Arrest of two types of cocoa grafts in different lunar phases, Siuna, 2014

Abstract

There is no doubt the producers know of the moon influence and the sap movement in plants at certain moments, due to the ancestral knowledge and experiences gained. However, in relation to the root taking of grafts in cocoa (Theobroma cacao), there are few scientific studies that demonstrate such effects. The main objective of this study was to compare the effects of moon phases in the root taking of two types of grafts in cocoa. To do this we used a complete randomized design with bifactorial order, with three replays for each of the phases and a universe of 576 plants. The measurement variable was based on the root taking of the plants that were implanted.

The data were processed in the Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) program (version 21), and subjected to the ANOVA analysis of variance with a reliability level of 95%. The analysis shows significant differences for grafting techniques (p=0.011<0.05) and higher rooting of the bud was obtained above the bevel’s. Regarding the effect of moon phases on the two types of grafts, no statistical evidence was found (p=0.950>0.05). Based on the combined analysis of variance there is no significant differences for the interaction between moon phases and grafting techniques since (p=0.761>0.05).