Cocoa fruit demand by the public. In the cultivation of cocoa breeding process can be done in two ways: generative and vegetative. For most farmers cultivation generative way more practical and efficient assessed following will discuss how generative cocoa nursery.
Generative propagation is a technique to multiply plants from seed. While the vegetative propagation nurseries typically use techniques cuttings, grafting, grafting or tissue culture. There are some advantages and disadvantages compared to vegetative propagation generative.
Generative breeding process more practical because the seeds can be stored for long periods, a more flexible delivery of seed and plant stands firmly as it has roots tunjang. However, with this technique the properties of the plant is not necessarily uniform and may be different from the parent plant.
There are several steps that need to be done in cocoa breeding using generative propagation techniques. These stages include the preparation of the seed crop, cocoa nursery preparation, seeding, planting media preparation, removal and maintenance of seed germination.
Preparation of planting materials
In the breeding process penyipan process of planting material to be one of the very important process. Since the planting material is the core of this activity.
In the provision of planting materials of production gardens, the parent plant to be used as a seed source must meet the requirements, among others, the condition of the plants healthy and strong, has high productivity, and aged between 12-18 years.
Furthermore, from the parent plant taken perfectly ripe fruit. Ripe fruit is characterized by changes in color to yellow to green or fruit skin becomes orange to red fruit skin.
The fruits are then broken down and its nut. Seeds are used as seed lies in the middle of the shaft or fruit. In the fruit is generally only used 20-25 seeds alone.
The seeds are then cleared of mucus (pulp) attached. Simply mix the sawdust or ashes on the slimy seeds. Then knead by hand. After the beans are washed using water to then aerated to dry for 1 day. After drying the seeds ready to germinate.
Preparation of cocoa nurseries
The next step is to prepare a place for breeding dalah the cocoa. There are no special requirements for cocoa nursery in place as long as there was no interference can hinder the growth of cocoa.
Nursery beds are made with a width of 1.2 meters and a maximum length of 10 meters to the north-south longitudinal direction. Soil for seedbed is then cleaned of weeds and the remains of the roots. Soil dug as deep as 30 cm for later digemburkan, crushed, and flattened.
Add sand about two inches on the ground surface is even. The use of sand intended to root sprouts cocoa more easily removed once the transfer to polybags. So that the sand is not a landslide, the edges of beds should be given in the form of a retaining wall wooden planks, bamboo, or brick.
Beds equipped with menghidarkan shade for seedlings from the hot sun or rain water droplets directly. Shade made of palm leaves, sugar cane leaves, or leaves of woven reeds. Shade is made with high pole east of 1.5 meters and 1.2 meters in the west.
seeding
The next step that needs to be done is to prepare the seeding process. In this process we have to be careful because this is a process that determines the growth of a seed. The seeds will be sown cocoa soaked in 2.5% formalin solution for 10 minutes so that the fungus does not grow.
The seeds were then placed on a layer of sand with the position of the flat face down. Seed is pressed into a layer of sand so that approximately one third of the seed buried in the sand media. Seeds sown in rows with a spacing of 2.5 x 5 cm.
Once finished sowing seed, seedbed and then doused with water and then covered with leaves dried reeds that have been dipped in fungicide solution. Seedling seed for and watered every afternoon and after 4-5 days in the nursery, cocoa seeds will begin to germinate and should be immediately transferred to the nursery polybags.
Preparation of planting medium
Next prepare poly bag or jar can use the former to move seeds that have germinated. Polybags used is polybags measuring 20 cm x 30 cm with a thickness of 0.08 mm. This polybag then filled with planting medium soil mixture of top soil, manure, and sand that has been sifted with a ratio of 2: 1: 1. Charging growing media made up to 1-2 cm from the edge of the upper limit of polybags.
Polybag-polybags already filled the planting medium and then placed under the auspices of the already prepared. Polybag nursery shade similar to the shade of the nursery. Polybag prepared equilateral triangular pattern with a spacing of 60 x 60 x 60 cm. Polybags which are arranged neatly and then quenched in water until saturated.
displacement sprouts
Furthermore, after consuming four to five days in the nursery, the seeds of cacao has begun to germinate. These seeds should be immediately transferred to polybags are already prepared. In this activity, the selection of the sprouts should be done to get quality seeds. Sprouts-sprouts crooked roots, slow growth, and sprouts that have grown more than 14 days must be separated.
Displacement sprouts done carefully so as not breaking taproot. Intake sprouts performed using bamboo Solet assistance. Sprouts have been taken then planted in polybags planting medium in perforated deep index finger. Taproot sprouts cultivated as much as possible in order to be able to stand up straight in the hole. Furthermore, the hole was closed to the media and then left to be able to adapt to the new environment.
nursery
The next step is very important is that prses nursery grown seedlings can achieve perfect.
Watering is absolutely necessary so that the seeds do not suffer from drought. During the dry season, watering is done 2 times a day in the morning and afternoon, while the rainy season watering adapted to the circumstances of growing media in polybags.
Fertilization of the cocoa seedlings done every 14 days for up to 3 months old seedlings. Fertilization is done with urea that has been dissolved in water. Urea fertilizer solution made with a concentration of 1%, this means that in 1 liter of solution contained urea by 10 gram.Setiap seedlings watered fertilizer solution to 100 ml. After watering fertilizer, seeds need to be watered again using clean water so that a solution of urea which attaches to the whole plant.
Pest and disease control in cocoa breeding is done depends on the condition of the attack. If pests and diseases such as mealybugs, Aphis, ladybird, or decay fungi attacking weeds, control can be performed with the appropriate dose of insecticide applications.
After 3 months, cocoa seed has to have a minimum of 18-24 leaves, stem diameter of about 8 mm, and height of 50-60 cm. These seedlings are ready for planting in the field or can also be grafted and spliced to improve the quality of cocoa seedlings produced.
