CQUniversity's Professor David Midmore is among editors of a new book which details studies and makes recommendations to significantly increase cacao production in Vietnam by growing the crop under cashew canopies.

Professor Midmore was instrumental in establishing the USA/SE Asia project about 17 years ago and has been involved ever since. The project migrated to Vietnam about four years ago [from the Philippines]. He was then involved in setting up some of the experiments during visits to Vietnam, enabling the research to be done by locals.

The book, Vegetable Agroforestry and Cashew-Cacao Systems in Vietnam, includes studies by a team of scientists led by Nong Lam University (NLU), who successfully tested adding cacao to cashew farming systems in Nghia Trung, Vietnam.

The cover of the new book

They tested eight cacao varieties on farmer-owned cashew plantations and had promising results - cacao grew exceptionally well under the cashew canopy, and will be profitable to farmers. The scientists also found that farmers save money if they grow home garden vegetables under cashew canopy instead of buying the vegetables in the market.

The research team was made up of scientists from NLU in partnership with scientists from AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center, ICRAF-The World Agroforestry Center, North Carolina A&T State University, Texas A&M University, University of California, Berkeley; CQUniversity, and MARS Incorporated.

The book was published by the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation and the World Agroforestry Center. The book was launched on January 6 during the Second International Soil and Water Assessment Tool Conference in Southeast Asia.

Professor Midmore is Director of CQUniversity's Centre for Plant and Water Science.