Impacts of Rodents Pests on Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L): A Mini Review

Abstract

Aim: To assess the impacts of rodent pests on Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) production and productivity. Rodents belong to the mammalian order that is widely distributed globally. Their adaptive potential and capability to face changing environments even when instigated by anthropogenic activities is quite amazing. Also, their importance as vital links in food chain between species of plants and the predators thereby playing crucial roles within the ecosystem cannot be overemphasized. Rodents have been noted to cause ubiquitous damage to agricultural crops including cocoa. They can cause damage in crop fields from planting throughout harvest and storage. The damages caused by rodent pests mostly occur during the sensitive young seedling stage and just prior to harvesting. The pattern and the extent of damage by pest rodents depend upon the species, the intensity of infestation, the type and the growth stage of the crop, and the nature of the surrounding habitat. These damages caused by rodent pests could be direct through the consumption of cocoa beans or indirect through the biting, gnawing or scratching of pods which could range from slight to severe. The stern impacts caused as a result of rodent pest activities are not only felt in the quantity and quality of cocoa pods but also on the social maintenance as well as survival of those growing the crop. Despite the paucity of documented data as regards the kind, form as well as ferocity of rodent damage, it is highly expedient to re-evaluate the rodent pests’ impacts on the production of cocoa so as to update the very scarce available information whilst providing a basis for additional investigation.