Performance of Cocoa Fruit (Theobroma cacao L.) at Different Slope Positions in a Wet Tropical Climate

This research aims to determine the soil chemical properties (N, P, K, pH, organic C) at different slope positions, assess the performance of cocoa fruit (Theobroma cacao L.) at different slope positions, and understand the relationship between climate components and the performance of cocoa fruit (Theobroma cacao L.) in a wet tropical land. The study was conducted for three months (October to December 2017) in Karangan Hilir Village, Karangan District, East Kutai Regency. The research employed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with slope position (P) as the treatment, consisting of three slope positions: P1 (lower slope), P2 (middle slope), and P3 (upper slope). Each treatment was replicated five times. Observed variables included flower count, fruit count, fruit length, fruit diameter, wet fruit weight, seed count, and wet seed weight. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and mean separation was performed using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at the 5% significance level. The results indicated significant differences in slope positions for observed parameters such as flower count and seed count, while fruit count, wet fruit weight, and wet seed weight showed non-significant differences. Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation (0.343) between cocoa fruit performance and climatic factors, although it was not statistically significant with a p-value of 0.211, greater than 0.050.