CANR researchers identify best cocoa variety for higher yields in Ghana

A new study conducted at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) has identified low-shade cocoa systems and improved hybrid varieties as key factors for increasing cocoa productivity in Ghana.

Published in Ecological Frontiers, the research examined how different cocoa varieties respond to varying shade conditions in farmers’ fields.

The study was carried out in the moist semi-deciduous and dry semi-deciduous ecological zones in the Adansi North District and Offinso Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

Researchers evaluated three cocoa varieties, Amazon, Hybrid A and Hybrid B under two shade systems: no shade and medium shade.

The team monitored soil water content, microclimatic conditions, cocoa pod production and dry bean yield during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 growing seasons.

Findings from the study showed that medium-shade farms retained more soil moisture than no-shade farms.

However, cocoa trees grown under no-shade systems produced more pods and higher dry bean yields across both ecological zones.

Among the varieties tested, Hybrid B recorded the best performance. It produced 34.4 pods per tree annually in the first year, compared to 29.9 for Hybrid A and 27.8 for Amazon.

Hybrid B also achieved the highest dry bean yields. Hybrid A followed with yields of 725 and 661 kg ha−1 year−1, while Amazon recorded the lowest yields in both years.

Researchers further observed that pod wilt and disease incidence were higher in medium-shade systems than in no-shade systems.

The study also found that increased solar radiation positively influenced cocoa yield, while excessive rainfall increased disease occurrence.

Researchers, including Prof. Victor Rex Barnes, Prof. Olivia Agbenyega and Dr.  John Afele Tennyson from CANR, recommended that Ghana Cocoa Board incorporate the findings into rehabilitation and climate-smart cocoa programmes.

They noted that combining adaptive shade management with disease-tolerant and high-yielding hybrid varieties could improve cocoa productivity, strengthen ecological stability and enhance resilience in cocoa farming systems.