Developing a Pest and Disease Management Programme for Cocoa Production in Ondo State

Integrated pest and disease management is critical for sustaining cocoa productivity in Ondo State, where black pod disease, cocoa swollen shoot virus, and capsid bugs cause significant yield losses that could be reduced through structured, professionally designed management programmes coordinated across farmer groups. This study developed an integrated pest and disease management programme for the cocoa sub-sector in Ondo State, South West Nigeria. A programme development methodology was applied, drawing on disease and pest incidence surveys at 50 cocoa farms in Akure South, Idanre, and Owo LGAs, structured interviews with 12 plant protection specialists and four cocoa extension officers, and review of Nigeria Cocoa Research Institute (CRIN) management protocols and comparable ICM programmes from Ghana and Cameroon. Survey results confirmed black pod disease mean incidence of 58 percent, capsid damage incidence of 43 percent, and CSSV incidence of 17 percent, with highest losses in shaded, poorly managed farms. The programme designed encompasses seasonal disease monitoring protocols, optimised fungicide application schedules calibrated to rainfall seasonality, cultural practices for pod sanitisation, biological control options for capsid, and phytosanitation for CSSV roguing. Farmer group coordination and chemical application safety components are included. Expert review by ten cocoa research and crop protection specialists confirmed the programme's scientific soundness. The study recommends piloting through the Ondo State CRIN cocoa cluster programme with outcome evaluation at 24 months.

Keywords: cocoa pest management, black pod disease, CRIN, Ondo State, integrated pest management