Desplazamiento altitudinal de las zonas productoras de cacao en el departamento Norte de Santander por efectos de las variaciones climáticas

The objective of the research was to evaluate the effects of climatic variations on the physical characteristics of cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao L.) at 6 altitudinal levels in the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia. Twelve smallholder farms were selected, located between 0 and 1,200 meters above sea level, and 36 years of average temperature and rainfall records were analyzed from a meteorological station of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), located at 50 meters above sea level within the area of influence of the evaluated cocoa zones. In each unit of analysis, samples of 300 grams of dry almonds from the March-June 2019 harvest were characterized and the weight of 100 almonds and the percentage of shells were determined. The data were analyzed through descriptive estimators, ANAVAR and the Tukey Test. The results showed significant increases in temperatures of 0.0315 °C/year and significant variations in the weight of the almonds, p < 0.01, Fc= 33.4, inferring the appearance of 2 climatic bands for the production of cocoa in the department, the first one located between 0 and 600 m.a.s.l. with medium and large beans and high contents of husk and; the second one, located above 600 to 1,200 m.a.s.l., with large beans and low percentage of husk. In conclusion, it is established that climatic variations are generating negative effects in the main cocoa-producing municipalities of the department and, at the same time, opening new spaces for the development of the crop in municipalities with altitudes higher than 600 m.