Cocoa under heat and drought stress

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is an important cash crop in many tropical countries, particularly in West Africa. Heat and drought are both known to affect the physiology of cocoa plants through reduced rates of photosynthesis and transpiration, as well as changed physiological processes such as the fun...

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Main Authors: Mensah, E.O., Vaast, Philippe, Asare, R., Amoatey, C.A., Owusu, K., Asitoakor, B.K., Raebild, A.
Format: Book Chapter
Language:Inglés
Published: Springer 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139776
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author Mensah, E.O.
Vaast, Philippe
Asare, R.
Amoatey, C.A.
Owusu, K.
Asitoakor, B.K.
Raebild, A.
author_browse Amoatey, C.A.
Asare, R.
Asitoakor, B.K.
Mensah, E.O.
Owusu, K.
Raebild, A.
Vaast, Philippe
author_facet Mensah, E.O.
Vaast, Philippe
Asare, R.
Amoatey, C.A.
Owusu, K.
Asitoakor, B.K.
Raebild, A.
author_sort Mensah, E.O.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is an important cash crop in many tropical countries, particularly in West Africa. Heat and drought are both known to affect the physiology of cocoa plants through reduced rates of photosynthesis and transpiration, as well as changed physiological processes such as the functions of photosystems, chlorophyll synthesis, stomatal conductance and expression of heat-shock proteins. This in turn leads to decreased yields and increased risks of mortality under severe heat and drought. To help cocoa plants adapt to climate change, the literature suggests agroforestry as a potential farm management practice. It has been argued that the lack of tree cover in cocoa cultivation systems exposes the crop to heat and direct solar radiation, thus increasing evapotranspiration and the risk of drought. Drawing on data generated from two on-field studies, this chapter assesses the shade effect on cocoa’s physiological responses to drought and heat stress to determine whether shade would be beneficial under climate change scenarios. We conclude that shade improves the physiology of cocoa, but that this may not be sufficient to compensate for the negative effects of high temperatures and severe drought exacerbated by climate change in sub-optimal conditions.
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spelling CGSpace1397762024-09-05T01:09:55Z Cocoa under heat and drought stress Mensah, E.O. Vaast, Philippe Asare, R. Amoatey, C.A. Owusu, K. Asitoakor, B.K. Raebild, A. shade cocoa (plant) heat Stomatal conductance water potential photosynthesis ghana Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is an important cash crop in many tropical countries, particularly in West Africa. Heat and drought are both known to affect the physiology of cocoa plants through reduced rates of photosynthesis and transpiration, as well as changed physiological processes such as the functions of photosystems, chlorophyll synthesis, stomatal conductance and expression of heat-shock proteins. This in turn leads to decreased yields and increased risks of mortality under severe heat and drought. To help cocoa plants adapt to climate change, the literature suggests agroforestry as a potential farm management practice. It has been argued that the lack of tree cover in cocoa cultivation systems exposes the crop to heat and direct solar radiation, thus increasing evapotranspiration and the risk of drought. Drawing on data generated from two on-field studies, this chapter assesses the shade effect on cocoa’s physiological responses to drought and heat stress to determine whether shade would be beneficial under climate change scenarios. We conclude that shade improves the physiology of cocoa, but that this may not be sufficient to compensate for the negative effects of high temperatures and severe drought exacerbated by climate change in sub-optimal conditions. 2024 2024-03-01T09:38:09Z 2024-03-01T09:38:09Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139776 en Open Access application/pdf Springer Mensah, E.O., Vaast, P., Asare, R., Amoatey, C.A., Owusu, K., Asitoakor, B.K. & Ræbild, A. (2024). Cocoa under heat and drought stress. In M.F. Olwig, A.S. Bosselmann and K. Owusu, Agroforestry as climate change adaptation: the case of cocoa farming in Ghana. Cham: Springer, (p. 35-57).
spellingShingle shade
cocoa (plant)
heat
Stomatal conductance
water potential
photosynthesis
ghana
Mensah, E.O.
Vaast, Philippe
Asare, R.
Amoatey, C.A.
Owusu, K.
Asitoakor, B.K.
Raebild, A.
Cocoa under heat and drought stress
title Cocoa under heat and drought stress
title_full Cocoa under heat and drought stress
title_fullStr Cocoa under heat and drought stress
title_full_unstemmed Cocoa under heat and drought stress
title_short Cocoa under heat and drought stress
title_sort cocoa under heat and drought stress
topic shade
cocoa (plant)
heat
Stomatal conductance
water potential
photosynthesis
ghana
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139776
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AT owusuk cocoaunderheatanddroughtstress
AT asitoakorbk cocoaunderheatanddroughtstress
AT raebilda cocoaunderheatanddroughtstress