Different agroforestry designs for diversified organic cocoa production – cocoa and by-crop yield development in 11 years of a long-term trial

Summary

Agroforestry systems for cocoa production are commonly promoted for biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as for food security and risk mitigation. Generally, these systems include timber, legume or fruit trees. Sucessional or dynamic agroforestry systems represent a special type of design and management approach, using high densities and diversity of trees and crops occupying different strata and with varying life cycles. Here we present results on absolute and potential yields of 3 organic cocoa production systems entering the mature stage from a long-term trial in Bolivia: A complex successional dynamic agroforestry system (SAFS), a simpler but diversified agroforestry system (AF ORG) and a cocoa monoculture (MONO ORG). Cocoa yields were highest in MONO ORG, followed by the AF ORG, and lowest in SAFS. Total system yields in both types of agroforestry systems (dry matter) were 3.5 to 4 times higher than in monocultures over the 11 years. This was mainly due to banana production in AF ORG and from a multitude of by-crops in SAFS. In mature SAFS peach palm was the by-crop with the highest dry matter production. The results demonstrate how different crops can be associated with cocoa while still reaching elevated cocoa yields. The potential of agroforestry systems to sustainably intensify production on one surface is high and could still be optimised with the use of improved and locally selected varieties of cocoa and fruit trees. Different designs of agroforestry systems can contribute to diversification of diets and incomes of producing families and regions.