Comparison between Farmers’ and Commercial Cocoa Varieties in Cameroon

Abstract

The present paper shows the results from eight on farm progeny cocoa trial plots set up in 2007 and 2008 on fallow and savannah, in four sites of Central Cameroon region. Mortality rate and yield were estimated on commercial cocoa varieties, consisting in progenies issued from pods harvested in bi-clonal seed gardens set up by researchers and managed by extension bodies, as well as on farmers’ varieties, issued from seeds obtained by farmers from pods harvested in their own fields. Despite the high variability observed among the trial plots for the three traits under assessment, it was possible to observe significant differences between some of the assessed varieties. The significantly highest yielding progeny is one of the assessed commercial varieties, issued from the cross IMC 67 x SNK 64. The significantly lowest yielding progeny is the farmers’ traditional amelonado variety (German cocoa). No significant difference was observed between “farmers’ hybrids” and the two other assessed commercial varieties, consisting in the progeny issued from the cross between UPA 143 and SNK 64 and from a mixture of six commercial progenies. The consequences of these data on the selection and release of commercial varieties in Cameroon are discussed.