Ceratocystis cacaofunesta

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

Ceratocystis cacaofunesta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Sordariomycetes
Order: Microascales
Family: Ceratocystidaceae
Genus: Ceratocystis
Species:
C. cacaofunesta
Binomial name
Ceratocystis cacaofunesta
Engelbr. & T.C.Harr. (2005)

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]

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References
  1. "Ceratocystis fimbriata". CABI Crop Protection Compendium. CABI Publishing. 2004. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  2. Engelbrecht, C. J. B.; Harrington, T. C. (2005). "Intersterility, morphology and taxonomy of Ceratocystis fimbriata on sweet potato, cacao and sycamore". Mycologia. 97: 57. doi:10.3852/mycologia.97.1.57. PMID 16389957.
  3. Harrington, Tom. "Ceratocystis Wilt of Cacao". Iowa State University, Department of Plant Pathology. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  4. 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. (2013). "Global analyses of Ceratocystis cacaofunesta mitochondria: From genome to proteome". BMC Genomics. 14: 91. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-14-91. PMC 3605234. PMID 23394930.
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