Influence of timing and frequency of pruning on yield of hybrid cocoa

There were several advantages in carrying out pruning on cocoa. Besides maintaining the shape of the developing tree, pruning also ensured easy access to the trees for spraying and harvesting. It also helped in controlling pests and diseases. Ultimately, higher yields and optimum return from the trees could be expected. To reap all these benefits, it was important to determine, among others, when was the best time or period in the year to carry out this operation. Apart from knowing the appropriate time of pruning, it was also important to determine how frequent should pruning be carried out. This paper reported the results from a pruning trial initiated in 1978 to investigate the effect of pruning on yield of five-year old unpruned cocoa plantings in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, Malaysia. The time and frequency of pruning were considered in this trial. For the conditions at the locality and from yield data, pruning once a year in the middle of the harvest cycle was recommended