CocoaSoils project

In the CocoaSoils project Wageningen works with public and private partners around the world to improve our understanding of cocoa nutrition.

The project started in 2018 and should run at least until 2028. It is funded by NORAD and by a number of private partners, and it aims to improve the efficiency and sustainability of cocoa production by focusing on the Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM). The ISFM approach in CocoaSoils proposes a stepwise intensification of cocoa production, combining improved varieties, canopy management and pest/disease control with targeted fertiliser applications complemented by (re-)use of locally available (organic) nutrient sources and appropriate intercrops/shade trees. To be able to provide good ISFM recommendations for farmers, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the roles of the different nutrients in the cocoa tree, the physiological responses of the cocoa tree to these different nutrients, and the nutrient requirements of the cocoa trees (how much, what type, how and when to apply it).

The experimental component of CocoaSoils consists of 11 long-term nutrient response trials (Core Trials) of at least two hectares, where fertilisers are applied in different quantities and combinations, and responses in yield will be carefully measured. In addition to the Core Trials, around 150 smaller trials (Satellite Trials) have been established in farmers’ fields to test a limited number of fertiliser combinations and see the effects on yield under field conditions. Based on the results from these two types of trials, ISFM recommendations are developed and delivered to the farmers in order to achieve better yields and improve the sustainability of cocoa production.

PhD and MSc students from WUR and from local partner universities collaborate with trial managers and field technicians to do measurements and collect data from the trials. The Plant Production Systems Group, together with the Crop Systems Analysis Group and the Earth Observation and Environmental Informatics group, is responsible for e.g. trial design, protocol development, data collection, data analysis and management, and the supervision of PhD and MSc students. Other project partners include IITA, CIAT, national research institutes, fertiliser producers, and many of the large cocoa processing companies.