Potassium (K), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), as well as secondary elements such as calcium (Ca), sulfur (S) and magnesium (Mg), which are involved in the metabolism of the plant, are among the nutrients most absorbed by cocoa during its useful life. It is important during cocoa production to perform annual or biannual soil analyses to discover the deficiencies of these nutrients and to be able to make applications in order to find the right balance of nutrients and meet the needs of the crop.
How to know that we have nutritional deficiencies.
Potassium deficiency.
It is usually visible in older leaves and in the development of new shoots, since lacking this element the new leaves of shoots and suckers are increasingly smaller, in mature leaves they show as light yellowish green patches near the margins of the leaves; these leaves easily fall off the tree in a potassium deficient plantation.
Phosphorus deficiency.
When there is deficiency of this nutrient the plant lacks absorbent roots and its development is slow, adult leaves develop a pale color at the edges and tips, while young leaves are paler, Newly grown nodes are short and the leaves form an acute angle with the branches. The leaves turn a very dark green color. Stipules remain after leaf fall.
Nitrogen deficiency.
The size of the plant is small or very slow growing, the leaves degrade in color to a pale green almost reaching yellow. The tree may remain this way for a long time.
