light a new initiatives projecting to increase the capacity

of each chamber to about 700,000 cutting (280 cutting/

/6 months), what will be done with the reduction of

the cutting length, utilizing smaller plastic tubes and by

using lower density substrate (Jackson Oliveira Cesar,

2013 - Personal Communication).

The rooting of cuttings is the more costly method

of production of cocoa seedlings, especially if compared

with the seminal propagation. The costs of production are

normally associated with the needs of labor and inputs and

vary widely between countries. In Table 3 are presented

the advantages and limitations of the propagation by cut-

tings in cocoa.

Minicutting in vegetative propagation of cocoa

As much as the researches on cocoa propagation

by stem cuttings are concern, types and sizes of cutting

have been investigated for more than a century. Histori-

cally, the studies began with cutting measuring 20 cm in

length and only one whole leaf (FOWLER, 1955; PYKE,

1933). More recently, GUILTINAN et al (2000) found

successful results experimenting cuttings with a single

orthotropic bud, measuring 2 cm in length, working with

somatic embryogenesis.

Considering only the length of the shoot, the term

minicutting has no practical use in studies of plant propa-

gation. Additionally the length is a variable according to

species, mother plant, nutrition and age of the branch. In

the case of cocoa, the term minicuttings was initially used

to differentiate from the standard length of the cuttings

with 16 cm,used by Cocoa Biofactory (MARROCOS;

SODRÉ, 2004).

The substitution of the conventional length of

cuttings of 16 cm by those of the minicuttings of 6 to

10 cm, has the important advantage of being using more

herbaceous material, which has intense meristematic activ-

ity, therefore, promoting a raise on the rates of successful

rooting (SODRÉ, 2007), (Figure 7 A,B). On the other

hand, cutting of smaller size increase the yield per mother

plant with means lower the costs of production. SODRÉ

(2007) compared the growth of herbaceous cuttings of 4

and 8 cm in length and concluded that there were no differ-

ences between the two lengths for the nal height and dry

mass of roots of six-month-old seedlings. Other research

was performanced in year 2016 to evaluate the rooting of

orthotropic cocoa cuttings with a single bud. This assay

required adjustment of several items, such as new root-

ing substrates, nursery, dosages of AIB and sprouting

promoters and the results indicated that this technique is

very promising, since rooting of cuttings with a single bud

produced 5 to 10 times the number of seedlings grown in

relation to the standard system of cutting length of 16 cm

(Figure 7 C,D).

To large-scale production of seedlings, the

minicuttings boosted the levels of rooting in plants and

allows, for example, the utilization of pre-rooting trays

in chambers of nebulization, and transfer them thereafter

for larger plastic tubes, between 40 and 60 days. The

adoption of the technology of pre-rooted cuttings reduces

considerably the loss of substrates, especially in clones

hard to rooting. On the other hand, this technology will

facilitate the certication of nurseries for the production

of cocoa clonal rooted seedlings, required by the Brazilian

legislation.

Mitigation of risks in the production of cocoa

seedlings by cuttings and grafting

Although the results of production of seedlings are

markedly inuenced by the plant, environment and factors

of management, technology of the vegetative propaga-

tion of any kind will not improve yields of unproductive

progenies or clones as emphasized by SENA GOMES

and SODRÉ (2015). According to HARTMANN et al.,

(1997) this occurs because the genetic characteristics of

the mother or progeny plants, such as are transferred to

the plant being propagated. Therefore, eld performance

of low production, susceptibility to diseases, growth habit,

and low quality of seed, for instance, will also be transmit-

ted to new generations of plants produced by vegetative

propagation.

The spread of viral diseases also represents a risk

in plants den replicated by any methods of vegetative

propagation. Diseases such as bacterial wilt and in some

cases witch broom in Latin America and the Caribbean

countries can also be disseminated via propagation mate-

rial. To minimize these risks is recommended the adoption

of sanitary eliminating any material with symptoms of

diseases.

In general, among small producers, there is a trend

in propagate a single or few clones by cuttings or graft-

ing, generally the more productive. However, it should be

noted that this represents a risk due to the lack of genetic

diversity on account of new diseases. A project of clonal

propagation should include not only clones tested for each

specic region, but, also maintain high genetic diversity

for agronomic traits, such as the production, resistance

to disease, early maturity, format of the canopy, and seed

quality. This diversity in plantations of cocoa in practice

can be obtained by planting several clones as proposed

by MANDARINO and SENA GOMES (2009), but in a

monoclonal planting model.

This proposed model of planting cacao, mono-

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clonal planting or simply one clone per block, is now in

current use by the cocoa producers in Southern Bahia,

with self-pollinated clones only. The innovation has also

become very popular in Bahia, especially among new

planting projects which are been established on the new

cocoa planting frontier, in the semiarid regions of the far

southern of the State, as well as in the very North area of

the neighbor State of Espirito Santo. In these new planting

projects, cocoa is planted with rooted cuttings seedlings,

at full sun light and fertigated.

Experience with cocoa produced by cuttings in

Bahia Brazil

The seedlings of rooted cuttings were initially

used in Bahia to increase planting density of the areas

grafted with resistant clones to diseases. Currently, the

rooted cutting seedlings are being very important for large-

scale plantations, instead of been utilized for increase the

planting density in areas of low population density.

Project Nova Redenção, Bahia Brazil.

Experimental data of production collected in clonal

planting, located in municipality of Nova Redenção, West-

ern Region of Bahia, showed high productivity. The region

is characterized by semiarid climate, with a average annual

temperature of 26

C, precipitation of 600 mm/year, with

irregular distribution and a relative humidity under of 60%.

In this project, the cocoa rooted cuttings seedlings were

transplanted to the eld in March 2003, with temporary

shade of banana trees. The plants were maintained man-

aged with fertigation drip irrigation and pruned regularly.

According to Leite et al. (2012), the productivity of the

clone CCN-51, at 52 months after planting in the eld,

reached 2,260 kg/ha/year of dried cocoa beans, with the

excellent performance for most agronomic characteristics,

especially vigorous growth, early production and pest free.

Project Lembrance, Bahia Brazil.

The establishment of cocoa plantations, in southern

Bahia, replacing areas of papaya in decline has been suc-

cessful so far. This is the case of the Project Lembrance,

a clonal planting of initially 250 ha, established in 2007,

using partial shading of papaya and banana trees. From

the second year until today, the plants were kept in full

sunlight conditions and with winds breaks of Eucalyptus

tolleriana.

Currently, the project Lembrance, has expanded

to 250 ha of cocoa and uses only rooted cuttings of eight

clones, managed in a semi mechanized system with chemi-

cal weeding control, spraying pesticides and pruning, as

well as the utilization of windbreaks and drip irrigation

(Figure 8). The area is located 760 km South in Bahia

State, the soils have medium texture, are at lands of low

natural fertility. In the year of 2014, the following clones

were in production: CCN-10 and CCN-51, CEPEC 2002,

2004, 2005 and 2006, CP-49, PH-16, PS-13.19 and SJ-02,

all arranged into monoclonal blocks.

The Lembrance’s project has registered yield

above 3,000 kg/ha/year of dried beans and can be con-

sidered as a reference to be replicated in large areas along

coastal regions of Southern Bahia, as well as in other

producing regions in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Clonal garden

The majority of Brazilian cocoa farmers still pro-

duce the seedlings in their own properties and, in general,

they receive vegetative material from clonal gardens

or from neighboring farmers. Normally, the amount of

grafting material obtained from the rst introduction is

sufcient to provide propagation for next generations of

grafts or to form clonal gardens of varieties.

Clonal gardens are designed for the production of

bud sticks for grafting on adult plants or on cocoa seed-

lings in nurseries. A general protocol for the production

of quality bud sticks requires an intensive management

of the nursery, including: weeding and fertilizing, pest

and disease control, wind break, pruning, irrigation and

shading control.

The spacing and the genetic material inuence

yield (number of cuttings) of the clonal garden. For ex-

ample, in Ghana, the number of bud sticks taken in a clonal

garden, established on planting spacing of 2.6 x 1.3 m,

varied from 100 to 60 per plant per year, for selections of

“Amazon cocoa”, and only 20 to 40 for the “Amelonado”

selections, as discussed by Dias (2001).

Whereas, the Cocoa Biofactory (IBC), Bahia, has

recorded production of bud sticks, in number of cutting/

per plant/ year, ranging from of 56 for the clone IP-01,

63 for Cepec 2002 and 112 for the CCN-51.The clonal

garden plants were eld planted using space of 3.0 x 3.0 m,

and the bud sticks sizes varied from 0.6 to 1.0 m.(Jackson

Oliveira Cesar, Agricultural Engineer, 2013 - Personal

Communication).

Projections made by SENA GOMES and SODRÉ

(2015), for the production of bud sticks from a clonal

garden established with 3,333 plants/ha, with intensive

management of fertigation, pruning, pest and weeding,

wind break, disease and shading control, indicate produc-

tivity ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 green cuttings/ha/

year, considering 6 to 9 harvest per year.

Simple technologies for production cocoa clonal

seedlings

Simple and inexpensive units of plant propagation,

designed to produce seedlings of clonal cocoa, can be used

by small farmers, anywhere. An example of this is the

propagation units utilized in Ecuador, for the production

of rooted seedlings of cloneCCN-51, in nursery planting

beds that are covered with plastic blanket, forming a high

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humidity chamber.

This type of propagation showed in Figure 9,

is quite simple and it does not require running water

or electricity, therefore it is suitable for family farming

projects, especially located in remote places. LEAKEY

et al. (1990), claim that the methods shown in Figure 9,

in addition to being low cost technology and highly ef-

fective, are less prone to problems, compared to large and

more sophisticated systems. According to LEAKEY, the

efciency of rooting in these systems is dependent on the

genotype and time of year, but average of success usually

varies from 60 to 75%.

Advanced technology for cocoa clonal

propagation

Among advanced technologies applied for cocoa

propagation, the somatic embryogenesis (ES) deserves

special attention. It is a system of tissue culture that uses

ora parts (petals and staminoids) to develop embryos

genetically identical to those of the matrix plant (Figure

10). These embryos have the advantage of growing with

both dimorphisms of tree growth, orthotropic(like a nor-

mal cocoa tree) and plagiotropic (fan like type of growth).

Despite some losses due to the production of

abnormal embryos it is theoretically possible to produce

more than 4,000 plants of secondary embryos derived from

a single ower in about a year. Somatic embryogenesis

has been developed and tested by several research insti-

tutions around the world, such as Ceplac, Brazil (Sandra

Queiroz, personal communication, 2015), Pennsylvania

State University, USA (LI et al., 1998), GUILTINAN et

al (2000), MAXIMOVA and GUILTINAN (2012), CRIG,

Ivory Coast (TRAORE; MAXIMOVA; GUILTINAN,

2003), CIRAD, Montpelier, France (ALEMANNO et

al., 1998) and CATIE, Costa Rica (SOMARRIBA et al.,

2011).

Graft One

The Research on “Grafting One technology” in

cocoa started in the year 2012, in Brazil, and preliminary

data show successful results, for the control of soil borne

pathogens, as well as on the production of reduced plant

size.

The “Grafting One” is an adaptation of the methods

of rooting and cleft grafting which is performed at the

same time. According to SODRÉ (2013), the main advan-

tage of this method is that two different technologies are

applied in a single operation, rooting and grafting, during

the process of production of clonal seedlings.

The bud sticks size used for “Grafting One” meth-

od varies from 15 to 18 cm in length, same conventional

size utilized for rooting ( Figure 11). The concentration of

plant growth regulator (AIB) and substrates are the same

used in traditional cuttings methodology. Immediately

after grafting the rootstock, it must be transferred to the

rooting chamber, where the budded stick is treated with

rooting hormone, and kept with appropriated humidity to

avoid dehydration.

The rst shoots growth normally occurs around 30

days after the grafting, and the plants must be removed

from the rooting chamber between 60 and 90 days. At this

time, the growing plants have to be replanted to polyethyl-

ene bags, for hardening. Seedlings will be ready for eld

planting around 8 months later.

Currently, the technology “Grafting One” is in an

experimental scale. It requires special care with general

sanitation, especially the cleanup of rooting facilities

(chamber and mist system, propagation ats, benches,

plastic containers and tools). It is also necessary to keep

the graftings in a high humidity environment, equipped

with fog system, to ensure successful rooting of the bud-

ded bud stick. This method of propagation works better

for easy rooting clones.

Use of graftinglters

The cocoa seedlings produced through the “inter-

grafting technique” are obtained by inserting a small sec-

tion of a bud stick or green stem, approximately 10 cm in

length, via two graft unions, between the scion graft and

the rootstock. The double “intergrafting” may be done at

the same time, or the scion graft can be done at a separate

time, approximately 3 months later from the date of the

“intergrafting”. It should be noted that the stem diameter

of the components, rootstock, “intergrafting” and scion,

must be of similar size to ensure the success of grafting.

According do HARTMANN et al. (1997), there are

specic reasons for using interstock in propagation, most

of them related to avoidance of incompatibility of scion

and rootstock in many clonal combinations within species,

disease resistance, reduction of vegetative growth and

enhancement of reproductive growth. Westwood (1993),

mentioned that when compatibility bridge “intergrafting”

is requires, the double budding technique is the best ap-

proach to be selected, as with pear on quince, that can be

done in a single operation. In this context, it is worthwhile

to mention that the variety of cocoa, known as “jackfruit

cocoa”, has great potential for to be used as “intergraft-

ing”, due to its high resistance to the important pathogen,

Ceratocystis cacaofunesta (Figure 12), which occurs in

cocoa areas of Southern Bahia.

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Figure 1. Pre-germinated cocoa seeds (A). Transplanting seeds in polyethylene bags for later grafting (B).

Table 1. Advantages and restrictions on use of the graft with seminal seedlings in cocoa.

Advantages

Seeds are free from dormancy, low cost and easy to obtain.

Simple methodology adopted by farmers.

Resistance to major diseases such wilt of Ceratocystis.

Can increase the income of some clones.

Restrictions

Bad in some combinations canopy/rootstock.

Seeds viability is short time “recalcitrant” .

Can reduce the performance of some clones duo to low resistance to diseases.

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Table 2. Advantages and restrictions of using budding in the production of cocoa seedlings.

Advantages Restrictions

• Uses a single button to graft a rootstock; • Requires highly trained grafters ;

• Minimizes waste of rootstocks seedlings that can be redone

if the rst budding fails ;

• The high cost of production;

• Important when there is limited amount of clonal material

and also in quarantine services ;

• In large part dependent on reorganization

measures;

• Propagate clones that cannot be propagated by other

techniques;

• Variable rates de survival;

• Can be used as auxiliary technique for detecting the

presence of viruses in plant material "Indexing".

• The slow start after budded .

Figure 2. Stages of grafting by budding on cocoa trees. Removal of the bud (A). Inserting in rootstock (B)

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Figure 3. Split grafting in cocoa. In basal shoots (A). In basal shoots after six months (B). Preparation of the branch

(C). Grafted seedlings and protective chamber (D).

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Figure 4. Split grafting in cocoa seedlings. Preparation of the double face wedge in Ecuador (A). Seedlings after

grafting and before cut canopy in the Espírito Santo state, Brazil (B).

Figure 5. Rooting of cocoa cuttings. Rooting environment (A). Detail of the wedge and the adventitious roots (B).

Figure 6. Orthotropic seedlings in cocoa. Bending plants to produce orthotropic branches (A). Seedling

formed from orthotropic branch (B).

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Table 3. Advantages and limitations of the propagation by cuttings in cocoa trees.

Advantages Limitations

• Higher rates of multiplication .

• Easy, free from problems of incompatibility of

the graft.

• Plants which are identical in all respects to the

unique individual or parent plant .

• Propagation can be done with simple rooting and

cheap.

• Is possible propagate material plagiotropic and

orthotropic.

• Often medium to high rates of success.

• Project on a large scale requires high investments in

facilities, equipment, clonal and logistics of supply

of materials.

• Demands trained workers.

• Recommended for specic locations (well drained

soils and not incline) .

• The lack of taproot, especially in plagiotropic branches,

can reduce productivity of plants during the dry season,

in shallow soils.

• Risk of infection by pathogens of soil especially in

susceptible clones.

Figure 7. Minicutting in cocoa seedlings. Rooting in tubes (A). Seedling rooted at 50 days (B). Cutting of an orthotropic

bud root rooted in phenolic foam (C). Seedling formed by single bud (D).

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Figure 9. Technologies for production of clonal cocoa seedlings. White plastic huts (A). Shelter used in Ecuador (B).

Figure 10. Somatic embryogenesis in cocoa tree. Somatic embryos obtained from petals (A). Embryogenic seedling

in pre-acclimatization (B).

Figure 8. Lembrance project. Cocoa trees implanted with cuttings and drip irrigation (A). Production area (3,000 kg/

ha/year) after ve years (B).

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Figure 11. Seedling type “graft one”. Union of the rootstock and graft (A). Joint inserted to be rooted (B). Seedling

ready after eight months (C).

Figure 12. Cocoa seedling with graft lter. Parts of the seedling (rootstock, lter and canopy) indicated by arrows

(A). Variety resistant to the fungus Ceratocystis cacaofunesta “cocoa jackfruit” (B).

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Final considerations

Even considering that the production of cocoa

seedlings in nurseries accredited is an activity incipient

in Brazilian producers. It is very likely that in a few years,

the production of seedlings is subject to legal process

of certication. The regional and national potential for

the production of clonal seedlings of cocoa can be an

attraction for new nurseries. These companies will

require production technologies increasingly efcient to

produce seedlings with quality and reduced costs.

It is important to highlight that the certication

of cocoa seedlings is a requirement of the Brazilian

Ministry of Livestock Agriculture and Supply (MAPA,

2003).The aim of certication is to ensure especially the

genetic quality and health of seedlings produced.

Among new challenges for research on the cocoa

propagation, emphasis the adoption of the technique of

clonal nurseries, because as veried by (Sodré, 2007) in

5 ha of clonal garden in nursery conditions it would be

possible to produce material for production of up to 4

million seedlings of cuttings per year. Additionally must

be added the gains with quality and overall production

costs of cocoa seedlings.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Foundation of

Support for Research of the State of Bahia Fapesb

to support research with cocoa propagation. We also

thank the Bioversity International for permission to

publish parts of chapter 3 (Conventional Vegetative

propagation) of the publication “Supplying new cocoa

planting material to farmers: a review of propagation

methodologies”. Laliberté, B. and End, M., (editors).

2015. Bioversity International, Rome, Italy. 200pp

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