Cocoa crop protection: An expert forecast on future progress, research priorities and policy with the help of the Delphi survey

Disease and pest attack on cocoa(Theobroma cacao) causes significant yield losses which are difficult and costly to control. A discussion of the prospects of techniques and strategies in cocoa crop protection for the next 25 years is based on a detailed survey. Combining various traditional techniques (for instance, traditional resistance breeding) with modern tools (for instance, methods of molecular biology) improves prospects for a future reduction of yield losses. A complementary application of various research tools may achieve a significant reduction of yield losses caused by Phytophthora pod rot, vascular streak dieback, witches' broom, and the cocoa pod borer. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.