Propagation of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) clone 'CCN51' using somatic embryogenesis: from pilot scale to commercial production

The transition of promising technologies for the massive production of cacao trees from research to commercial scale is often difficult and expensive. As a result, the timeframe estimated for plantlet production is underestimated resulting in exceptionally long processes in the laboratory that make the production system unfeasible to bring to markets. Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is considered the most suitable and integrated technology for the large-scale production of clonal cocoa plants, compared to conventional methods. To date, practical application of SE to produce cocoa genotypes of interest has been limited, and for 'drop-in' technology replacements, price is of paramount importance for success. Therefore, the objective of this work was to produce the CCN51 genotype in a pilot scale in the laboratory with an approach to commercial production. The productive stages for a complex biological process such as SE and a reduction in production cycle time were defined. The production stages defined for SE were initiation, multiplication, maturation, germination, and acclimatization. The minimal time obtained for CCN51 production was 8.3 months: 30, 70, 50, 70, and 30 days, respectively. The decrease in the time of the production process directly influences the process cost and it represents a breakthrough in the technology development.

Automated summary

The transition of promising technologies for cacao tree production from research to commercial scale is difficult and expensive, resulting in underestimation of plantlet production timeframe and long laboratory processes. Somatic embryogenesis is considered the most suitable technology for large-scale production, but its practical application and cost-effectiveness are limited. This study aimed to produce the CCN51 genotype on a pilot scale in the laboratory, defining stages for production and reducing cycle time.