Pruning cocoa trees increases their productivity and survival, prevents the spread of pests and diseases, recovers unproductive sectors, and facilitates cleaning and harvesting.
Training pruning.
Once the cocoa plant has been grafted and placed in the final location, the raising phase begins until harvesting begins, that is, the non-production phase of cocoa is taken into account, which lasts approximately two years.
At this stage, the cocoa tree must receive special primary care, especially pruning, which serves to give the correct shape to each of the branches of the cocoa tree, this is done by eliminating the horizontal growth points of the branches as well as any branch that is towards the interior of the plant.
Maintenance or Production Pruning.
It is used to start a new production cycle, in this pruning unproductive branches, dead, broken or diseased branches, poorly directed branches and shoots (suckers) of the main branches, trunk or roots of the tree are removed. It is done once or twice a year after harvest.
This pruning also seeks to reduce the height of the plant, keeping it at a suitable height to facilitate cleaning and harvesting.
Phytosanitary Pruning.
It helps to keep the crop aerated to prevent the spread of pests and diseases. It is done by eliminating dry, defective, diseased or weak branches, removing part of the foliage around the tree, we do this to reduce and avoid the incidence of diseases.
Remove diseased fruits, cobs covered with a white powder or “Moniliasis”, which is the fungus Moniliophthora roreri, which by the climatic conditions of humidity and temperature the fungus penetrates the cocoa cob damaging the tissue, damaging the fruit until its death.
The residues generated by this pruning must be destroyed or removed from the plantation to prevent the spread or dispersion of pests or diseases by water, wind or people working with cocoa plants.
Rehabilitation Pruning.
It is carried out in old, abandoned or low production crops, seeking to recover their productive capacity. Maintenance pruning is implemented and more drastic actions can be carried out such as cutting the main stem between 50 to 70 cm from the ground to promote the formation of the plant again.
