The properties of soils that affect the growth of cocoa on the Bunisari estate (West Java, Indonesia)
1986
Hardjono, A. (Balai Penelitian Perkebunan Bogor (Indonesia))
Selection of area for the expansion of cocoa plantations should be based on land suitability. In order to create a sound land suitability evaluation for cocoa, an experiment was carried out on the Bunisari estate, West Java, from October 1975 until March 1984. Six types of land belonging to latosols and regosols were selected as the experimental site. Morphological characteristics of soil were observed on soil profiles, and chemical analyses on the soil samples were done annually. Cocoa seedlings originating from clone DR 1 were planted in December 1975 and were budded with clone DR 2 in September 1977. The growth and the leaf nutrient content of cocoa were observed regularly. It was found that the six types of land were suitable for cocoa. Being younger in the soil development, regosols contained a higher amount of bases and had a higher CEC, so that they supported the growth of cocoa better than did latosols. The high clay content of latosols lowered their capability to support the growth of cocoa. The slope of land did not affect its suitability for cocoa, but the steeper the slope the lower was the efficiency in N and K fertilization, and the more hazardous to soil erosion.
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