Identification of cocoa species

1. Species and cultivars of
cacao
Presented by:
Rajatiya Jignasa H.
M.Sc.(Horti.) Fruit Science
JAU, Junagadh

2. INTRODUCTION
 Botanical Name: Theobroma
cacao L.
 Family: sterculiaceae
 Origin: South America
 Chromosome No.: 2n=20
 Synonyms : cocoa, chocolate tree
“Cocoa tree is the source of one of the
world's most delicious and familiar
products... chocolate.”

3.  Theobroma comes from ancient Greek word and translates as
‘Food of the Gods’.
 Cocoa plant is a small (4 to 8 m height) evergreen tree. In
india, it is mainly cultivated in karnataka, kerala and
tamilnadu mainly as intercrop with arecanut and coconut.
 Slowly the area under cultivation is being promoted by many
chocolate producing companies as contract farming. In 2008,
india produced approximately 8500 metric tonnes of cocoa.
 The seeds of cocoa contain about 2 per cent of theobromine and 40
to 60 per cent of solid fat. The shells contain about 1 per cent of
theobromine, together with mucilage, etc.

4.  The family of cocoa contains 50 genera and 750 species of trees and
shrubs, mostly tropical. T.cacao is the most important species
producing cocoa. cola spp. are sometimes used for beverage
purposes, but more usually as a masticatory in West Africa.
 Except T. Cacao and T. Bicolor, most of the spp. Have restricted
geographical distribution.About 15 spp. are utilized for their edible
pulp and seeds.
 Sweet pulp around the beans of T. Grandiflorum is used for making
a drink in part of brazil and is also eaten.

5. T. cacao
T. grandiflora

6. Classification of cocoa
 Cheeman (1944) classified the cultivated and wild coacoas
into three groups based on morphological characteristics of
pods, flowers or seeds.

7. 1)Criollo - the rare
 The Criollo tree is native to
Central and South America as
well as the Caribbean islands and
Sri Lanka.
 Only 5% of the world’s
production is Criollo.
Criollos are particularly difficult
to grow, as they are extremely
suceptible to a variety of
environmental threats.

8.  The beans have a white to pale pink colour and their taste is
described as delicate yet complex, low in classic chocolate
flavor, but rich in secondary notes of long duration.
Considered to be the “prince of cocoas,” Criollo is prized as
an ingredient in the very finest of chocolates.

9. 2)Forastero - the versatile
 The most commonly grown cocoa is
Forastero. It is most likely native to the
Amazon basin. Today, Forastero is mainly
grown in Africa, Ecuador and Brazil and
accounts for 80% of the world’s cocoa
supply.
 It is much hardier and less susceptible to
diseases. It has a much higher yield than the
Criollo variety.

10.  Forastero cocoa has purple-coloured beans and is mainly used
to give chocolate its full-bodied flavor. Its bitter taste has a
short duration and is unsupported by secondary flavors, which
is why it is often blended with superior cocoas.
 There are many Forastero subspecies: Amelonado,
Cundeamor and Calabacillo, to name but a few. Amelonado
cocoa is the most extensively planted cocoa of all.

11. 3)Trinitario - the hybrid
 Trinitario is a natural hybrid biological class
resulting from cross-pollination.
 Legend recounts that it first came into existence on
the Island of Trinidad, after a hurricane nearly
completely destroyed the local Criollo crops in
1727. Assuming all the trees were dead, the
plantations were replanted with Forastero, but
spontaneous hybrids appeared.
 Trinitario combines the best of the two other main
varieties: the hardiness and high yield of Forastero
and the refined taste of Criollo.

12.  The quality of the cocoa varies between average and superior. It is
the predominant fine flavor cocoa. Trinitario populations are
usually variable in pod and bean characteristics because the parents
have highly contrasting characters. They can now be found in all
the countries where Criollo cocoa was once grown: Mexico, the
Caribbean islands, Colombia, Venezuela, and in parts of Southeast
Asia.

13. VARIETIES/CULTIVARS
 In cocoa, 321 germplasm
collections including 281 exotic and
40 indigenous clones are being
conserved under Arecanut and
Coconut at CPCRI, Regional
Station, Vittal, Karnataka.

14. 1) NC-45/53 (VTLCC-1)
 Selection from Nigerian clone
 Early, heavy bearer, self and cross
compatible
 Green(immature) to yellow (ripe) color pods
 Pods (no/tree/year)- 75
 Pod weight(g)- 321, beans/pod-37, single
dry bean weight (g) – 1.05
 Average dry bean yield (kg/tree/year)- 2.5
 Yield kg/ha- 911
 Fat content(%)- 52.5
 Shelling % - 12
 Recommended area- areca & coconut
garden of KN, Kerala % TN

15. 2)Vittal Cocoa Selection 1(VTLCS-1)
Precocious, stable and high yielder both
under arecanut and coconut with medium
canopy, withstands biotic and abiotic stress.
Red to Orange pods: 54.5 / tree/ year
No.of beans/ pod: 42
Single dry bean wt: 1.13 g
Shelling: 11%, Fat- 52.1%,
Dry bean yield/ tree/ year: 2.52 kg/tree/year,
1700 kg/ha

16. 3)Vittal Cocoa Selection 2(VTLCS-2)
Early, stable and high yielder both under
arecanut and coconut, have bold and bigger
beans, less incidence of pests and diseases.
Green to Yellow pods: 55 /tree/year
No. of beans/ pod: 42
Single dry bean wt: 1.21 g
Shelling: 15% Fat: 53%
Dry bean yield: 2.7 kg/ tree/ year, 1850
kg/ha

17. 4)Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 1(VTLCH-1)
Vigorous, early and heavy bearer.
Green to yellow pods: 50/tree/year.
No. of beans/pod: 42.
Single dry bean weight: 1.00 g.
Shelling: 13%, Fat content: 53.6%.
Dry bean yield: 1.48 kg/tree/year, 1014
kg/ha.

18. 5)Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 2(VTLCH-2)
Heavy bearer, medium canopy and tolerant to
black pod rot.
Green to yellow pods: 70/tree/year.
No. of beans/pod: 40.
Single dry bean weight: 1.15 g.
Shelling: 11%, Fat content: 54%.
Dry bean yield: 1.15 kg/tree/year, 800 kg/ha.

19. 6)Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 3(VTLCH-3)
Suitable for rainfed & irrigated areca and
coconut gardens of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil
Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Green to yellow pods: 45/tree/year.
No. of beans/pod: 43.
Single dry bean weight: 1.07 g.
Shelling: 13%, Fat content: 52.
Stomatal resistance (s/cm): 2.42.
Dry bean yield: 1.45 kg/tree/year, 993 kg/ha

20. 7)Vittal Cocoa Hybrid 4(VTLCH-4)
Suitable for rainfed & irrigated areca and coconut
gardens of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and
Andhra Pradesh.
Red to orange pods: 40/tree/year.
No. of beans/pod: 43.
Single dry bean weight: 1.01 g.
Shelling: 12%, Fat content: 53%.
Stomatal resistance (s/cm): 2.41.
Dry bean yield: 1.25 kg/tree/year, 856 kg/ha.

21. 8) II-67 x NC-42/94
 Hybrid between Malaysian and Nigerian clone
 Early, heavy bearer, suitable for water limited
conditions
 Red (immature) to pink (ripe) color pods
 Pods (no/tree/year)- 40
 Pod weight (g)- 429.5
 Beans/ pod- 43
 Single dry bean weight (g)- 1.01
 Average dry bean yield(kg/tree/year)- 1.25
 Yield kg/ha- 856
 Shelling % - 12
 Fat content(%)- 45.95
 Recommended for rainfed and irrigated areca,
coconut gardens of KN, Kerala, TN, AP, MH &
Goa

22. Other knowen varieties of cocoa
1. Criollo
(a) RIM 189 (MEX)-Rosario Izapa Mexico)
(b) CAT 201 (ARA)-Cata Aragua State)
(c) ICS 39,40, 45, 47 and 91-Imperial College Selections
2. Forastero
(a) AMAZ2/1,3/2(Amelonado)-Amazonas
(b) APA-4(Amazonica Palmira)
(c) SCA 6, 8, 9, 12(Scavina)-Resistance to Witches’ broom,
SSV, VSDB and Black pod diseases of cocoa.
(d) CCRP 1 to 10(Cadbury-KAU Co-operative Cocoa
Research Project, KAU)

23. 3. Trinitario
(a) C 26, 37 to 49, 52(Cabruca, Brazil)
(b) UF 1, 10, 168, 666, 667(United Fruit Comapany)
(c)ICS 6, 8, 16, 43, 61, 95(Imperial College Selections)