Structural And Functional Characteristics Of Cocoa Agroforestry Systems In Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

Agroforestry is defined as the exploitation of land by the simultaneous or sequential combination of woody trees and crops or animals, with the aim of producing goods or services beneficial to humans. Therefore, in order to characterise the Ivorian cocoa orchard, a survey was carried out in the cocoa orchard of Côte d'Ivoire from 2014 to 2016 in 16 departments representative of the three main cocoa-producing areas. A sample of 474 plantations was surveyed. The aim of the study was to describe the structure and functioning of traditional agroforestry systems in the Ivorian orchard. The results revealed a low-density agroforestry system with an average of 10 to 30 trees/ha. This system does not correspond to any planting scheme. This system is also dominated by forest species. The trees in the orchard are generally residual species, either spontaneous or planted by the growers. Species introduced by growers are most often in the form of seeds and wildings. Several advantages of the presence of trees were mentioned by the producers, but the main one remains the provision of shade for the cocoa trees. However, the main disadvantage is that these trees can be a source of disease and pests for cocoa trees. This study has shed light on the composition, structure and functioning of traditional agroforestry systems in the Ivorian cocoa orchard. All this information will contribute to the creation of efficient modern agroforestry systems for sustainable cocoa production.