Cover Crops and Soil Health for Cocoa in West Africa
Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana are the two largest cocoa-producing countries (ICCO). In young and replanted cocoa the ground between the trees stays open for years, and a legume cover can protect that soil and add nitrogen. Climbing legumes also compete with young cocoa, so the choice of species and the way the cover is managed matter. This page sets out what the research shows and how buyers in West Africa order from Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia by quotation.
Quotation by country: Ghana | Côte d'Ivoire | Nigeria | Cameroon
At a glance
- Where a cover fits: establishment and replanting, while the cocoa canopy is open.
- Main caution: keep climbing legumes away from young cocoa trees; one trial found a cover legume restricted young cocoa growth.
- Species: CM and PJ in open young cocoa, CP and CC as shade increases.
- Supply: by quotation from Malaysia; the importer arranges permits in the destination country.
What the research shows
Competition with young cocoa
In a field trial on young cocoa by the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute, Calopogonium caeruleum grown as a ground cover tended to restrict cocoa growth compared with the low-growing Arachis pintoi (Baon and Pudjiono 2006). In practice, keep a clear circle around each young tree, do not let a climbing legume reach the stems, and cut the cover back when it spreads into the rows.
Soil recovery at replanting
At two replanting sites in Côte d'Ivoire with contrasting soils (an Arenosol and a Ferralsol), keeping logging residues and sowing a legume in the inter-row sped up the recovery of soil functions after clear-cutting of rubber; the legume cover mainly improved the recovery of carbon transformation (Perron et al. 2022).
Erosion on bare ground between young trees
In a young rubber plantation where runoff was measured for three years on 1 m2 plots, sowing a Pueraria phaseoloides cover in the inter-row reduced runoff by 88% and soil loss by 98% compared with bare soil, and combining the legume with logging residues almost eliminated both (Perron et al. 2024). Small plots tend to give large relative reductions, and the crop was rubber, but the problem is the same one any replant faces: bare soil between young trees in heavy rain.
Nitrogen
Legume covers fix nitrogen from the air through their root nodules. The best-documented field figure for a Pueraria cover comes from a four-year trial under young rubber in northeast Thailand: the cover accumulated about 250 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year in its above-ground biomass, with 85 to 93% of that nitrogen from fixation depending on the year (Clermont-Dauphin et al. 2016). It is one trial on one site, not a design value for your plantation. The same trial found that, at the top of the slope, the cover reduced the young trees' ability to survive intense drought. Legume cover contributes nitrogen; adjust your fertiliser programme only after soil and leaf analysis shows what the cover supplies on your block.
Species and published seeding rates
Every rate below is a published figure with its source and its conditions. The species mix and rate for your blocks are set on the quotation. Mucuna bracteata is left out of this table because it climbs vigorously and is a poor neighbour for young cocoa.
| Species | Use and establishment | Published seeding rate |
|---|---|---|
| Pueraria javanica (PJ), also listed as Pueraria phaseoloides or Neustanthus phaseoloides | Between the rows of young and replanted cocoa. In pure stands, about 60 to 70% ground cover at around 4 months and 90 to 100% at 8 months (PROSEA 11). | About 4 kg/ha sown alone (Tropical Forages) |
| Calopogonium mucunoides (CM) | Early cover in mixtures. Covers the soil 3 to 6 months after sowing, sooner on newly cleared fertile land, with a dense sward at 4 to 5 months; usually the first species to be shaded out (PROSEA 11). | Sown in mixtures; the rate for your site is set on the quotation |
| Centrosema pubescens (CP) | Mixtures. A pure sward gives dense cover in 4 to 8 months (PROSEA 11). | 3 to 5 kg/ha broadcast (Tropical Forages) |
| Calopogonium caeruleum (CC) | Persists under shade: 3 to 7 t dry matter/ha/yr in the open and 1 to 1.5 t under mature oil palm at about 10% light (Tropical Forages). | 1 to 1.5 kg/ha together with 5 to 7.5 kg/ha PJ (Tropical Forages) |
A note on cocoa diseases
Growers in wet West African conditions manage pressures such as black pod, associated with Phytophthora. Good drainage, sanitation and soil organic matter are part of an integrated approach, and a cover crop or a soil conditioner can complement that programme. Neither replaces the guidance of your cocoa authority or extension service.
Cover crops are not a disease treatment. SoilBoost EA is a soil conditioner. It is not a fungicide, pesticide, plant protection product, or standalone treatment for Fusarium TR4, Phytophthora, or any crop disease. It may support soil structure and root-zone conditions as part of a broader agronomy program, but disease management must follow local agronomist, regulatory, sanitation, drainage, and resistant-variety guidance.
SoilBoost EA soil conditioner
SoilBoost EA is a leonardite-derived humic acid soil conditioner manufactured exclusively for Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. and Kudzu Seeds Trading. It may support soil structure and root-zone conditions alongside a legume cover and a normal fertiliser programme. It is a soil conditioner, not a fertiliser, and the application rate for your crop and soil is set on the quotation. Product page: SoilBoost EA 25 kg.
How to order from West Africa
Chemiseed Sdn. Bhd. is a Malaysian supplier of legume cover crop seed and soil conditioners to plantations since 2003. We supply buyers worldwide on request, from Malaysia.
- Quotation. Tell us your crop, planted area, products and port of destination. We reply with a written quotation from Malaysia that confirms the minimum order, lead time and shipping terms.
- Terms. Payment in full before dispatch. Ex Works (EXW) Selangor, Malaysia, unless the quotation names FOB or CIF.
- Documents. Seed lots are germination- and purity-tested to ISTA and AOSA methods. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) and a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Department of Agriculture Malaysia (DOA) for export are available on request.
- Import rules. The importer is responsible for the import permit and for any seed or product registration in the destination country. Import rules change and can differ by species and by country of origin, so confirm them before you confirm the order.
Import authorities we have checked
- Ghana: the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture; for legume seed for sowing, an import permit and a phytosanitary certificate are listed as required (MICOR, Ghana).
- Nigeria: the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) issues import permits for plant products (NAQS); for legume seed for sowing, an import permit and a phytosanitary certificate are listed as required (MICOR, Nigeria).
- Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and other countries: confirm the import requirements with the national plant protection organisation before ordering.
Frequently asked questions
Which cover crops suit young cocoa in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire?
In open young cocoa, CM gives early cover and PJ covers the inter-rows; CP and CC carry the cover as shade increases. Keep every climbing legume off the young trees. The mix and rate for your plots are set on the quotation.
Can a cover crop or SoilBoost EA deal with black pod?
No. Neither is a fungicide or a disease treatment. They may support soil condition as part of an integrated programme that follows your cocoa authority's guidance.
Do cover crops replace fertiliser?
No. Legume cover contributes nitrogen; adjust your fertiliser programme only after soil and leaf analysis shows what the cover supplies on your block.
Where do orders ship from, and on what terms?
From Malaysia. Payment is in full before dispatch, and prices are Ex Works (EXW) Selangor unless the quotation names FOB or CIF. The minimum order and lead time are confirmed on the quotation.
References
- International Cocoa Organization (ICCO). Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, Vol. LI, No. 1: production of cocoa beans. icco.org
- Baon, J.B. and Pudjiono, J. (2006). Intensity of ground cover crop Arachis pintoi, Rhizobium inoculation and phosphorus application and their effects on field growth and nutrient status of cocoa plants. Pelita Perkebunan 22(2). doi:10.22302/iccri.jur.pelitaperkebunan.v22i2.33
- Perron, T., Kouakou, A., Simon, C., Mareschal, L., Frédéric, G., Soumahoro, M., Kouassi, D., Rakotondrazafy, N., Rapidel, B., Laclau, J.-P. and Brauman, A. (2022). Logging residues promote rapid restoration of soil health after clear-cutting of rubber plantations at two sites with contrasting soils in Africa. Science of the Total Environment 816: 151526. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151526
- Perron, T., Legrand, M., Janeau, J.-L., Manizan, A., Vierling, C., Kouakou, A., Brauman, A., Gay, F., Laclau, J.-P. and Mareschal, L. (2024). Runoff and soil loss are drastically decreased in a rubber plantation combining the spreading of logging residues with a legume cover. Science of the Total Environment 913: 169335. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169335
- Clermont-Dauphin, C., Suvannang, N., Pongwichian, P., Cheylan, V., Hammecker, C. and Harmand, J.-M. (2016). Dinitrogen fixation by the legume cover crop Pueraria phaseoloides and transfer of fixed N to Hevea brasiliensis: impact on tree growth and vulnerability to drought. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 217: 79-88. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2015.11.002
- Tropical Forages: an interactive selection tool, 2020 edition (CIAT and ILRI), species fact sheets. www.tropicalforages.info
- PROSEA (1997). Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 11: Auxiliary plants. Species entries for Calopogonium mucunoides (Chen Chin Peng and Aminah), Centrosema pubescens and Pueraria phaseoloides.
- Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS). Plant quarantine. naqs.gov.ng/plant_quarantine
- Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICOR), plant export entries for Ghana (Clitoria ternatea seed) and Nigeria (Desmodium intortum seed) (reviewed July 2026). micor.agriculture.gov.au
Related pages
- Cover crops for oil palm in West Africa
- Cover crops for oil palm in Nigeria
- Cover crops for Africa
- Cover crop seeds
Request a quotation for West Africa
Tell us your crop, planted area, products and port of destination, and we will reply with a quotation from Malaysia.
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