Local farmer successful with budding methods

SOME cocoa budding methods have proven to be successful by a local cocoa farmer in Kavieng, New Ireland.
Emmanuel Tamme, ward 5 member of Kavieng Urban local level government (LLG), is improvising knowledge and skills acquired from Cocoa Coconut Institute (CCI) training.
Tamme went a step further by improvising his budding technique using cling film (Glad Wrap) as budding tape instead of the tape which cost K245 and a self-grinded knife instead of a K254 budding knife.
In this technique, a bud is cut from a tree and placed under a flap of bark on a new growth branch that buds off from an old stump of a recently cut old cocoa tree.
The budding patch is then bound with the cling film instead of the raffia, waxed tape of clear plastic to prevent moisture loss.
Marcotting or air layering, was also utilised by Tamme.
In this method, the induction of root development is usually done by wounding the part of the plant to be rooted.
Some experts in the field doubt this method but it has proven successful so far.
Tamme said it was very economical for farmers to venture into this cost effective methods that guarantees a higher yield.
He started off with 12 hectares of cocoa in the late 1970s and has seen the highs and lows of the product.
Tamme said he had proven that the budding method takes less time to reach the yielding stage and gives a greater yield.