Developing cacao agroforestry
systems for a sustainable, diversified
production in Nigeria
Oloyede, A.A., Adedeji, A.R., Famaye,
A.O., Olaniyi, O.O. Akanbi, O.S.O and
Shittu, T.R.
Cocoa Research institute of Nigeria,
CRIN, PMB 5244, Idi-Ayunre, Ibadan
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Introduction
• Cacao as a high-valued commodity crop
• origin in the Amazonian forest as an under-storey
plant.
• Attainment of a crop status made its cultivation
spread to many tropical regions of the world with
West Africa sub-region accounting about 70% of
global production.
• Traditionally monoculture cacao is not common in
Nigeria
• Arrays of timber, treecrops, fruit crops, and none-
timber forest products (NTFPs) are deliberately
retained or planted by farmers.
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Importance of
intercropping
• sources of income,
• food,
• construction,
• medicine,
• nutrients,
• cultural needs
• Environmental services.
• Guide against crop failure
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Arrangement on the
field
• These intercrops are
haphazardly included in cacao
plantations
• No scientific evaluation of the
systems.
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Why agroforestry?
• land scarcity for new planting.
• Currently there is over 600,000ha of
cacao plantations in Nigeria
• Ages of plantation over 50 years
sustained by the overstorey of
timbers and tree crops
• Ensure crops and products
diversification
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Need for prioritization
• Prioritizing the choice crops,
timber species and NFTPs in the
systems across cacao
ecologies in Nigeria becomes
imperative.
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Earlier research efforts
in cacao diversification
• Cacao/oilpalm Intercropping
with varying geometry of
avenue and hollow square
• Cacao/kola intercropping
• Cacao/kola/citrus
• Cacao/foodcrops(cassava,yam,c
owpea,cocoyam,plantain)
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Farmers practices
• Earlier survey by Asare(2005)
revealed some forest tree,
NTFPs inclusion in cacao
cropping systems in
Ghana,Nigeria, cote Divoire
Cameroon
• Survey by Oloyede et al
confirms agroforestry
practices.
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
A typical cacao agroforest
in Osun State Nigeria
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Table 1:Some Identified forest trees
and none timber species in cocoa
plantation in Cross River State
S/N Species Common name Scientific name Local name Uses Type of species
1 Bush mango Irvingia
gabonensi
s
Ogbono/oro Condiment and
sale
Fruit
2 Sweet orange Citrus sinensis Orange Consumption and
sale
Fruit
3 Oilpalm Elaeis
guinensis
Palm tree Consumption and
sale
Palm
4 Bush pear Dacryodes
edulis
Ube Consumption and
sale
Fruit
5 Sand paper tree Ficus
exasperat
a
Okpi/Ipin Antitermite/firew
ood
Tree
6 Mango Mangifera
indica
Nsang Consumption and
sale
Fruit
7 Newboudia Newboudia
laeva
Efu-nfam/akoko Boundary
demarcation
and
chieftaincy
Tree
8 Coconut Cocos nucifera Mbang-
nkara/agbon
Consumption and
sale
9 Wonderful kola Hydrocotyle Obiawogbaarun Medicinal-local Tree2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Table 1 Contn…
10 Cotton tree Ceiba petandra Cotton tree Timber and
medicinal
Tree
11 Boundary tree Newbouldia
laevis
Etu, peregun in
yoruba
Life boundary
demarcation
Tree
12 Eti-nda Medicinal and
antitheft
Tree
13 Antiaris Antiaris
africana
Oro in yoruba Timber species
especially
for furniture
Tree
14 Iroko Milicia excelsa Nsan, Iroko Timber species Tree
15 African nutmeg Pycnanthus
angolensi
s (Welw.)
Warb.
akomu in
Yoruba.Mpan
tiin Ikom
Planted or
retained for
shade in
coffee and
cocoa
plantations,
Canoe
making and
medicinal
Tree
16 Guava Psidium
guajava
Fruit Fruit tree
17 Star apple Chrysophyllum
albidum
Agbalumo Timber and
medicine
Tree
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Table 1 contn…
18 Kola Cola nitida - Cash and
traditional
Fruit
19 Black afara Terminalia
ivorensis
- Timber Tree
20 White afara Terminalia
superba
- Timber Tree
21 Walnut Pluckennetia
conophor
a
Nkat Climber Nut eaten and for
sale
22 Raffia palm Raffia hookeri Wine Tree
23 Cotton tree Ceiba petandra - Timber Tree
24 Ficus Ficus
exasperat
e
Okpi Firewood Tree
25 Pycnanthus Pycnanthus
angolensi
s
Npanti Plywood Tree
26 Eti-Nda Yet to be
identified
Eti-Nda For protection
against
pilfering on
farm
Tree
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Table 1 contn…
27 Albizia Albizia Sp Atare Timber,Fuel
wood and
permanent
shade
Tree
28 Avocado Persia
americana
- Fruit Fruit tree
29 Black pepper Piper
guinensis
- Condiment
and for sale
Climber
30 Red acalypas - Marking
point of
transplanted
cacao
Horticultura
l plant
Source: Field Survey (2014)
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Table 2: Some Identified forest trees
and none timber species in cocoa
plantation in Ondo State,Nigeria
S/N Species Common
name
Scientific name Local name Uses Type of species
1 Iroko Milicia excelsa Iroko Timber Tree
2 Ficus Ficus sp Ipin Fuelwood Tree
3 Celtis Celtis zenkeri Ita Timber Tree
4 Kola Cola nitida Obi Cashcrop Tree
5 Bush butter Dacryodis edulis Ube Food and cash Fruit tree
6 Orange Citrus sinensis Osan Food and cash Fruit tree
7 Wild cola Cola gigantia Ogbungbun Timber Tree
8 Palm tree Elaeis guineensis Ope Food and cash Palm
9 Albizia Albizia zigia Ayunre Timber,shade Tree
10 Black afara Terminalia
ivonrensis
Idigbo Timber,shade Tree
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Table2 Contn…
11 White afara Gmelina
arborea
Igi isana Timber,Shade Tree
12 Gliricidia Gliricidia
sepium
Agunmaniy
e
Fertilizer,fuel,foreag
e
Tree
13 Obeche Triplochito
n
scleroxylon
Arere Timber,matches,leaf
as vegetable
Tree
14 False iroko Antiaris
africana
Oro Timber Tree
15 Newbouldi
a
Newbouldi
a laevis
Akoko Boundary
plant,timber
Tree
16 Mango Mangifera
indica
mangoro Fruit Tree
17 Avocado Persea
americana
Pear Food and cash Fruit
Tree
18 Guava Psium
guajava
Guava Fruit andcash Fruit tree
Source: Field survey (2014)
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Factors to be considered in selecting
shade plants for cocoa
• provide good overhead shade within a
short time(50% light infiltration optimal
for cacao)
• should not compete with cacao for water
and soil nutrients
• should be easy to remove when no longer
needed
• should not serve as alternate hosts to
pests
• should be of commercial value
• The selection process should be
participatory
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Agroforestry and cacao soils
• The presence of trees in the
ecosystem can influence the
nutrient content of the soil through
its influence on soil structure,
biological activities and nutrient
recycling.
• The deep root of the trees can tap
nutrients from the deep down the
soil profile where crop roots cannot
reach and are brought to the
surface for the use of the intercrops.
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Some identified fertilizer plants
• Acacia albida;Acioa barteri;Albizia
sp;Alchornia cordifolia;Anthonotha
macrophilla;Cajanus
cajan;Calliandra Sp;Flemingia
congesta ;Gliricidia sepium;Grevillea
robusta;Leucaena
leucocephala;Sesbania
sesban;Tephrosia Sp among others
Hugues and Philippes(1998).
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Need for better shade
• Some of these species have been
used in foodcrop production through
alley cropping.
• Now that survival of established
cacao is getting reduced due largely
to the inadequacy of recommended
plantain as shade crop as a result of
climate change, alternatives have to
be sort in some of the above listed
species for improved cacao
establishment.
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
• Are trees necessary in cacao plantations?
• Are the trees beneficial to the growth and yield of
cacao?
• What are the priority forest trees and NFTPs in
cacao plantations?
• Is monocropped cacao acceptable among cacao
farmers?
• Is phenomenon of alleplopathy noticeable in
cacao plantations?
• Is cacao agroforestry sustainable?
• Have we identified desirable and undesirable
trees in cacao plantations in Nigeria as
obtainable in some other West African countries
like Ghana?
Some vital research questions
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Some vital research questions
• Should we expand cacao cultivation to the
remaining forest reserve to increase
production?
• Can we propagate these timber and none
timber species for inclusion in cacao
farming systems?
• At what densities should they be planted?
• Are there ready markets for the integrated
fruit trees in cacao agroforest?
• Can agroforestry improve farmers
livelihood?
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Answers
• Are trees necessary in cacao plantations?Yes,by what we see in
Tables 1&2
• Are the trees beneficial to the growth and yield of cacao? Yes
and No in Nigeria as desirability and oherwise have not been
determined
• What are the priority forest trees and NFTPs in cacao
plantations? All species are useful one way or the other but
there is the need for prioritization
• Is monocropped cacao acceptable among cacao farmers in
Nigeria? No,as land is limiting and traditional farming system
does not believe in single crop.
• Is phenomenon of alleplopathy noticeable in cacao plantations?
• Is cacao agroforestry sustainable? Not yet verivied and research
urgently needed
• Have we identified desirable and undesirable trees in cacao
plantations in Nigeria as obtainable in some other West African
countries like Ghana? Partially but only in few locations
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Answers contn…
• Should we expand cacao cultivation to the remaining
forest reserve to increase production? No, as the
available land can be maximized in view of global climate
change.
• Can we propagate these timber and none timber species
for inclusion in cacao farming systems? Yes by training
cacao farmers and establishment of community
nurseries
• At what densities should they be planted?Yet to be
determined
• Are there ready markets for the integrated fruit trees in
cacao agroforest? Yes but there are room for
improvement
• Can agroforestry improve farmers livelihood? Yes,
because of product diversification and consequently
income of farmers
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
Closing remarks
• Integration,diversification,propagati
on,planting densties are very
important in developing sustainable
cacao farming systems,the
stakeholder here present should
have identified cacao agroforestry to
improve livelihood as in the words of
Akoroda(2016) $0.68 on cocoa alone
cannot take the farmers home.
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium
• Thanks for your rapt attention
2016 Next Generation Cocoa Research Symposium