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Research & Monitoring at the Elegguá Project

At the Cacao Elegguá Agroforestry Farm in Kenema, Sierra Leone, research and monitoring drive regenerative practice and TT-OS Plant Intelligence. Field data, soil testing with photographic documentation, biodiversity tracking, carbon context and modelling support education, decision-making and future collaboration pathways.

Research Goals

• Demonstrate scalable agroforestry models centred on cacao and companion species.
• Track long-term soil regeneration and ecosystem health.
• Develop and validate TT-OS Plant Intelligence Passports.
• Support community resilience through data-driven education and decision tools.
• Contribute to Sierra Leone’s ecological restoration and sustainable cocoa sector.

1. Soil Health Monitoring

Soil is the foundation of the regenerative system. TT-OS integrates soil testing directly into ecological performance scoring and Plant Passport updates.

• Composite sampling across cacao blocks, understory zones and comparison plots.
• Parameters including pH, organic matter, NPK macronutrients, micronutrients, soil texture, structure and biological indicators.
• Baseline plus seasonal monitoring where feasible.
• GPS coordinates, depth profiles, in-situ observations and photographic records.
• Integration into Plant Intelligence Passports and ecological confidence scores.

2. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Monitoring

• Transect walks and fixed-plot surveys for plant, insect, bird and soil organism diversity.
• Canopy cover and microclimate measurements.
• Companion species performance including plantain, breadfruit, palms, ferns and other useful species.
• Pollinator and natural pest control observations.

3. Agroforestry Performance Tracking

• Cacao growth, pod counts and quality observations where available.
• Survival rates and vigour of introduced and local varieties.
• System-level indicators including water retention, erosion control, shade function and restoration value.

4. TT-OS Data Collection and Verification

All field data flows into the TT-OS framework using confidence scoring, time decay, multi-observer cross-validation, photographic evidence and provenance rules.

5. Advanced Financial and Risk Modelling

TT-OS also supports transparent scenario modelling for long-term project planning. Deterministic cash-flow scenarios, Monte Carlo simulation, sensitivity analysis and Bayesian concepts can be used to understand viability, uncertainty and additionality pathways.

• Deterministic scenarios compare baseline, regenerative and carbon-supported pathways.
• Monte Carlo simulation runs thousands of possible futures using uncertain variables.
• Sensitivity analysis identifies the strongest drivers of outcomes.
• Bayesian approaches can update assumptions as new field data arrives.

Data Transparency and Access

• Public Plant Intelligence Registry with confidence scores.
• Periodic impact reports.
• Research collaboration opportunities with universities, NGOs and students.
• Open modelling code where appropriate for transparency.

Open Cash Flow & Risk Modelling | Open Carbon Pathway Draft Hub

Open Bayesian Hierarchical Modelling with PyMC

Open Carbon Sequestration Metrics

Plant Passport Template | Soil Health Verification Protocol