Information, education and

communication materials series no. 9-2

Writer
MA. NORMA G. MADDALORA
Information Officer II, ATI-RTC 02

Technical Editor/Subject Matter Specialist

ENGR. WILLIAM V. CONTILLO
HVCC Coordinator
DA-CVIARC, Ilagan, Isabela

Graphic Artist
DANICA E. MELEGRITO

Editor
ANTONIETA J. ARCEO
Head, ISD, ATI

Advisers
RENATO MAGUIGAD
Center Director, ATI-RTC 02
ASTERIO P. SALIOT, PhD, MNSA, CESO III
Director, ATI
Importance of choosing a variety:

T he foundation of good crop establishment

is a variety that is adopted to local
conditions, resistant to pest and diseases,
high yielding and preferred in the market.
It is therefore important to choose the
variety to plant to be able to achieve good
yield and profitable cacao enterprise.

Two Major Cacao Varieties:

Forastero (foreign)
Forastero is the
most common cacao
variety. The pod has
smooth appearance,
round tip and square
base, more rounded and
larger in size than Criollo.
The color is purple or dark
red becoming yellowish
between ridges at
maturity. Seeds are large somewhat rounded,
purple or with purple tinges.

It is more resistant to pest and diseases

and adverse condition and more productive
than Criollo.

Average number of pods per tree is 30 or

more.

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Criollo (native) ADAPTATION
Criollo has long, thin
• Cacao grows in wide range of soil
husk and pointed pod
conditions, but the most ideal is a deep (50
with constriction near
cm or more), friable clay loam, with good
the base. Ridges of
internal and external drainage.
pods are commonly
pronounced and sharper
• The most ideal pH is 6.5 although cacao
than Forastero.
can tolerate soil pH ranging from 5.5 to 8.0.
White Criollo become
• Cacao is a tropical plant. It thrives best
yellow when ripe. Red
in an elevation ranging from 300 to 1,200
Criollo change from
meters above sea level.
purple to yellowish
orange when ripe. Criollo has the best aroma
• It needs annual rainfall ranging from 1,250
and flavor.
to 3,000 mm evenly distributed throughout
the year, preferably 1,500 to 2,000 mm with
Average number of pods per tree is 30.
dry season of not more than three months.
Other Varieties • It requires a warm and humid climate
Trinitario similar to tropical forests with a temperature
Trinitario is possibly ranging from 18 to 32 degrees Centigrade.
a hybrid between
Criollo and Forastero • Artificial humidity can be applied by
(Amenalado). It has providing artificial shades with temperature
variable shape and seed ranging from 22 to 32 degrees Centigrade.
character. It is famous
for its hardiness and quality of fruits. It has an • Cacao thrives best in areas under Type IV
average of 30 or more pods per tree. climate.

Brazillian hybrids
This includes crosses
between Upper
Amazon X Amenolado
and Upper Amazon x
Trinitario.
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• Pod length is about 17.97 cm and has Recommended Clones/
width of about 8.67 cm. Varieties
BR 25 ( CC-99-05)
• Pod is red in color while still young and
becomes yellow/orange when mature. • Reddish (red with
green) pod color when
• The podwall is around 1.80 cm thick. still young that turns
yellow as it matures.
• Bean color is violet and a hundred beans • Leaves are elliptical in shape with wavy
weigh about 182 grams. leaf margins.

• It is moderately resistant to insect pests and • Leaf length and width ratio is 11:4:04 cm.
diseases.
• First flowering starts at 16.12 months and
K2 Variety fruiting follows at 17.7 months.
• Leaf shape is elliptical
with smooth leaf • Pod shape is AMELONADO characterized
margins. by an ovoid shape without a prominent
point and with a diameter greater than
• Leaf length is 32.73 50% of the length.
cm with an average
width of 12.52 cm. • It has superficial ridges, and a usually
smooth surface, although they can
be rugose in some cases with a small
• It flowers at 21.10 months and bears fruit bottleneck.
after three months or at 24.12 months.
• Pod index is 23.1 pods per kg of dried
• Pod shape is Amelonado and is red in beans. Pod length is 17.02 cm and has a
color while still young and becomes yellow width of 7.07. The number of beans per pod
or orange when mature. is 27 and violet in color.

• The pod wall is 1.40 cm thick with 34 beans • Resistance to insect pests and diseases is
per pod. moderate.

• Pod length and width ratio is 16.02:9.45 cm

• Pod index is 25 pods/kg of dried beans. Pod color is green when young and turns
yellow when mature with wall thickness of
• It is moderately resistant to most pests and 1.35 cm.
diseases.
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ICS 40 • It flowers at the age of 16.80 months in the
• Leaf shape is stage of first fruiting.
elliptical with
wavy leaf • Pod shape is Cundeamor. Pod length is
margin. 20.07 cm and width is 8.65 cm.

• Leaf length and • Pod is yellow when mature and green

width ratio is when pod is still young with wall thickness of
29.95:10.01 cm. 1.02 cm.

• Starts to flower at the age of 17.63 months • Pod index is 21.69 pods/kg with 45 beans
and fruiting follows at 19.63 months. per pod. Bean is violet in color.

• Pod shape is Cundeamor describe as a • Canopy diameter is 278 cm. Moderately

variety with elongated cylindrical fruit with resistant to insect pests and diseases.
ridges. A rugose surface, pronounced
bottleneck and sharp point. 4. K1 Variety
• It has an
• Pod index is 16.2 pods/kg with 44 beans elliptical leaf
per pod. Canopy diameter is 195 cm. shape with
Bean is striped. smooth leaf
margins.
• Pod length and width ratio is 16.2:9.45 cm.
• Leaf length is
• Moderately resistant to insect pests and 31.31cm with a
diseases. mean width of 13.44cm.

• It flowers at 23.20 months and bears fruit at

3. UIT 1 25.10 months.
• It has elliptical
leaf shape with • Pod shape is Amelonado with a superficial
wavy leaf margin. ridges and a smooth surface.

• Leaf length and • Rugosity also appear in some cases. Pod

width ratio is index is 19.2 pods/kg of dried beans.
22.36:8.13 cm.

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