Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Peasant Cocoa Farms Evaluated: The Case of Two Agro-Ecological Cocoa Growing Districts in Ghana

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is an important cash crop for small-scale farmers, which affects livelihoods in more than fifty countries, including Ghana. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of various fertilizers [poultry manure (988.42 kg ha−1), Cocofeed (370.66 kg ha−1), Vitazyme (1482.63 mls ha−1), Sidalco (296.53 mls ha−1), and a control with no fertilizer] on yield attributes, quality of cocoa beans, and soil chemical properties. The study conducted from April to November 2022 using a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications, the results uncovered that the use of Vitazyme produced the highest total number of cocoa pods per plot (2662 and 3087), pod weight (113.60 kg and 131.73 kg), total number of pods per tree (24.33 and 28.00), and total beans per pod (35.33 and 36.00) in Techiman and Adabokrom, respectively. Soil chemical properties improved notably, with Cocofeed enhancing soil pH (7.26 and 6.86) in both locations. Sidalco treatment resulted in the highest total soil nitrogen (0.32 and 0.34%) and Vitazyme produced the highest total available phosphorus (25.07 and 25.29 mg kg−1). The control plots exhibited the highest percentages of defects in cocoa beans (6.30 and 6.00%) and all other defects (4.30 and 4.33%). In effect, the application of Vitazyme markedly improved yield parameters, while the control treatment reflected the highest cocoa bean purity. Soil chemical properties were notably influenced by Cocofeed, Sidalco, and Vitazyme across both experimental sites.