Shade counts when
p. 81 · Read in the full issue
you fertilise cocoa
Fertilisers and shade are closely connected in the practical cultivation of cocoa. Whenever the use of fertilisers is discussed the degree of shade must be considered.
SOME shading is necessary for cocoa plantations if planters want to keep their crops healthy and avoid decreases in yields. However, very rich soils, and even poorer soils which receive regular dressings of mineral fertilisers, can produce consistent yields with reductions in shading. c , , , i , Some unshaded plantations which are heavily fertilised can yield crops ° f I T an f^ re bu .‘- shading with or without fertilisers, is beneficial for young trees.
These recommendations are generally applicable but they vary according to local conditions:
Ist year: i lb of NPK mixture per tree; 2nd year: i lb of NPK mixture per tree; 3-4 years: 1 lb of NPK mixture per tree; Thereafter: 2-3 lb of NPK mixture per tree.
Generally the mixed fertilisers used should contain the three main nutrients Nj p and K in equal pro nortinn«t Xrees over six years old require fertilisers depending on their shade— the effect of the fertiliser is relatively slight with intense shading, and large dressings of nitrogen may even cause a reduction in yield.