Selection, genetic parameters, and multi-year stability of cacao yield under agroforestry in Rondônia, Brazil.

Cocoa is a commodity of great global importance and wide acceptance among consumers. Known as the chocolate tree, the cacao is cultivated in developing countries. More than 60% of that production is concentrated Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana and it is declining. This scenario presents a new opportunity for Brazil, the world's seventh-largest producer. Rondônia, the fourth-largest producing Brazilian state, has several comparative advantages such as proximity to the Asian market, a predominance of a thousand small producers, and the potential to supply the market for fine cocoa. However, there is a need to recommend local clones selected for high performance and stability. To address this, we estimated genetic parameters and genotypic values using mixed models and investigated temporal stability by modeling the genotype × year interaction with covariance structures. Our study involved 30 clones under agroforestry, tested in randomized blocks with three replications and 9-plant plots. Cacao yield was assessed over seven consecutive years of harvests, counted from the third year in the field. Significant clonal effects were observed, and the mean dry bean yield (476 kg ha