Would I say it has become the norm or lifestyle of most cash crop producers like cocoa and cashew to inter crop with plantain and other tree crops like cola, sapele, odum, ammre and Ceiba. Obviously, these are all tree crops the their canopies close very early as they grow. The resulting effects are being heavy feeders that draw a lot of plant nutrients, compete with space and prevent light from the sun reaching the cocoa and cashew plants.
These trees become disadvantage to the cash crops during the canopy closure. Meanwhile, the trees would by then hadn't reach the stage where they could be used for logs, beams and other timber works.
So my argument is that why the farmer wouldn't inter crop with early maturing varieties of crops that can be harvested early for some money instead of growing trees that would be removed for no benefit?. Consequently, those trees normally leave some plant parasite like dodder and mistletoes which would live on the host crops and infest with them. Pests keep invading from these trees used as inter crop for cocoa. The use of some recommended insecticides can control them.
But this isn't the only option to for inter cropping. Upon my studies and experience on cropping system, One of the main purpose of inter cropping with the main crop is to support the main or targeted crops withstand some conditions that would be difficult for the ma main crop Incase left alone. Another way is to help control weeds and suppress the excess weeds which might have over grown at the area of targeted crops.
Why condition and nature of soil must be considered?
I visited a certain farm that have been grown with cocoa and cashew as the targeted crops. I wonder why the farmer chose to plant both tree crops. It is likely one crop would over shadow the other, due to competition for space and nutrients.The climatic condition was little humid and was again shocked if that place would be good during the time of pod formation with the issue of black pod fungi disease noted to be associated with humid areas. The soil was slightly clay-loam with swampy area that normally become water logging.
The farmer has planted Colocasia or Elephant ear throughout the farm where he has planted the cocoa and cashew.
Colocasia or elephant leaves grown as inter cropping with cocoa and cashew
Even thought there were plantain grown to support these cocoa and cashew but their are grown at wider intervals to allow the target crops to sprout and grow healthier. In such case, these inter cropping can be harvested at any time when we find that the cocoa and cashew have reached stages of flowering or fruiting. We can also replant some of them when we feel that they are fading out from the farm while the targeted crops haven't reach maturity.
The farm has been well sanitized exposing the Colocasia to good aeration. Those Colocasia prefer place where there is high moisture content. But, the truth is that, the soil with high moist content causes cocoa plant to die early or prematurely.
One of the fruit crops I prefer to be grown as inter cropping with cocoa or cashew is papaya which can be harvested very quickly as possible and would draw much feed as compare to other trees which are heavy feeders.
Papayas do not bear much leaves which can cause havoc for the cocoa or cashew crops. Also some nitrogen fixing plants like cowpea and other creeping plants like water melons gourd can be grown to suppress weeds growth.
Some of them complete their life cycle in one growing season when their fruits are harvested, but to some creeping plants like gourds do not die completely even when some of their fruits are harvested.
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Here in Venezuela, I don't remember exactly the area where they grow cocoa of very good quality, I had heard about the preference or practice of some farmers to plant plants to repel other harmful plants or to avoid or keep at bay some pests, your pictures are beautiful, nature always leaves us in awe.
You are right Buddy! Not all places support the growth of cocoa plant due to special weather conditions that the plant prefer.Thankw for coming round.