Pruning witches' broom with Vivi across the grove (video & transcript)

Transcript

Hey, it’s Vivi! I paid a visit to Vivi to see how he’s been managing today. We’re out here removing witches’ broom, a fungal disease that affects cacao trees. Vivi walks the property a few times a week to check on the trees. I’ve got my machete on the side, ready to help. We’re cutting off branches growing straight up from the trunk, as well as any dead or infected parts.

This farm spans four hectares, so there’s a lot of walking involved. I can’t stand it sometimes, especially up by the cima, near the baixo, where I broke a pod open earlier—it’s like a door to the seeds inside. Vivi points out the dead fruits and the witches’ broom as we go. The fruits infected by witches’ broom are immediately pruned off to prevent the spread.

Next, Vivi shows me a tree that’s about three years old. The fruits on it have two distinct colors, and I wonder why that is. Vivi explains, though I don’t quite catch the term—maybe “maduro” or something similar. Anyway, this tree looks healthy overall. In about 10 days, the next harvest will happen. For now, we trim everything down so that more fruits can grow in the coming weeks.