I went to a cocoa plantation to look for fruit that was ready to be harvested by picking ripe fruit by cutting the fruit stalk and leaving some of the fruit stalk. The cocoa pods that are picked are 5 to 6 months old from flowering, yellow or red in color and ready to be harvested. The cocoa pods that I have picked then put them in a sack when I get home, then when I get home I store them first or I immediately break the pods to take out the seeds. And the results are processed by drying them in the sun for two or three days then sorting them and selling them.
The place where cocoa plants grow is rainy areas, while the best environment for cocoa plants to live is tropical forests which require shade to avoid full lighting during their growth.
Cocoa land cleaning activities using lawn mowers or weed poisoning, protective plants are maintained from the start in the same way as caring for cocoa plants. Cocoa is also processed, usually done mechanically.
The technique for finding cocoa seeds is to take the fruit from the base of the tree trunk, not from the branches.
The cocoa beans used for seeds are the middle fruit of the plant that is ripe and healthy and quite old, then the flesh of the fruit is cleaned using ash or washed with water until it is clean and immediately germinates.
Apart from using seeds, the best way to cultivate cocoa is to use shoot grafted seeds, because they produce fruit more quickly.
When planting cocoa it is best to take seeds that are 40-70 cm high. Cocoa plants are planted with a spacing of 3 x 3 m, 4 x 2 m and 3.5 x 2.5 m with a hole size of 60 x 60 x 60 cm. The planting distance used is based on the planting material and tree size. Meanwhile, the spacing of protective trees depends on the area used. When planting cocoa plants, use the technique we want because cocoa plants are the easiest to grow.
Cocoa plant maintenance is carried out by pruning, watering, irrigating, fertilizing, as well as controlling pests and diseases to obtain satisfactory cocoa fruit.
Pruning is carried out on protective plants and on cocoa plants. Pruning protective trees is done so that they can function for a long period of time. Meanwhile, pruning cocoa plants is an effort to increase fruit production and maintain the economic life of the plant. By pruning, you will prevent pest and disease attacks, shape the tree canopy, maintain the plant, and encourage fruit production.
Weeding is done to clean and remove weeds that disturb the cocoa plants. Meanwhile, watering is done to help the growth of cocoa plants and maintain moisture in the cocoa soil.
Fertilization is done by digging the soil and then pouring in the fertilizer or by diluting the fertilizer with water, fertilizing using fertilizer rates based on the age of the cocoa plant.
I control pests and diseases on cocoa plants by sanitizing the land, pruning and burning infected plants and using pesticides. Pests and diseases that often attack cocoa plants are caterpillars, horse worms or horse worms.
Cocoa is a plant that is almost extinct because it is attacked by pests. Most farmers in my area who usually grow cocoa are disappointed because they don't get results due to pests and cheap prices. Currently the price of cocoa is very expensive and many farmers are disappointed because their cocoa is damaged. And from now on, farmers are enthusiastic again because production prices are getting better.