Preserving the rainforest
A cacao field with the old Atlantic rainforest preserved as shade trees
The staff working at the farm
Our former worker, Seu Claudionor (right) and our day worker Walmir (left), whom we use when weeding or harvesting.
The disease, Witches' broom disease
The fungus causes a disorder in the physiology of the tree and a broom is formed. This broom wilts away and mushrooms are formed, producing inoculum to infect new susceptible material
The disease, Witches' broom disease
The fungus infects fruits and cause them to ripen prematurely, resulting in smaller - or no - beans
The disease, Witches' broom disease
Fruits may only become infected during a certain period of their lifecycle - if the inoculum pressure is low during the early fruit-setting, few fruits are infected while if its high, many fruits become infected.
Avoiding the disease
Seu Claudionor is grafting a new, more resistant cacao variety onto new shoots of the old susceptible variety
A successful grafting
When the grafting is successful, the plastic bag is removed - this grafting is one month old
Still harvesting from grafted trees
It is still possible to harvest cacao fruits from grafted tress , but to get a well-established new tree it is necessary to cut down the old tree
The mother trees have been cut
Here the old trees have been cut and the grafting with the resistant material is growing into trees
The grafting is turning into a tree
This grafting is approximately 4 months old
Grafting initiating fruit setting
This grafting is approximately 6 months old
Grafting with nice fruit setting
This grafting is approximately 12 months old - note the high number of fruits!
A cacao nursery
Alan inspecting a newly established nursery.
A cacao nursery
A new set of cacao seedlings have been planted in the nursery
Clean and organised
The trees have been grafted and the field weeded
Other crops
The area in front of the house with coconuts, pitanga and guava
Other crops
A young coconut palm that has not yet started producing fruits
Other crops
The old coconut palms - on the farm we have a mixture of giant coconut palms and the so-called dwarf-coconut palms
Other crops
Orange tree with nice fruit setting
Other crops
Valley of Papaya trees