Université FHB, UFR des Sciences de la terre et des Ressources Minières (STRM), Laboratoire des Sciences du Sol, de l’Eau, des Géomatériaux, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d’Ivoire
In Côte d'Ivoire, cocoa beans production (2,248,000 tons in 2020/2021) generates huge quantities of pod residues that are abandoned in the cocoa plantations, promoting the spread of diseases, such as brown pod rot. The objective of this study was to assess the availability of shelling residues and to describe the different utilization in cocoa farming. A survey was conducted with 125 producers in four departments of high cocoa production. The results showed that the production of 480.19 kg/ha/year of beans generated 960.40 kg/ha/year of shells. The crushing residues used are the shells (44% of the producers), the rachis (13.6%) and the mucilage juice (100%). The shells are spread under cocoa trees and/or banana trees (22.4%), are composted (8.8%) or used for manufacturing potash (7.2%). The rachis are displayed under the cocoa trees or used in animal nutrition. The juice is sometimes mixed with herbicides to control weeds on farms. This study showed that there is a large quantity of shelling residues available, but the rate of use is still low. Improving valorization practices would contribute to sustainable agricultural production as well as reducing sanitation problems in cocoa farms.