Pollination of flowers was carried out between March 2004
and January 2006. Before pollination was carried out, all opened
flowers on the cocoa trees were removed. Next day the newly
openedflowerswere emasculated with fine tip forceps by removing
the staminodes to expose the stigma. To avoid problems of selfincompatibility
in cocoa and eliminate chances of self-pollination,
pollen grains were picked from a flower and deposited on the
stigma of a flower on a different tree for fertilization to take place.
Successful fertilization resulted in the formation of young cocoa
fruits (cherelles), some of which developed into mature fruits.