Species and cultivars of cacao

Presented by:Rajatiya Jignasa H.

M.Sc.(Horti.) Fruit ScienceJAU, Junagadh

INTRODUCTION Botanical Name: Theobroma cacao L. Family: sterculiaceae Origin: South America Chromosome No.: 2n=20 Synonyms : cocoa, chocolate tree

“Cocoa tree is the source of one of the world's most delicious and familiar products... chocolate.”

Theobroma comes from ancient Greek word and translates as ‘Food of the Gods’.

Cocoa plant is a small (4 to 8 m height) evergreen tree. In india, it is mainly cultivated in karnataka, kerala and tamilnadu mainly as intercrop with arecanut and coconut.

Slowly the area under cultivation is being promoted by many

chocolate producing companies as contract farming. In 2008, india produced approximately 8500 metric tonnes of cocoa.

The seeds of cocoa contain about 2 per cent of theobromine and 40 to 60 per cent of solid fat. The shells contain about 1 per cent of theobromine, together with mucilage, etc.

The family of cocoa contains 50 genera and 750 species of trees and shrubs, mostly tropical. T.cacao is the most important species producing cocoa. cola spp. are sometimes used for beverage purposes, but more usually as a masticatory in West Africa.

Except T. Cacao and T. Bicolor, most of the spp. Have restricted geographical distribution.About 15 spp. are utilized for their edible pulp and seeds.

Sweet pulp around the beans of T. Grandiflorum is used for making a drink in part of brazil and is also eaten.

T. cacao

T. grandiflora

Classification of cocoa Cheeman (1944) classified the cultivated and wild coacoas

into three groups based on morphological characteristics of pods, flowers or seeds.

1)Criollo - the rare

The Criollo tree is native to Central and South America as well as the Caribbean islands and Sri Lanka.

Only 5% of the world’s production is Criollo.Criollos are particularly difficult to grow, as they are extremely suceptible to a variety of environmental threats.

The beans have a white to pale pink colour and their taste is

described as delicate yet complex, low in classic chocolate

flavor, but rich in secondary notes of long duration.

Considered to be the “prince of cocoas,” Criollo is prized as

an ingredient in the very finest of chocolates.

2)Forastero - the versatile

The most commonly grown cocoa is

Forastero. It is most likely native to the

Amazon basin. Today, Forastero is mainly

grown in Africa, Ecuador and Brazil and

accounts for 80% of the world’s cocoa

supply.

It is much hardier and less susceptible to

diseases. It has a much higher yield than the

Criollo variety.

Forastero cocoa has purple-coloured beans and is mainly used

to give chocolate its full-bodied flavor. Its bitter taste has a

short duration and is unsupported by secondary flavors, which

is why it is often blended with superior cocoas. 

There are many Forastero subspecies: Amelonado,

Cundeamor and Calabacillo, to name but a few. Amelonado

cocoa is the most extensively planted cocoa of all.

3)Trinitario - the hybrid

Trinitario is a natural hybrid biological class

resulting from cross-pollination.

Legend recounts that it first came into existence on

the Island of Trinidad, after a hurricane nearly

completely destroyed the local Criollo crops in

1727. Assuming all the trees were dead, the

plantations were replanted with Forastero, but

spontaneous hybrids appeared.

Trinitario combines the best of the two other main

varieties: the hardiness and high yield of Forastero

and the refined taste of Criollo.

 

The quality of the cocoa varies between average and superior. It is the predominant fine flavor cocoa. Trinitario populations are usually variable in pod and bean characteristics because the parents have highly contrasting characters. They can now be found in all the countries where Criollo cocoa was once grown: Mexico, the Caribbean islands, Colombia, Venezuela, and in parts of Southeast Asia.

VARIETIES/CULTIVARS

In cocoa, 321  germplasm

collections including 281 exotic and

40 indigenous clones are being

conserved under Arecanut and

Coconut at CPCRI, Regional

Station, Vittal, Karnataka.

1) NC-45/53 (VTLCC-1) Selection from Nigerian clone Early, heavy bearer, self and cross

compatible Green(immature) to yellow (ripe) color pods Pods (no/tree/year)- 75 Pod weight(g)- 321, beans/pod-37, single

dry bean weight (g) – 1.05 Average dry bean yield (kg/tree/year)- 2.5 Yield kg/ha- 911 Fat content(%)- 52.5 Shelling % - 12 Recommended area- areca & coconut

garden of KN, Kerala % TN

2)Vittal Cocoa Selection 1(VTLCS-1)

Precocious, stable and high yielder both under arecanut and coconut with medium canopy, withstands biotic and abiotic stress.

Red to Orange pods: 54.5 / tree/ year

No.of beans/ pod: 42

Single dry bean wt: 1.13 g

Shelling: 11%, Fat- 52.1%,

Dry bean yield/ tree/ year: 2.52 kg/tree/year, 1700 kg/ha

3)Vittal Cocoa Selection 2(VTLCS-2)

Early, stable and high yielder both under arecanut and coconut, have bold and bigger beans, less incidence of pests and diseases.

Green to Yellow pods: 55 /tree/year

No. of beans/ pod: 42

Single dry bean wt: 1.21 g

Shelling: 15% Fat: 53%

Dry bean yield: 2.7 kg/ tree/ year, 1850 kg/ha

4)Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 1(VTLCH-1)

Vigorous, early and heavy bearer.

Green to yellow pods: 50/tree/year.

No. of beans/pod: 42.

Single dry bean weight: 1.00 g.

Shelling: 13%, Fat content: 53.6%.

Dry bean yield: 1.48 kg/tree/year, 1014 kg/ha.

5)Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 2(VTLCH-2)

Heavy bearer, medium canopy and tolerant to black pod rot.

Green to yellow pods: 70/tree/year.

No. of beans/pod: 40.

Single dry bean weight: 1.15 g.

Shelling: 11%, Fat content: 54%.

Dry bean yield: 1.15 kg/tree/year, 800 kg/ha.

6)Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 3(VTLCH-3)

Suitable for rainfed & irrigated areca and coconut gardens of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Green to yellow pods: 45/tree/year.

No. of beans/pod: 43.

Single dry bean weight: 1.07 g.

Shelling: 13%, Fat content: 52.

Stomatal resistance (s/cm): 2.42.

Dry bean yield: 1.45 kg/tree/year, 993 kg/ha

7)Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 4(VTLCH-4)

Suitable for rainfed & irrigated areca and coconut gardens of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Red to orange pods: 40/tree/year.

No. of beans/pod: 43.

Single dry bean weight: 1.01 g.

Shelling: 12%, Fat content: 53%.

Stomatal resistance (s/cm): 2.41.

Dry bean yield: 1.25 kg/tree/year, 856 kg/ha.

8) II-67 x NC-42/94 Hybrid between Malaysian and Nigerian clone Early, heavy bearer, suitable for water limited

conditions Red (immature) to pink (ripe) color pods Pods (no/tree/year)- 40 Pod weight (g)- 429.5 Beans/ pod- 43 Single dry bean weight (g)- 1.01 Average dry bean yield(kg/tree/year)- 1.25 Yield kg/ha- 856 Shelling % - 12 Fat content(%)- 45.95 Recommended for rainfed and irrigated areca,

coconut gardens of KN, Kerala, TN, AP, MH & Goa

Other knowen varieties of cocoa1. Criollo

(a) RIM 189 (MEX)-Rosario Izapa Mexico)(b) CAT 201 (ARA)-Cata Aragua State)(c) ICS 39,40, 45, 47 and 91-Imperial College Selections

2. Forastero (a) AMAZ2/1,3/2(Amelonado)-Amazonas(b) APA-4(Amazonica Palmira)(c) SCA 6, 8, 9, 12(Scavina)-Resistance to Witches’ broom,

SSV, VSDB and Black pod diseases of cocoa.(d) CCRP 1 to 10(Cadbury-KAU Co-operative Cocoa

Research Project, KAU)

3. Trinitario(a) C 26, 37 to 49, 52(Cabruca, Brazil)(b) UF 1, 10, 168, 666, 667(United Fruit Comapany)(c)ICS 6, 8, 16, 43, 61, 95(Imperial College Selections)

THANK YOU...