Integrated Soil Fertility Management for Small Holder Cocoa Farms: Using Combination of Cocoa Pod Husk Based Compost and Mineral Fertilizers

Abstract

Nutrients are being removed through pod harvest without replacement in the form of fertilizer application leaving the soil impoverished and the nutrients grossly inadequate for optimum cocoa yield. To address this issue, a randomised complete block designed study was carried out to examine the effects of readily available source of organic fertilizer like cocoa pod husks compost combined with mineral fertilizers on the yield of cocoa. The treatments with three replications consisted of Compost (100%), Compost (75%) + NPK (25%), Compost (50%) + NPK (50%), NPK (100%) and Control (no fertilizer). Results indicated that cocoa yield obtained with the compost plus NPK fertilization was significantly higher than with sole compost, NPK applications, and control in all locations. Percentage dry cocoa bean yield gain was 72.4% with the compost plus NPK fertilization, while sole compost or NPK alone was 36.4% compared to the control. Additionally, compost plus NPK fertilization significantly reduced black pod losses compared to sole compost, NPK, or control with percentage loss rate ranging from 9.9 to 13.4%, 21.6 to 23.1, 19.6 to 22.3, 32.2 to 35.5, respectively, in all locations. The use of CPH-based compost plus NPK fertilization has the potential to provide efficient integrated soil fertility restoration scheme that incorporated good agricultural practices and addressed disease management.