Effect of water stress on the nutrient uptake of cocoa genotypes in Southwest of Nigeria

SCA 6, SCA 9, NA 32, ICS 96, N 38, PA 7 and PA 150 were either self or cross pollinated to form six cocoa genotypes namely: SCA 9 * SCA 12, NA 32 * NA 32, ICS 95 * ICS 95, N 38 * N 38, PA 7 * PA 150 and SCA 12 * SCA 9.  The selection of the parent cocoa clones were based on their reported varied genotypic and traits to water stress conditions. The seeds of the six cocoa genotypes were pre-germinated for two weeks before their seedlings were transplanted into 4 kg topsoil inside each of the plastic pots in a greenhouse where they were examined for their responses to three different watering regimes at 25, 50 and 100 field capacity (fc) for 30 weeks. Data were collected on the physico-chemical properties of the experimental soil as the leaf contents for N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Fe nutrients. The leaf N, P, Ca and Fe contents showed higher concentrations at lower fc while K and Mg contents increased at higher water regimes. The results showed genotypic differences in the nutrient uptake performances of the cocoa seedlings.