Corchorus olitorius is an indigenous leafy vegetable, which is rich in nutrients and is used for food preparations in low-income households in Africa. However, its cultivation is deterred by delayed seed germination, due to its hard seed coat. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of different dormancy breaking methods on enhancing seed germination of Corchorus olitorius accessions. The experiment was conducted at the CSIR-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute, Bunso in the Eastern region, Ghana. Seeds of six Corchorus olitorius accessions were subjected to four dormancy breaking treatments, which include no soaking, soaking in pure water for 24 hours; and soaking in hot water for 30, or 60 seconds at 90 OC. Parameters measured include seed vigour, germination percentage, plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, pod length (cm) and number of seeds per pod. Significant differences (p<0.001) were observed in seed vigour and germination percentage among the six Corchorus olitorius accessions subjected to all dormancy breaking treatments. The highest seed vigour was observed in accession GH10126 soaked in hot water for 30 seconds. The no soaking treatment of accessions GH10070, GH10126 and GH10441 had the lowest vigour. The highest germination percentage was observed in accession GH10308 soaked in hot water for 60 seconds. Corchorus olitorious seeds treated with hot water at 90 OC for 30 or 60 seconds, performed normally with regards to growth and yield when established under field conditions.

Cocoa agroforestry is widely promoted for biodiversity conservation and sustainable production; however, uncertainties remain regarding the distribution of epiphytes and cocoa yield under different shade regimes. This study evaluated the effects of shade on epiphyte distribution and cocoa productivity at two community sites located approximately 6 km apart. One site consisted of cocoa cultivated under indigenous and introduced shade trees, while the other site used a 40% shade net. Annual rainfall at the sites was 1364.70 mm and 1178.44 mm, respectively, with average monthly temperatures ranging from 28 to 35 °C. During the main dry season, light intensity under direct sunlight exceeded 13.00 Klux and was approximately three times greater than in shaded plots. Lichens were the dominant epiphytes across all shade systems, with 40–70 colonies per 225 m² plot. Only one vascular epiphyte species was recorded, occurring exclusively on cocoa trees under the shade net. Correlation coefficients between light availability and epiphyte abundance ranged from 0.08 to 0.62, indicating that light influenced epiphyte distribution and diversity. Cocoa pod production under indigenous shade trees and full sunlight was comparable (127–177 pods per plot), whereas production under the shade net was approximately twice that recorded in unshaded plots. Although flower cushion abundance varied among treatments, pods from shaded plots generally contained more beans. The highest incidence of diseased and wilted pods occurred under shade trees. Overall, the findings suggest that heavy tree shade may limit epiphyte development through reduced light availability, while uniform artificial shading may enhance cocoa yield.