Cocoa Pests and Diseases Management

Theobroma cacao *- Deploying Science for Sustainability of Global Cocoa Economy*

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**Chapter 3**

Production

passing different control measures.

fertility and the existing shade.

**1. Introduction**

*Dele Adeniyi*

**Abstract**

Diversity of Cacao Pathogens

and Impact on Yield and Global

Cacao, *Theobroma cacao* L., an important cash crop in foreign exchange earnings and also a major income source for many smallholder farmers in growing ecologies of West Africa. Global cocoa production has been rising fairly steadily over the years by increasing production in growing countries with most of the production taking place in areas of high pathogen biodiversity. Thus, the sustainability of the cocoa economy is under threat as diseases of various statuses now constitute the most serious constraint to production. Most important among these is the black pod disease caused by *Phytophthora* genus with annual losses of 30–90% of the crop. This economically important pathogen is very diverse in nature and varied across growing countries including species such as *palmivora*, *megakarya*, *capsici* and *citrophthora* distinguished based on chromosome number, sporangial characteristics and pedicel length. World losses of 20–25% in cacao production are due to black pod disease, an estimate of 700,000 metric tons on global scale reducing global cocoa production. High cacao loss to diseases is a prime factor limiting production; consequently, significant effort is required to deal with problems associated with disease control to ensure a sustainable cacao. The effective and sustainable management of black pod disease requires integrated approach encom-

**Keywords:** *Phytophthora*, pathogen, diversity, yield, production, management

Cacao, *Theobroma cacao*, is a major cash crop in the tropics and the source of chocolate, one of the world's most popular foods. In addition, cacao-based agroforestry systems provide a promising means to address the challenges of deforestation and create a habitat for biodiversity while simultaneously providing a profitable crop for agricultural communities [1]. Cocoa is mainly grown by smallholder farmers in West Africa and around the world where favourable tropical environments occur. The farmers plant their cocoa traditionally at random under thinned forest and/or plantain as shade crop. Moreover, when grown in traditional form under thinned, forest shade, cacao affords sustainable benefits not only to the farmer but also to the environment [2]. This low-input cultivation system uses the forest soil

## **Chapter 3**
