Preparing to plant permanent shade trees: To improve farmers’ skills on preparing seedlings for transplanting; To demonstrate a pattern for planting tree seedlings in cocoa fields.
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Two weeks before transplanting seedlings on the farm, the extension agent should visit the nursery.
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For seedlings at nursery, remove the shade cover and expose them to sunlight.
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Reduce watering to half the watering regime.
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Check for roots of seedlings which have protruded out of the polypots and cut them off with a knife.
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Engagements on lining and pegging on the farm should be done in march.
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Clear weeds and other obstacles that may hinder free movement.
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Erect a wooden peg at a located reference point.
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Create a horizontal baseline, by tying a rope to the peg at the reference point.
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Stretch the rope along the planting direction.
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Along the rope, erect pegs at intervals of 12m using a tape measure.
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With the baseline in place, create a triangular pattern, by tying one 12m rope (rope A) to the reference peg (peg 1)
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Tie a second 12m rope (rope B) to a second peg on the baseline.
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Ask for people to hold each end of the two ropes and stretch them diagonally to their 12m limits until they meet right in the middle of the peg 1 and peg 2.
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Place a peg at this point to complete the first triangular pattern.
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Still moving in the direction of planting, remove rope A from peg 1 and place it at peg 3.
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Here, tie the rope to the peg and ask the farmer at the other end to stretch it diagonally, while the farmer who is holding the other end of rope B stretches his until the two farmers meet at a point between pegs 2 and 3 to create the second triangle.
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Remove rope B and place it at peg 4 and repeat the whole process until 27 pegs are staked, corresponding to the different trees that the farmer owner has chosen to plant.
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Make holes at all the pegs in which intended tree seedlings will be planted.
Selecting and promoting trees that are already growing in cocoa farm: to improve farmers’ knowledge of natural non-cocoa tree regeneration regime in cocoa fields; To select desirable tree species for cocoa farms.
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This component focuses on natural regeneration.
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Identify saplings and wildlings of tree species desirable for growing with cocoa within the farm and carefully uproot them.
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Eliminate those saplings and seedlings with undesirable characteristics (refer to the database on tree species and the desirable characteristics).
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Stretch the rope along the planting direction.
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Along the rope, erect pegs at intervals of 12m using a tape measure.
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With the baseline in place, create a triangular pattern, by tying one 12m rope (rope A) to the reference peg (peg 1).
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Tie a second 12m rope (rope B) to a second peg on the baseline.
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Ask for people to hold each end of the two ropes and stretch them diagonally to their 12m limits until they meet right in the middle of the peg 1 and peg 2.
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Place a peg at this point to complete the first triangular pattern
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Still moving in the direction of planting, remove rope A from peg 1 and place it at peg 3.
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Here, tie the rope to the peg and ask the farmer at the other end to stretch it diagonally, while the farmer who is holding the other end of rope B stretches his until the two farmers meet at a point between pegs 2 and 3 to create the second triangle.
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Remove rope B and place it at peg 4 and repeat the whole process until 27 pegs are staked, corresponding to the different trees that the farmer owner has chosen to plant.
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Make holes at all the pegs in which intended tree seedlings will be planted.
Lining, pegging and digging holes for planting cassava (temporary shade): To improve farmers’ skills in planting non-cocoa trees in cocoa fields. This activity should be carried out at the beginning of the rainy season.
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At the reference peg, stretch your rope to 2 meters, perpendicular to the base line.
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Stretch the rope along the planting direction.
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Along the rope, erect pegs at intervals of 2m using a tape measure.
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With the baseline in place, create a triangular pattern, by tying one 2m rope (rope A) to the reference peg (peg 1).
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Tie a second 2m rope (rope B) to a second peg on the baseline.
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Ask for people to hold each end of the two ropes and stretch them diagonally to their 2m limits until they meet right in the middle of the peg 1 and peg 2.
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Place a peg at this point to complete the first triangular pattern.
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Still moving in the direction of planting, remove rope A from peg 1 and place it at peg 3
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Here, tie the rope to the peg and ask the farmer at the other end to stretch it diagonally, while the farmer who is holding the other end of rope B stretches his until the two farmers meet at a point between pegs 2 and 3 to create the second triangle.
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Remove rope B and place it at peg 4 and repeat the whole process until 27 pegs are staked, corresponding to the different trees that the farmer owner has chosen to plant.
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Make holes at all the pegs in which intended tree seedlings will be planted.
Planting other crops (maize, groundnut, vegetables)
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Plant maize, groundnut and vegetables in the spaces between the trees and cassava
Lining, pegging and digging holes for cocoa:
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Lining and pegging process.
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Digging planting holes activities.
Lining, pegging and digging holes for planting plantain (temporary shade): To improve farmers’ skills in planting non-cocoa trees in cocoa fields. This activity should be carried out at the beginning of the rainy season.
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At 40 cm interval from the location of the cocoa tree, following east – west direction, dig a hole.
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Repeat this for all planting locations for cocoa.
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Each cocoa tree will have one plantain sucker.
Planting cocoa
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Two weeks before transplanting seedlings on the farm, the extension agent should visit the nursery.
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For seedlings at nursery, remove the shade cover and expose them to sunlight.
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Reduce watering to half the watering regime.
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Check for roots of seedlings which have protruded out of the polypots and cut them off with a knife.
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Engagements on lining and pegging on the farm should be done in march.
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Clear weeds and other obstacles that may hinder free movement.
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Erect a wooden peg at a located reference point.
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Create a horizontal baseline, by tying a rope to the peg at the reference point
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Stretch the rope along the planting direction.
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Along the rope, erect pegs at intervals of 3m using a tape measure
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At the last peg on the baseline, use the tape measure to create a right angle triangle of 3m by 4m by 5m.
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At the 3m interval between the baseline and the new line (line 2), draw a rope
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Erect pegs at 3m intervals on line 2.
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Repeat the procedure till the farm area is covered.
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Dig holes (holes should be 50 cm deep and 50 cm wide) at the location of the pillars (ensure to place the topsoil at one side and the top soil at the other side.
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Transplant cocoa seedlings into the holes.
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Use the topsoil to fill the hole first, after transplanting, then the subsoil.
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Firm up the soil.
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Repeat this procedure till all holes have been transplanted with cocoa seedlings.
