African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6915

Article in Press

Cocoa yield and bean quality as influenced by agroforestry practices in Ghana

Mills Oliver, Saaluon Prince, Abugre Simon, Akoto Sarfo

  •  Received: 30 April 2024
  •  Accepted: 06 December 2024
Ghana's cocoa sector is a key contributor to global production, but its yields are often modest. A climate-smart approach involving agroforestry—growing cocoa with shade trees—has been suggested to boost yields and improve sustainability. However, there is limited research in Ghana on the effects of agroforestry on cocoa yield and bean quality. This study assessed the impact of agroforestry on cocoa yield and bean quality in four cocoa-growing districts: Asunafo North, Tano South, Bibiani-Ahwiaso, and Bia West. The results showed that farms using agroforestry (AF) had significantly higher yields than those using non-agroforestry (NAF), with a statistically significant difference across all districts (P?0.05). This indicates that agroforestry can be an effective approach for increasing cocoa production. In terms of bean quality, most physical properties, including moisture content, mould, slaty, germination, and other defects, showed no significant differences between AF and NAF farms across all districts, except for moisture content in Tano South. Among the chemical properties examined, only pH showed a significant difference between AF and NAF cocoa beans (P?0.05). The study's findings suggest that while agroforestry can enhance cocoa yield, it may also affect bean quality.

Keywords: Chemical composition; Climate change; Climate smart; Cut test; cocoa yield