Days of fermentation and frequency of removal of cocoa beans (Teobroma cacao L.) in the national genotype and clone ccn-51

Abstract

The ignorance of the farmers of basic techniques in the practice of fermentation and frequency of removal of the cocoa bean (Teobroma cacao L), diminishes the possibility of obtaining a good quality product, in the province of Sucumbíos. The benefit of cocoa is a process that is done in order to improve the quality of the grain, since the demand for quality grains by industrialists added to the ignorance of farmers in beneficial practices raise the need to implement and develop techniques that allow us to obtain a good quality product and that meet the requirements demanded by consumers. The test was carried out at the AAPROCASH collection center in the Shushufindi canton of Sucumbíos province. Its coordinates are 0o 14 ’17.98” South latitude and 76o 38 ’16.72” West longitude, at an altitude of 262 m.a.s.l. (Edufuturo, 2007); in order to: determine the appropriate time for fermentation and the frequency of seed removal of two cocoa genotypes; and, evaluate the quality of the seed. The treatment of clone CCN-51, with seven days of fermentation and removal of 1-2-2-2 (one day in a division box, two days in a division box, two days in a single box division and the last two days in a single division box), reported the best results with the highest weight of 100 seeds.