Perspective Chapter: Microclimate, Plant Stress and Extension of Cacao Frontiers to Marginal Agroecologies of the Rainforest Tropics

Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is an important cash crop of the rainforest tropics where it is a major foreign exchange earner, industrial raw material, livelihood, and offer ecosystem services. The rainforest of the tropics is noted for high productivity potential for cacao, however, and its development prospects is beset with numerous challenges among which is the threat of climate change which is setting new ecological boundaries. The new regimes of climate are expected to affect the area suitable for agriculture, thus, crop species are bound to grow in areas where they were not previously grown and areas that were hitherto not suitable for their production. Nevertheless, the shifting environment conditions and associated marginal growing environment conditions (weather: (increasing warming and drought) and soil) may offer opportunities for extending crop frontiers beyond its current ecological boundaries. It is therefore necessary to develop strategies for alleviating constraints imposed by changing environmental conditions thus setting the agenda for climate smart adaptable and sustainable production systems. In addition, efforts to unlock the potentials of the new environmental boundaries for crops will benefit from knowledge, technologies and innovations and climate mitigation

Effect of water soluble and water inso luble types of phosphate fertilizer on the growth of coffee seedlings.

A greenhouse study was carried out to evaluate the effects of different sources of phosphorus applied at different rates on coffee (Coffee canephora) seedlings at the headquarters of Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan in 1999 and 2000. This is towards finding a lasting solution to the problem of P-limitation in soil and supply by the coffee growing farmers. Two sources of phosphorus fertilizers: Single super-phosphate (SSP)(water soluble) and Sokoto rock phosphate (SRP) (water insoluble) were applied at rates equivalent to 20 and 40 kg P205 ha-1. Coffee seedlings with SSP applied at 40 kg P205ha-1 was significantly higher (p< 0.05) in height, leaf area and dry matter yield compared to other application rates. The relative agronomic efficiency of SRP applied at 20kg P205ha-1 was significantly higher (

Comparative effect of organic anfd NPK fertilizers on the growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa seedlings

No Abstract. Nigerian Journal of Soil Science Vol. 16 (1) 2006: pp. 121-12