Cocoa Root Morphology, Leaf Nutritional Status, and Bean Characteristics under Different Shade Tree Species

Cocoa is known to require shade during its growth phase. This research is a structured comparative field study to evaluate the effect of different shade tree species on cocoa root morphology, leaf nutritional status, and certain bean characteristics (100-bean dry weight and protein content). The study was conducted on cocoa plants under three species of shade plants and one control without shade, such as Albizia chinensis (sengon), Cocos nucifera (coconut), Cassia spectabilis (ramayana), and without shade. In the research field conditions, the planting ratio is that every 1 shade tree shades 1 cocoa plant sample being evaluated. The parameters observed included total root length at various soil depths, cocoa leaf nutrient content (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, B), dry weight of 100 beans, and protein content of cocoa beans. The results showed that shade tree species significantly influenced the total length of cocoa roots at certain soil depths (0–10 cm and 20–30 cm), and significantly influenced the dry weight of 100 beans and protein content. The C. spectabilis shade tree produced the highest dry weight of 100 beans and the highest protein content under the conditions of this study compared to A. chinensis and C. nucifera. Cocoa grown under C. spectabilis exhibited favorable bean and leaf nutrient characteristics under the conditions of this study. However, a full evaluation of causality requires further research using a multi-site design.