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Conservation
of cacao germplasm in the ICG,T
Each
cacao accession in the ICG,T is represented by up
to 16 closely planted trees. This system is designed
to quickly obtain a closed canopy that, once established,
will withstand periods of low input with minimum
risk to the genetic material. This design has proved
to work well for accessions which are easy to establish
from cuttings, but for those that are difficult
to establish, gaps in the canopy make weed control
a constant problem.
There
is a need for shade management, particularly for newly
planted cacao until it is established. Banana provides
shade during the first few years, after which it is
replaced by Erythrina spp. trees. Existing shade trees,
conserved when the ICG,T was planted, are now old
and are liable to fall and damage the cacao, so need
to be replaced.
There is usually a marked dry season
in Trinidad from January to June. During this period,
irrigation is necessary to ensure the survival of
recently established trees. It is particularly important
to water rooted cuttings that lack the deep tap
roots of seedlings. If accessions have proved difficult
to establish from rooted cuttings, it may be necessary
to conserve them by grafting their budwood onto
rootstocks in a clonal garden. Once established,
cuttings can be taken from this material and rooted
to fill gaps in the ICG,T.
New introductions, difficulties
of establishment, and filling gaps in the ICG,T
mean that field maps and databases need to be continuously
updated. Each tree is given a unique number to accurately
record the source of material for research and other
purposes, so that identified off-types can be recognised.
Project Staff
D. R. Butler
V. Mooleedhar (until August, 2001)
E. Solozano
F. Solomon Jr. (until August, 2007)
B. Latchman
John Joseph
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