question about cacao trees

[buddyguygreen]

If you have a few different cacao varieties (ex.criollo, forastero, Trinitario,angustifolium) all planted around each other at appropriate distance would they cross pollinate or change the quality so that the seeds of a criollo next to a forastero will be a hybrid between both when you sprout the new criollo seeds or will they stay original to the mother tree. I just dont want hybridization to go on.

[gunnar429]

Do you plan on selling seeds in the future?  Otherwise, I am not sure why it would matter.

[buddyguygreen]

possibly. Most importantly since the criollo cacao tree is almost extinct I definitely would like to make sure I have a pure unaltered Criollo trees. also they have the highest kirlian rating by a large amount of any other cacao.

[gunnar429]

You could always just graft BW from your pure criollo onto the seeds for rootstock

[buddyguygreen]

yea that can be done but i would still prefer the true seed grown unaltered ungrafted just pure Criollo. Im just wondering if the cross pollinating alteration is possible within the theobroma family

[cos]

Tropical Agriculture Research Station (TARS) has done much research on this.
Apparently some clones are self sterile. 

[Finca La Isla]

I think that unintentional cross pollination is certainly possible. 
Peter

[buddyguygreen]

Thank you, I was thinking the same. Will only grow criollo then to insure absolute purity of this endangered cacao tree.

[fruitlovers]

Thank you, I was thinking the same. Will only grow criollo then to insure absolute purity of this endangered cacao tree.

What you need to find out is the necessary isolation distance to insure lack of cross pollination. I don't know but it's probably in the literature if you google it.

[cos]

there is info on pollination of cacao & work done in  @ TARS [ part of USDA in Puerto Rico]

[buddyguygreen]

After searching many sources this just sums it up

"Cocoa trees cross-pollinate freely. In the Western Hemisphere, there are few plantations that have just one species of cocoa because these trees cross-pollinate naturally. Even within a single tree you may find the characteristics of several varieties. Uniformity exists only when plantations were developed using the rooted branch cuttings of a single mother tree".

Now as to how far it can be cross pollinated I cant find out but most likely it would be as far as an average midge flies. So however far a midge flies is how far it will cross pollinate.

It still makes me wonder if the cupuassu(Theobroma Grandiflorum) could also be cross pollinated with criollo. I guess it would take first hand experience to actually know for sure so TO BE CONCLUDED.

[fruitlovers]

After searching many sources this just sums it up

"Cocoa trees cross-pollinate freely. In the Western Hemisphere, there are few plantations that have just one species of cocoa because these trees cross-pollinate naturally. Even within a single tree you may find the characteristics of several varieties. Uniformity exists only when plantations were developed using the rooted branch cuttings of a single mother tree".

Now as to how far it can be cross pollinated I cant find out but most likely it would be as far as an average midge flies. So however far a midge flies is how far it will cross pollinate.

It still makes me wonder if the cupuassu(Theobroma Grandiflorum) could also be cross pollinated with criollo. I guess it would take first hand experience to actually know for sure so TO BE CONCLUDED.

Cupuacu is a different species than cacao. Inter species crossing is much more unlikely than crossing within the same species.

[buddyguygreen]

Definitely makes sense, Thank you for concluding that. So I'll just stick with the criollo, cupuacu and Mocambo and if I happen to get a cross of any of those it might actually be pretty cool but I doubt it.