The Dominican Republic (DR) is the world’s primary exporter of organic cocoa with more than 153,000 has cultivated and 85,000 tons exported in 2018. This commodity plays a strong role in the economy and supports more than 36,000 producers and their families. The vast majority of Dominican cocoa plantations are cultivated under agroforestry schemes. Cocoa-based agroforestry systems (Cocoa AFS) are cropping systems based on a perennial crop, the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.), where farmers intercrop several other annual and perennial crops. In the DR, farmers associate more than 45 plant species with cocoa in heterogenous patterns, thus creating a variety of habitats for cocoa pollinating insects. These cocoa AFS are known for their biodiversity conservation value and are often found near protected forest patches where they buffer the transition between forest and agricultural land. However, it has been shown that plant species found in cocoa AFS strongly differ from those found in nearby forest fragments. In general, little is known about cocoa pollination ecology and services, although they appear to be key elements to understand yield functions. Moreover, on-farm habitat management and surrounding landscapes can affect the abundance and efficacy of cocoa pollinators, but this is poorly understood and more research is needed in order to exploit habitat management and improve cocoa pollination.

 

The main objective of the project is to understand how both the composition and the efficiency of cocoa pollinators’ communities are affected at plot level by farmers’ practices and surrounding land uses. The project is structured into seven specific objectives (SO):

 

1. Landscape analysis to identify a gradient, from highly forested to not forested, regarding the ecosystems surrounding cocoa plantations in each region. Based on landscape characterization criteria, three cocoa growing areas will be identified along this gradient.

2. Characterization of cocoa farmers’ practices from a sample of 90 cocoa farmers selected in 3 contrasted cocoa production areas along the landscape gradient. Farmer’s practices will be described through semi-directed interviews based on a pre-established list of questions focused on the management intensity applied to the cocoa trees and other associated crops.

3. Characterization of habitats for cocoa pollinator’s communities. On a sub-sample of 10 cocoa plantations, the composition, ecological functions and structure of cultivated plants at plot level, as well as their relative distribution, will be described. A mapping of habitats for pollinators at plot level will be produced.

4. Identification of insect communities. On each cocoa plantation, at least 2 statistically distinct habitats of significant size will be sampled following 2 strategies: (i) general sampling by capture of insects visiting the cocoa flowers, and (ii) video-trapping of insects found visiting the cocoa flower

5. Assessment of pollination efficiency among taxa, through flower exclusions, followed by pollination rate assessment in laboratory and pollination efficiency assessment in the field by monitoring cocoa pod development during 6 months

6. Evaluation of the trade-offs between farmer’s practices (habitats inside the cocoa plot) and surrounding ecosystems (in particular, the presence of native forest patches) and their effect on the composition and efficiency of cocoa pollinator’s communities.

7. Capacity building for local technicians, researchers, cocoa farmers and their families. Farmers will receive information about cocoa pollinators and good practices that promote their presence and abundance in cocoa fields. Local researchers and technicians will learn innovative monitoring techniques for small pollinating insects and will be trained in assessment methods for pollination efficiency.

 

During October-December 2022 reporting period, a special focus for all of the project groups was concerning  the visit of the USAID/NAS delegation during the week of November 13 - 18, 2022 to review accomplishments and challenges the team has been facing with respect to the established project schedule. The team along with NAS and USAID Mission representative visited the area of Medina, San Cristóbal province, where the PEER team demonstrated the process of data gathering. Earlier in October 2022, the team conducted their field visit in the Duarte province with the objective of identifying and georeferencing the vegetation patches. Work was carried out for plotting and preparation of the coordinate points for the establishment of the vegetation patches. In Duarte province study area, one of the research teams conducted a reconnaissance visit to the area and surveyed  21 producers, with the collaboration of Emmanuel Amarante, one of the cocoa producers in the area, who put the team in contact with the other cocoa producers of Loma Quita Espuela. 

During the same reporting period, the team analyzed the field data harvested by the four students from PUCMM (Veronica Lopez) and UNEV (Alberto Piña, Samuel Rossi and Rafael Reyes), in nine cocoa plantations in the San Cristobal province, located in three ranges of distance from the forest patches. During the last month of the period, a cluster analysis was completed, which allowed identification of two major microhabitats in each cocoa plantation. Two students were selected to repeat the field study in the Duarte province in the upcoming months of 2023.

Participation in face-to-face and virtual meetings to analyze and discuss the scheduled progress of the project and to follow up on the development of the activities of the different OEs have been ongoing. Technical training for Video Monitoring of Cocoa Pollinators was given by Dr. Deheuvels at the UASD campus in Engombe, Santo Domingo Oeste with 16 participants in attendance. Attempts were made to socialize the project in the Southwestern Barahona province, however, the area remains a challenge for the team due to the distance, the ongoing issues with transportation, and the flowering season timing.

 

The project received a no cost extension until February 2024 to allow the team to complete their project activities, with anticipation that the scope of the activities in the Southwestern province will need to be reduced.

USAID Mission representative is observing community interview process during cocoa plantation site visits. November 2022.	USAID and NAS representatives visiting Cocoa plantation, November 2022

PEER team gives a tour to USAID and NAS representatives of their cocoa plantation and data collection.	Photo credit: Lina Stankute-Alexander (NAS)