Cacao

K1 Cacao: Characteristics

K1 is a registered cacao variety. It was registered with the National Seed Industry Council in 2001 as NSIC 2001 Cc 06. BIAO Coop bred it.

3 min read Updated October 23, 2026 By the anee.io agriculture team Read it all with Libre + Anee
Young fruit trees planted in straight rows on cleared red soil, the kind of farm where K1 cacao is grown
Photo: Anish nellickal, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Compare it with the others in our cacao variety finder, or see every crop variety we list. For the crop itself, read our guide: Land preparation for tree crops.

  • Plant height: about 501 cm.

Key facts about K1 cacao

Key facts of K1
TraitWhat the record shows
RegistrationNSIC 2001 Cc 06
Year approved2001
Breeder or ownerBIAO Coop
Plant height501 cm
Tree canopy diameter (cm)380
Pod index (pods for 1 kg of dry beans)19.2
Pod length (cm)17.97
Pod width (cm)8.67
Pod color (young)Red
Pod color (mature)Yellow/Orange
Pod wall thickness (cm)0.87
Bean colorViolet
Bean no. of beans per pod34
Bean length (cm)2.78
Bean width (cm)1.62
Bean thickness (cm)1.23

When does it bear, and how much?

A registered tree variety is described from its mother tree, not from trial plots. It first bore pods about 23.2 months after planting. A grafted or marcotted tree bears years sooner than one grown from seed, and its yield climbs as the tree grows.

anee.io keeps the records of each block of trees, from fertilizer to harvest, with the growth stages and weather beside them.

Is it resistant to pests and diseases?

Reactions in trials, rated under natural field conditions
Pest or diseaseRatingWhat it means
Coffee/pod borerModerately resistantTook some damage but held up
DiebackModerately resistantTook some damage but held up
Berry/ pod rotModerately susceptibleTook clear damage

It was weak against berry/ pod rot, so scout for it from the early weeks.

The pests and diseases that hit cacao fields most often: black pod of cacao, cacao pod borer, mealybug. Our pest finder and disease finder help you name what you see.

What the crop is like

Each pod holds about 34 beans.

Where and when to plant K1 cacao

Plant grafted clones, and mix two or three, because many cacao clones need another clone nearby to set pods. Pick by pod yield and bean size. A registered tree variety is a selection from one proven mother tree, and only grafted, budded or marcotted plants carry its traits. A seedling grown from its seed can turn out quite different. So buy from a nursery accredited by the Bureau of Plant Industry, and ask which mother tree the scions came from. Before planting, get the field ready with our guide: Pagtatanim ng puno.

Before you buy planting material

  • Buy grafted or budded plants from an accredited nursery, with the variety name on the tag.
  • Ask your municipal agriculturist or nearby farmers how it did in your area last season.
  • Plant a few trees first if the variety is new to your area, before you fill the whole farm.
  • Write down the planting day, inputs and harvest, so you can compare varieties on your own ground. anee.io keeps these records for you.
Plan your next cacao season

Set the planting day of each lot and anee.io dates every task to harvest, with the weather beside it. Free on the Libre plan.

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Cacao varieties like this one

These are the closest matches among the cacao varieties we list. So if seed of this one is hard to find, compare these first.

  • BR 25: 1.63 t dry beans/ha, 1999
  • ICS 40: 2.2 t dry beans/ha, 1999
  • K2: 2001
  • K9: 2.44 t dry beans/ha, 2008
Where can I buy planting material of K1?
Buy grafted, budded or marcotted trees from a nursery accredited by the Bureau of Plant Industry, so you get the true variety. Ask your provincial agriculture office for the nearest one.

See how K1 will do on your farm

With Libre + Anee, see its full record: how it yields, its strengths and weaknesses against pests, diseases and the weather, and whether it fits your farm, your season and your soil.

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