可可间作糯米香茶生态效益研究初报

可可间作糯米香茶能有效改善可可园的生态条件,遮光度为800~8 430 lx时,适宜糯米香茶喜荫生长的特性。间作试验结果表明：可可间作糯米香茶模式的土地当量比大于1.46,说明可可间作糯米香茶具有显著的产量优势;与单作相比,对间作下糯米香茶品质不同部位氨基酸、矿物质成分进行分析,结果糯米香茶的下位叶氨基酸含量最高为13.8 g/hg,2种矿物质Mg、Cu元素含量高低依次为上位叶＞中位叶＞下位叶,分别为27.27、2.81 mg/g;3种矿物质Zn、Fe、Mn在不同部位的含量依次为上位叶＜中位叶＜下位叶,分别为475、16.72、12.5 mg/g。本研究为提高糯米香茶优质原材料的筛选提供了科学的理论数据,同时又充分利用土地资源,有效提高了单位面积的经济效益。     

Assessing the Success of “Cocoa na Chocolate” Musical Intervention in Mobilizing the Youth for Agriculture in Oyo State,Southwestern Nigeria

The study assessed the success of “Cocoa na Chocolate” musical intervention for agricultural mobilization in Oyo State, Nigeria. Responses from 160 randomly selected students on awareness, exposure, retention, perception, and constraints to utilizing its message using structured questionnaires were analyzed. Most respondents (88.8%) had contact with the album, many (55.6%) were aware of its agricultural content, heard it six times, and most (76.1%) retained the contents. More (54.9%) had an unfavorable perception of its mobilization potential, and were constrained to utilize its message by credit facilities (M = 1.0938). Workable agricultural credit schemes are needed to complement future mobilization efforts.     

可可茶无性系品种的生化成分研究

可可茶是我国特有的珍稀野生茶树资源,具有天然不含咖啡碱的特性。本研究以单株选育的无性系品种可可茶1号和可可茶2号为研究对象,运用高效液相色谱法和紫外分光光度法对其蒸青样、绿茶、黄茶、红茶的茶多酚总量、氨基酸总量、黄酮类总量、儿茶素组分、生物碱、茶氨酸及茶黄素、茶红素、茶褐素等成分的含量进行了定性定量分析。结果表明:(1)可可茶1号和2号优势嘌呤生物碱为可可碱,含量分别为3.98%~6.06%和4.21%~6.26%;可可茶鲜叶、绿茶和黄茶的优势儿茶素组分为(-)-gallocatechin gallate(GCG),含量分别为5.26%~14.88%和6.51%~13.58%。(2)在鲜叶和各类成茶中,可可茶的茶多酚总量及氨基酸总量均大于对照品种白毛2号,但是茶氨酸的含量明显低于对照种;可可茶和栽培茶树白毛2号制成红茶后,茶多酚含量均比其蒸青样、绿茶、黄茶低。(3)可可茶嫩梢所含的茶叶生化成分呈季节性变化,氨基酸总量和茶氨酸含量为春季>夏季>秋季,茶多酚、总黄酮、生物碱及主要儿茶素的含量为夏季>春季>秋季。(4)可可茶红茶的茶黄素、茶红素与茶褐素特别是茶褐素远高于白毛2号红茶。     

Effect of fertilizer and endomycorrhizal inoculum on growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) seedlings

Summary A greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate the influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) on growth and nutrient uptake of cocoa seedlings treated with five levels of palm oil mill effluent, in an unsterilized Oxisol and an Ultisol, either with or without addition of the VAM fungus Scutellospora calospora (Nicol. & Gred.) Walker and Sanders. Inoculation with the VAM fungi significantly increased nutrient uptake and plant growth in both soils. The dry matter yield, and the tissue N and K concentration in the plant tops increased significantly with increasing levels of palm oil mill effluent applied to both the Oxisol and the Ultisol. The maximum tissue P concentration, however, was obtained from plants grown in the Ultisol that was given 50.0 g palm oil mill effluent per kg while the maximum P recovery of 26% was obtained from plants given only 16.7 g effluent per kg. Overall, the percentage of P recovery decreased with the addition of increasing levels of palm oil mill effluent. In the Oxisol, the tissue P concentration increased with the addition of increasing levels of palm oil mill effluent, but the maximum recovery of P was recorded from plants given only 0.3 g effluent per kg. The percentage P recovery decreased with subsequent additions of the effluent.     

Nutrient and antinutrient profiles of raw and fermented cocoa beans

Freshly harvested cocoa bean was subjected to natural fermentation for 3, 6, 9 or 12 days. The proximate, mineral, hydrocyanate (HCN), oxalate and theobromine levels in the products were determined and compared with those of raw (unfermented) cocoa. The latter sample had the following composition: protein (N×6.25), 17.5; lipid, 62.9; ash, 4.4; fibre, 5.9; and nitrogen-free extract (NFE), 9.3% dry matter. The effect of fermentation was variable, depending on duration and the nutrient under consideration. At day 3, protein content (17.6) was not different, but at day 6 (19.8) was higher (p<0.01), while days 9 and 12 (14.6 and 15.2, respectively) were lower (p<0.01) in comparison with the raw value. Inorganic P steadily decreased from 201.0 (raw) to 102.0 mg/100 g dry matter (day 12) but only the days 9 and 12 values were significantly different (p<0.05), whereas Ca increased from 29.2 (raw) up to 60.4 mg/100 g dry matter (day 3). The antinutrients, HCN, oxalate, and theobromine decreased with increasing duration of fermentation. The decreases for days 6, 9 and 12 were significant (p<0.05). The results are discussed with regard to optimization of the duration of cocoa fermentation for improved nutrient profile.     

Hydrocyanate,oxalate, phytate,calcium and zinc in selected brands of Nigerian cocoa beverage

Hydrocyanate, oxalate, phytate, calcium and zinc were determined in five brands of cocoa beverage which were coded NC, BT, PN, CT and CA. Hydrocyanate ranged from 5.40 to 9.64 mg/100 g dry matter (DM), oxalate 68 to 146 mg/100 g DM, phytate 590 to 750 mg/100 g DM, calcium 28.7 to 116.4 mg/100 g DM and zinc 0.516 to 0.675 mg/100 g DM. The computed phytate:zinc, calcium:phytate and [calcium] [phytate]/[zinc] molar ratios ranged from 89 to 132, 0.80 to 3.01 and 0.64 to 3.03 respectively. The discussion is focused on toxic levels of hydrocyanate and oxalate, and the significance of the molar ratios in predicting the bioavailability of dietary zinc.     

An evaluation of gains in breeding for resistance to the cocoa swollen shoot virus disease in Ghana

The present study examines the gains in resistance to cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV) infection from investments in breeding over the past seven decades. The general susceptibility to CSSV infection of the West African Amelonado that dominated plantings prior to the start of formal research in 1938 necessitated the introduction of germplasm of Upper Amazon origin to better contain the disease spread. Included in this study are findings of two recent experiments. In the first, the genetic basis for resistance in the clone mvT85, developed from gamma radiation of clone T85/799 and putatively resistant to CSSV disease was investigated. In the second experiment, the comparative levels of resistance in sets of old, current and new cocoa varieties were tested following inoculations with the severe CSSV strain 1A. Absence of nucleotide differences at 29 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci between mvT85 and T85/799, and lack of segregation for resistance in the full-sib and backcross populations derived from mvT85 indicated that mvT85 did not carry novel genes for improving cocoa for CSSV disease resistance. Moreover, there were no differences in resistance to CSSV disease between mvT85 and T85/799. These observations conflict with the previous report that mvT85 is immune to CSSV disease, and distinct from T85/799. Between variety groups, disease severity scores based on three successive leaf flushes after inoculation were not effective in discriminating among them. Disease severity assessed eight months after inoculation was the most important criterion for separating varieties for resistance to CSSV disease. As expected, the older varieties were the most sensitive to infection. No differences were found between current varieties derived exclusively from Upper Amazon clones and new varieties. Contrary to the generally held opinion of a higher level of resistance in existing inter Upper Amazon cultivars, varieties derived from crosses using Catongo, RB 49 and C-SUL 7 (all of Lower Amazon origin) as males with specific Upper Amazon varieties were among the most resistant. A re-appraisal of variety recommendations for areas of mass infection and for less affected areas is advocated.     

Yields of cocoa/kola intercrops in Nigeria

The yields of two intercropped cocoa/kola plots at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, (W8/1 and C3/1), were compared with the yields of monoculture plots (N4/A and W1/2). It was found that 1.75 ha of monoculture plot gave the same crop yield (kg/ha) as 1.00 ha of mixed crop. The cocoa component started fruiting earlier than kola and also continued to yield annuall so there was no crop failure in any year.     

Cross-amplification and characterization of microsatellite loci for three species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theobroma</Emphasis> (Sterculiaceae) from the Brazilian Amazon

This study reports on the cross-species amplification of 23 microsatellite markers previously developed for Theobroma cacao L. (Sterculiaceae), source of chocolate in three economically important Amazonian species of Theobroma (T. grandiflorum, T. subincanum, T. sylvestre). Thirteen of the 23 microsatellite loci tested were polymorphic across the three species at 2–13 alleles per locus. The observed heterozygosity per locus varied from 0.18 to 0.84 and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.28 to 0.87. The high level of transferability and genetic information content of these microsatellite loci indicate their usefulness for population genetic, mating system and breeding studies of these economically important Amazonian fruit trees.     

Protein profiles and organoleptic properties of bread from wheat flour and full-fat or defatted fermented cocoa bean powder

This study has shown that the protein in bread may be quantitatively increased significantly by addition of full-fat or defatted cocoa powder to white flour. The recipe in which white flour is incorporated with up to 10 percent defatted cocoa powder gives bread that is nearly as well accepted as white bread, but with a significantly higher protein content than the latter. However, organoleptic acceptability drops with increasing percentage of cocoa supplementation. The bitter taste of theobromine, which is normally present in high amounts in cocoa bean, is thought to be responsible for this problem of poor acceptability of high cocoa breads. This problem will have to be addressed in order to enhance the scope of increasing bread protein by cocoa supplementation.