Ceratocystis cacaofunesta explained

Ceratocystis cacaofunesta is an ascomycete fungus that causes a wilt disease in cacao trees. It has led to significant economic losses in Latin America.

Taxonomy

Once considered to be a form of Ceratocystis fimbriata,[1] the fungus was described as a new species in 2005.[2] The specific epithet "cacaofunesta" means "cacao-killing".[2] Two closely related sublineages exist within this species, one centered in western Ecuador and the other containing isolates from Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica.[2]

Ceratocystis wilt of cacao

The disease known as "Ceratocystis wilt of cacao" (or "Mal de machete") is a serious disease of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) in Latin America.[3] The fungus is indigenous to Central and South America.[4]

This fungus is able to penetrate cacao trees through stem wounds that are caused either by insects or through infected cutting tools.[4] Wounds made by harvesting pods, removing stem sprouts or weeding may become infected.[1] The disease is a systemic infection that damages the entire plant.[4] The fungus enters its host through the xylem, causing a deep stain leading to the obstruction of water and nutrient transport.[4] It moves systemically through the plant.[3] Eventually, the plant turns yellow and then brown, leading to wilting and the sudden death of the tree.[4]

The disease has been of major importance in Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador, parts of Colombia and Venezuela.[1] In the 1990s, C. cacaofunesta was introduced to the southern region of Bahia, which is the largest Brazilian cacao-producing state.[4] This disease is responsible for reductions in the cacao population in plantation areas, which has resulted in great economic losses in the affected regions.[4] The fungus has killed as many as half of the trees in some locations.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ceratocystis fimbriata . CABI Crop Protection Compendium . 2004 . CABI Publishing . 20 October 2014 . 5 April 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150405015503/http://www.public.iastate.edu/~tcharrin/CABIinfo.html . dead .
  2. 10.3852/mycologia.97.1.57. Intersterility, morphology and taxonomy of Ceratocystis fimbriata on sweet potato, cacao and sycamore. Mycologia. 97. 57–69. 2005. Engelbrecht . C. J. B.. Harrington . T. C. . 1. 16389957.
  3. Web site: Ceratocystis Wilt of Cacao . Tom . Harrington . Iowa State University, Department of Plant Pathology . 20 October 2014.
  4. 10.1186/1471-2164-14-91. Global analyses of Ceratocystis cacaofunesta mitochondria: From genome to proteome. BMC Genomics. 14. 91. 2013. Ambrosio . A. B. . Do Nascimento . L. C. . Oliveira . B. V. . l Teixeira . P. J. P. . Tiburcio . R. A. . Toledo Thomazella . D. P. . Leme . A. F. P. . Carazzolle . M. F. . Vidal . R. O. . Mieczkowski . P. . Meinhardt . L. W. . Pereira . G. A. A. G. . Cabrera . O. G. . 23394930 . 3605234. free.