Skip to main content
Log in

Selection of cocoa progenies for resistance to witches’ broom

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Tropical Plant Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Witch’s broom (WB) and frost pod rot (FPR) are devastating fungal diseases and responsible for severe losses in cacao trees grown in tropical America. To expand and stabilize the resistance to WB in cacao progenies, as well as to incorporate resistance genes to FPR, 17 genotypes were selected from a structured population. These were used in a second selection cycle, in which four gene donors of FPR resistance were included. All but one of the 59 and 52 progenies differed significantly (P < 0.05) from the susceptible controls Catongo and SIC 23, respectively. Nineteen progenies differed significantly (P < 0.05) from the resistance control SCA 6, suggesting high WB resistance. The direct descendants of cacao genotypes from the Brazilian Amazon and from clones carrying FPR resistance showed lower disease index than the resistant control SCA 6, except for some of the progenies of clone ICS 95, which behaved similarly to the susceptible control. The study highlights nine progenies carrying WB resistance genes from several sources and seven of them from parents carrying frosty pod resistance genes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albuquerque PSB, Bastos CN, Luz EDMN, Silva SDVM (2005) Doenças do cacaueiro. In: Kimati H, Amorim L, Rezende J A M, Bergamin Filho A, Camargo L E A (Eds) Manual de Fitopatologia, 5th Ed. Ceres, Piracicaba, pp 151–164

  • Albuquerque PSB, Silva SDVM, Luz EDMN, Pires JL, Vieira AMC, Demétrio CGB, Pascholatti SF, Figueira A (2010) Novel sources of witches’ broom resistance (causal agent Moniliophthora perniciosa) from natural populations of Theobroma cacao from the Brazilian Amazon. Euphytica 172:125–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ali SS, Shao J, Strem MD, Phillips-Mora W, Zhang D, Meinhardt LW, Bailey BA (2015) Combination of RNAseq and SNP nanofluidic array reveals the center of genetic diversity of cacao pathogen Moniliophthora roreri in the upper Magdalena Valley of Colombia and its clonality. Frontiers in Microbiology 6:850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almeida CMVC (1982) Relatório da expedição botânica para coleta de cacau nativo na região de Ariquemes, Rondônia, 1982. CEPLAC/DEPEA Belém, PA, Brasil, p 23

    Google Scholar 

  • Almeida CMVC, Barriga JP, Machado PFR, Bartley BGD (1987) Evolução do programa de conservação dos recursos genéticos de cacau na Amazônia Brasileira. CEPLAC/DEPEA, Boletim Técnico, Belém, Brasil 5:108

    Google Scholar 

  • Alverson WS, Whitlock BA, Nyffeler R, Bayer C, Baum DA (1999) Phylogeny of the core Malvales: evidence from ndhF sequence data. American Journal of Botany 89:1474–1486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arciniegas AML (2005) Caracterización de árboles superiores de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) seleccionados por el programa de mejoramiento genético del CATIE. [Characterization of elite cocoa trees selected at CATIE]. Dissertation, Mag. Sc. Turrialba

  • Arciniegas A, Phillips-Mora W (2006) Caracterización de genotipos superiores de cacao seleccionados por el programa de mejoramiento genético del CATIE por su rendimiento Y/O resistencia a Moniliasis In: Proceedings of the 15th International Cocoa Research Conference, San Jose, Costa Rica (2006). Cocoa Producers' Alliance, Lagos, Nigeria

  • Argüello O (2000) Variabilidad morfoagronómica de 59 árboles elite de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) en Santander. In: Mejía LA, Argüello CO (Eds) Tecnología para el Mejoramiento del Sistema de Producción de Cacao. Corpoica, Bucaramanga, pp 50–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Barriga JP, Machado PFR, Almeida CMVC, Almeida CFG (1985) Preservação e utilização dos recursos genéticos de cacau na Amazônia Brasileira. In: International Cocoa Research Conference 9, London, 1985. Proceedings. London: Cocoa Producers’Alliance, pp 73–79

  • Bartley BG (2005) The genetic diversity of cacao and its utilization. CABI Publishing, Massachusetts

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Benjamin CS, Luz EDMN, Monteiro WR, Santos Filho LP, Santos WO (2014) Avaliação de progênies de clones de cacaueiros (série CP) quanto à resistência a Moniliophthora perniciosa. Agrotrópica 26:17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benjamin CS, Luz EDMN, Santos WO, Pires JL (2016) Cacao families and parents selected as resistant to natural infection of Moniliophthora perniciosa. Crop Breeding and Applied Biotechnology 16:141–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Comstock RE, Robinson HF (1952) Estimation of overage dominance of genes. In: Gowen J. Heterosis. Iowa State, Iowa State College, pp 494–516

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickstein ER, Purdy LH, Frias GA (1987) Crinipellis perniciosa, the cacao witches’ broom fungus: Inoculum production and storage. Phytopathology 77:1747

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans H, Krauss U, Rios RR, Zecevich AT, Arevalo GE (1998) Cocoa in Peru. Cocoa Growers’. Bulletin 51:7–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans H (1981) Pod rot of cacao caused by Moniliophthora (Monilia) roreri. Phytopathological Papers 24:1–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Faleiro FG, Queiroz VT, Lopes UV, Guimarães CT, Pires JL, Yamada MM, Araújo IS, Pereira MG, Schnell R, de Souza Filho GA, Ferreira CF, Barros EG, Moreira MA (2006) Mapping QTLs for Witches' Broom (Crinipellis perniciosa) Resistance in Cacao (Theobroma Cacao L.) Euphytica 149:227–235

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frias GA, Purdy LH, Schmidt RA (1995) An Inoculation Method for Evaluating Resistance of Cacao to Crinipellis perniciosa. Plant Disease 79:787–791

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gramacho KP, Luz EDMN, Silva FS, Lopes UV, Pires JL, Santos-Filho LP (2016) Pathogenic variability of Moniliophthora perniciosa in three agroecological zones of the cacao region of Bahia, Brazil. Crop Breeding and Applied Biotechnology 16:7–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ICCO (2015) Production of cocoa beans. International Cocoa Organization. http://www.icco.org/statistics/production-and-grindings/production.html. Acessed 26 January 2016

  • Kuhn DN, Heath M, Wisser RJ, Meerow A, Brown JS, Lopes U (2003) Schnell RJ. Resistance gene homologues in Theobroma cacao as useful genetic markers. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 107:191–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leal GA Jr, Albuquerque PSB, Figueira A (2007) Genes differentially expressed in Theobroma cacao associated with resistance to witches’ broom disease caused by Crinipellis perniciosa. Molecular Plant Pathology 8:279–292

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lopes UV, Monteiro WR, Pires JL, Clement D, Yamada MM, Gramacho KP (2011) Cacao breeding in Bahia, Brazil - strategies and results. Crop Breeding and Applied Biotechnology 11:73–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luz EDMN Bezerra JL, Resende MLV, Oliveira ML (1997) Cacau (Theobroma cacao L.) Controle de doenças. In: Ribeiro do Vale FX, Zambolim L (Eds) Controle de doenças de plantas - grandes culturas. Viçosa, v.2. pp 617-622

  • Luz EDMN, Paim MCA, Silva SDVM, Pires JL, Santos Filho LP, Monteiro WR (2006) Correlation of cacao clones' reactions to different species of Phytophthora. In: Eskes AB, Efron Y (Org.) Global approaches to cocoa germplasm utilization and conservation, 1st ed. CFC/ICCO/IPGRI, Amsterdam, p. 132–136

  • Monteiro WR, Ahnert D (2012) Melhoramento genético do cacaueiro. In: Valle RRM (Ed) Ciência, tecnologia e manejo do cacaueiro. 2nd ed. Brasília, pp 11-30

  • Moraes WB, Jesus Júnior WC, Peixoto LA, Moraes WB, Furtado EL, Silva LG, Cecílio RA, Alves FR (2012) An analysis of the risk of cocoa moniliasis occurrence in Brazil as the result of climate change. Summa Phytopathologica 38:30–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morera J, Paredes A, Mora A (1991) Germoplasma de cacao en el CATIE entre 1947 y 1991, Programa II: Generación y transferencia de tecnologia. IICA, San Jose, Costa Rica, p 49

    Google Scholar 

  • Paim VRLM, Luz EDMN, Pires JL, Silva SDVM, Souza JT, Albuquerque PSB, Santos Filho LP (2006) Sources of resistance to Crinipellis perniciosa in progenies of cacao accessions collected in the Brazilian Amazon. Scientia Agricola 63:572–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patrocinio NGRB, Moreira RFC, Serra WO, Pires JL, Gramacho KP (2012) Temporal genetic characterization of isolates of Moniliophthora perniciosa in southeast of Bahia, Brazil. Agrotrópica 24(3):169–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira JL, Ram A, Figueiredo JM, Almeida LCC (1989) Primeira ocorrência de vassoura-de-bruxa na principal região produtora de cacau do Brasil. Agrotrópica 1:79–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips W, Castillo J, Arciniegas A, Mata A, Sánchez A, Leandro M, Astorga C, Motamayor J, Guyton B, Seguine E, Schnell R (2009) Overcoming the main limiting factors of cacao production in central america through the use of improved clones developed at CATIE In: Proceedings of the 16th International Cocoa Research Conference, Bali. Indonesia. Cocoa Producers' Alliance, Lagos, Nigeria

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips-Mora W, Aime MC, Wilkinson MJ (2007) Biodiversity and biogeography of the cacao (Theobroma cacao) pathogen Moniliophthora roreri. Plant Pathology 56:911–922

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips-Mora W, Castillo J, Krauss U, Rodríguez E, Wilkinson MJ (2005) Evaluation of cacao (Theobroma cacao) clones against seven Colombian isolates of Moniliophthora roreri from four pathogen genetic groups. Plant Pathology 54:483–490

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pinto LRM, Pires JL (1998) Seleção de Plantas de Cacau Resistentes à Vassourade-bruxa. Boletim técnico no. 181, Ilheus, Brazil: CEPLAC-CEPEC

  • Pires JL (2003) Avaliação quantitativa e molecular de germoplasma para o melhoramento do cacaueiro com ênfase na produtividade, qualidade do fruto e resistência a doenças. MSc thesis, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil

    Google Scholar 

  • Pires JL, De Melo GP, Yamada MM, Gramacho KP (2012a) Association among sources of resistance to witches’ broom disease for the increment of the level and durability of the character. Agrotropica 24:27–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pires JL, Monteiro WR, Pinto LRM, Figueira A, Yamada MM, Ahnert D (1999) A proposal for cacao breeding. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Cocoa Research Conference. Cocoa Producers’ Alliance, Lagos, Nigeria, pp 287–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Pires JL, Monteiro WR, Pinto LRM, Luz EDMN (1996) Resistance to Witches Broom - Evaluation of genotypes from different origins. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Cocoa Research Conference, Salvador, Brasil 1996 Cocoa Producers' Alliance

  • Pires JL, Monteiro WR, Melo GP, Gramacho KP, Pinto LRM (2012b) New genes of resistance to witches' broom identified by the behavior of different clones over time. In: 17th International Cocoa Research Conference, 2012, Yaounde - Cameroon. Proceeding of the 17th International Cocoa Research Conference. Lagos, Nigéria: COPAL, 2012b

  • Ram A, Valle RR, Gardini EA (2004) Monília do Cacaueiro. Fundação Cargill, São Paulo, p 36

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva SDVM, Luz EDMN, Pires JL, Yamada MM, Santos Filho LP (2010) Parent selection for cocoa resistance to witches’broom. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 45:680–685

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turnbull CJ, Hadley P. International Cocoa Germplasm Database (ICGD). [Online Database]. CRA Ltd./ICE Futures Europe/University of Reading, UK. http://www.icgd.reading.ac.uk. Acessed 11 February 2016

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to the Brazilian agency for innovation and research -FINEP, Research Foundation of the State of Bahia - FAPESB and the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply - MAPA for funding through the budget of the Executive Planning Commission of Cocoa Farming - CEPLAC. They wish to thank Joel Feitosa, Magnaldo Nascimento, Layane Alves, Orlando Garcia, João Marcos Gouveia, and William Dias for their valuable help with the pollinations; and Virgínia Damaceno (Lab Assistant), Ananias Conceição, Orlando Costa, Elenísio Nascimento, as well as other field workers for helping with the inoculations and maintenance of the plants in the greenhouse.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antônio Alves Pimenta Neto.

Additional information

Section Editor: Emerson M. Del Ponte

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pimenta Neto, A.A., Laranjeira, D., Pires, J.L. et al. Selection of cocoa progenies for resistance to witches’ broom. Trop. plant pathol. 43, 381–388 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40858-017-0208-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40858-017-0208-7

Keywords

Navigation