Evaluation of adaptation and yield stability of cocoa progenies in marginal conditions: Results from an on farm cocoa trial set up in a forest-savannah transition area in Cameroon
Feumba De Tchoua, Le Blanc | Sounigo, Olivier | Bourgoing, Raymond | Efombagn, Mousseni Ives Bruno | Abolo, Dieudonné | Ambang, Zachée | Cilas, Christian
Cocoa is an important crop in Cameroon, where it is cultivated in different areas, including marginal areas, characterized by a rather low level of annual rainfall and marked dry seasons. In order to release cocoa varieties with a good level of adaptation to these marginal conditions, nine full-sib progenies, already released to farmers in other producing areas of the country, were assessed on twelve on farm cocoa plots, set up in 2006, in Mbam et Inoubou county, which is a forest–savannah transition zone. The traits assessed were mortality rate, yield and yield stability. Mortality rate and yield vary widely among trial plots and among progenies. Four out of the nine assessed progenies present a yield level significantly higher than the five others. The lowest level of yield stability (estimated by the contribution to total ecovalence) was observed in both the highest and the lowest yielding progenies. Recommendation for the large-scale release of these progenies to farmers of the county, and to other cocoa producing forest–savannah transition areas, are made, based on the results obtained from this study.
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