Why Your Farm Visit Time Directly Affects Disease Control
✅ Why Dew Is a Hidden Problem
In cocoa plantations, dew forms overnight when warm, humid air cools and condenses on leaves, pods, stems, and the ground.
By dawn, most cocoa trees are dripping wet—even without rain.
This morning moisture:
Creates ideal conditions for fungal spores to germinate and spread.
Acts as a vehicle carrying black pod spores from infected pods or soil to healthy parts of the tree.
How Exactly Dew Spreads Black Pod Disease
1. Spore Splashing and Flow
Dew collects and drips down from branches and leaves.
As it flows, it can carry fungal spores from infected pods or bark onto healthy pods below.
2. Surface Moisture Activation
Black pod spores lying dormant on tree surfaces become active once dew wets them.
Dew keeps cocoa pods wet for several hours in the morning—this extended wetness allows fungal spores to germinate, infect, and penetrate the pod skin.
3. Fungal Spore Dispersal by Touch
Farmers walking through the wet plantation during early morning can unknowingly:
Touch infected plants and healthy ones back-to-back with moist hands or tools.
Carry infected water droplets on clothes, boots, or tools from one part of the farm to another.
4. Ants, Insects & Small Animals
Early morning is also when many small animals and ants move around more actively.
As they crawl over dew-laden surfaces, they can pick up and transfer black pod spores between pods.
Best Practice From Field Experience
Avoid harvesting, pruning, or heavy movement in the farm before 9:30–10:00 AM, especially during rainy or humid seasons.
Wait until the sun has evaporated most of the dew before starting field operations.
If you must enter early:
Limit movement and contact with pods.
Use sanitized tools and wear protective clothing.
Do not carry cut pods through wet plantations.
✅ Additional Risks With Dew and Spraying
Many farmers make the mistake of spraying fungicides early in the morning when dew is still present.
This is ineffective because:
Fungicides mix with dew and run off the pod surface before they can stick.
Dew dilutes chemical concentration, reducing its protective effect.
Correct spraying time:
After dew dries but before intense heat (usually between 10 AM and 2 PM).
Disease Prevention Measures (Dew-Related):
Early Morning Monitoring—But No Touching
You can observe fields early but delay physical work until after dew dries.
Good Canopy Management
Prune trees to allow air flow and quicker drying of dew.
Reduce excess shade from non-productive trees to lower moisture levels.
Drainage Management
Improve soil drainage to prevent excess humidity near pods and trunks.
Timely Fungicide Use
Apply preventive sprays before infection periods—never as a “rescue” after dew-driven outbreaks.
✅ Pro Farmer’s Final Advice:
"Dew is not just water—it’s a silent carrier of diseases in cocoa farms."
It’s not just about what you spray—but when you walk and work in the farm that makes the difference between profit and loss.
Post a Comment