Objective:
To enhance productivity and quality of Theobroma cacao production in West Africa through effective management of the pests of T. cacao and through the development and introduction of improved, productive varieties resistant to diseases and pests.

Approach:
1) Investigate optimum regimes of chemical and biological control agents for management of cocoa black pod disease (Phytophthora megakarya) in central Cameroon - with a view to economic and environmental sustainability. 2) Evaluate the cacao breeding populations at West African National Agricultural Research Services (NARS) using molecular markers with a view to establishing structured breeding populations, selection trials, and gaining insight into combining abilities of agronomic traits of T. cacao.