Cocoa crop diseases

Cocoa pods are affected by frosty pot rot caused by Moniliophthora roreri and black pod disease caused by Phytophthora palmivora.

Black pot rod disease affects the cocoa pods seriously in all countries inducing average losses above 30%.

The attack by disease may result in a direct loss of crops as with Phytophthora pod rod and other pod diseases, or the tree may be debilitated , as with vascular –streak dieback.

In West Africa the best known virus disease of cocoa crops is swollen shoot.

The first recognizable symptoms of the disease are swellings on the branches and twigs and leaves become asymmetrical. Later chlorosis takes the form of blotching or spotting.

Water plays an important role in the spreading of the fungus from one pod to another and in the actual infection of the pod itself. The best known fungal disease also effects cocoa. This is black pod whose severity has been known to be closely related to the intensity of rainfall, particularly in the months of July and August.

To counter diseases it is first necessary to identify the cause, then to assess the damage likely to be caused; possible control measures should be examined.

Some diseases such as the virulent forms of virus are very difficult to control, and the diseased trees have to be cut down but even then it is difficult to eradicate the disease.
Cocoa crop diseases 

About Hot Cocoa

About Hot Cocoa
Hot cocoa is good for your. Sip a steaming mug of hot cocoa and you’ll get more disease fighting antioxidants per cup than a similar serving of red wine or tea, report the researcher.

Cocoa’s antioxidants are almost two times stronger than red wine, two to three times stronger than green tea and four to five times stronger than black tea.

Antioxidants, vitamin C and E and beta carotene are widely believed to fight cancer, heart disease and aging. They may even help slave off the memory robbing Alzheimer’s disease.

The study is the most extensive comparison yet of the total antioxidant content of coca, wine and tea, arguably the world’s most popular drinks after water.

There’s just one problem with all this: scientists know antioxidants are essential for our good heath and longevity but thy don’t yet know how much we need everyday.

If you want to get antioxidant dose from something sweet, there is nothing better than hot cocoa, And the key word here is “hot.”

There is a saying that hot is better than cold. For some reason, when cocoa is heated, more antioxidants are released than when it’s cold.
About Hot Cocoa