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Differential response of cocoa ( T heobroma cacao ) families to field establishment stress
Author(s) -
Padi Francis Kwame,
AduGyamfi Paul,
Akpertey Abraham,
Arthur Alfred,
Ofori Atta
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
plant breeding
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.583
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1439-0523
pISSN - 0179-9541
DOI - 10.1111/pbr.12039
Subject(s) - seedling , biology , germplasm , sowing , cultivar , agriculture , horticulture , clone (java method) , agronomy , genetics , ecology , dna
High seedling mortality during the establishment phase of cocoa has become a critical constraint to sustainable cocoa farming. The objective of this study was to develop varieties with higher seedling survival compared with cultivars currently recommended for planting in denuded regions. Thirty‐seven families composed into two sets of 18 (families from recommended clones) and 19 (families from recently introduced clones) were evaluated for field survival under full sunlight and dry weather conditions. Families differed significantly for vigour (increase in trunk cross‐sectional area, TCSA ) and percentage of survived seedlings by the end of the dry weather conditions. Survival and vigour were significantly correlated in only one set of families. The contribution of general combining ability ( GCA ) to seedling survival was low to moderate. An A melonado clone and clones from the I quitos genetic group had negative GCA estimates for both increase in TCSA and survival. Clones of S cavina origin had the most positive contribution to survival. The key outcome of the study was that cocoa families with higher establishment success can be obtained from the currently available germplasm.