Theobroma cacao by bees (Hymenoptera) or butterflies/moths (Lepidoptera), cacao flowers are pollinated by tiny flies, "Forcipomyia" midges in the subfamily Forcipomyiinae. Having the natural pollinator "Forcipomyia" midges for "Theobroma cacao" was shown to have more fruit production than using artificial pollinators. The fruit, called a cacao pod, is ovoid, long and wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called "beans", embedded in a white pulp. The seeds are the main ingredient of chocolate, while the pulp is used in some countries to prepare refreshing juice, smoothies, jelly, and nata. Usually discarded
Theobroma cacao seed germination of "T. cacao," inhibiting growth of various types of microorganisms (such as different oomycetes, fungi, and bacteria), and preventing rotting by "Phytophthora megakarya". Various plant pests and diseases can cause serious problems for cacao production. The genome of "T. cacao" is diploid, its size is 430 Mbp, and it comprises 10 chromosome pairs (2n=2x=20). In September 2010, a team of scientists announced a draft sequence of the cacao genome (Matina1-6 genotype). In a second, unrelated project, the International Cocoa Genome Sequencing Consortium-ICGS, co-ordinated by CIRAD, first published in December 2010 (online, paper publication in January 2011), the sequence