Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 13/03/20251. Agroforestry - including dynamic agroforestry. Some countries (e.g. parts of Brazil) have long traditions of shade-grown cocoa under either natural forest canopy or alongside native or economically-useful shade trees (fruit, medicines, timber, firewood, etc.). 010 1
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/03/20256. Deforestation If cocoa farms become less productive and are not supporting the cocoa farmers' livelihoods, there is a risk that farms will expand - possibly into natural forest areas. New EU directives seek to reduce this, but implementing them can be […] [Original post on sciencemastodon.com] 100 1
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/03/20255. Pollination It's common for fewer than 5% of flowers on a cocoa tree to be pollinated under normal conditions. We still have big gaps in our understanding of cocoa pollinators & their needs. They may be threatened by drought, overuse of pesticides, & loss of breeding habitats. 100 1
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/03/20254. Drought Among all the cocoa experts we talked to in Brazil & West Africa, climate change was mentioned often, & especially how it affects rainfall patterns. This can mean: dry seasons are longer/more intense, wet seasons come early, late or erratically, & continue for longer, or end too soon. 100 1
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/03/20253. Black pod. Black pod disease is caused by an oomycete (a bit like a fungus). In severe cases, whole crops & trees are lost. Infected pods turn black & can't be used. Risk factors include rotting plant material (e.g. old pods) harbouring spores, and high humidity on farms. 100 1
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/03/20252. CSSVD Cacao swollen shoot virus disease: a major problem in West Africa. Transmitted by mealybugs (small insects, feeding on tree sap), which are moved around by ants. Ants protect mealybugs in exchange for drinking the honeydew they secrete. This means ants fight off predators of mealybugs! 100 1
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/03/20251. Illegal mining (galamsey). HUGE issue in Ghana. Either a mining business turns up and offers to buy a farmer's land...or worse, just moves in nearby and starts digging. For a farmer having a bad year, the prospect of selling up for quick cash can be tempting...but what about next year? 100 1
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 03/01/2025Are you interested in research/innovation to solve challenges in sustainable cocoa in Brazil, Ghana or Nigeria? We are holding two free online workshops to prepare for future funding calls around climate-smart multilateral cocoa collaborations. 15th […] [Original post on sciencemastodon.com] 101 1
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 30/12/2024We got wonderful sunshine for the Kent Field Club #NewYearPlantHunt at Milton Creek Country Park and surrounds. Some cheery little flowers, a queen bumblebee (not photographed), a few dung flies using Apiaceae, some birds enjoying the estuary, some fun […] [Original post on sciencemastodon.com] 150 5
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/12/2024Nearly ready to start... At Choco-Tec. Looking forward to 3 days of learning about latest advances and perspectives in the #cocoa industry. 000 0
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 03/12/2024Do you work in any area of cocoa? We are seeking opinions on research priorities and challenges in the cocoa sector, especially production and processing. Please complete our form (5-10 min) to share your opinions/priorities […] [Original post on sciencemastodon.com] 102 2
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/11/2024Some offerings for #WildflowerHour : a hemlock Conium maculatum in the middle of a field being frothy and cheerful, and a Solanum nigrum covered in little white "stars" - they seem to have come up all along the edges of some of the local arable fields this autumn. 0102 10
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 06/11/2024Grateful to be mostly offline this morning, attending the #NationalFruitShow, a useful trade fair for UK fruit growers, industry, producer organisations, researchers, etc. The fruit show element itself is a good chance to see the "best of" different […] [Original post on sciencemastodon.com] 100 1
Sarah Arnold @sejarnold.sciencemastodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 27/10/2024Musk stork's bill Erodium moschatum for #WildFlowerHour, as it was still managing a few hopeful flowers before the contractors mowed them off again. It's become ubiquitous on grass verges in the village and I rather like it. 010 1