''Ceratocystis cacaofunesta'' is an
ascomycete
Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defi ...
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
''Ceratocystis fimbriata'' is a fungus and a plant pathogen, attacking such diverse plants as the sweet potato (''black rot'') and the tapping panels of the Para rubber tree (''moldy rot''). It is a diverse species that attacks a wide variety of ...
'',
the fungus was described as a new species in 2005.
The specific epithet "cacaofunesta" means "cacao-killing".
Two closely related sublineages exist within this species, one centered in western Ecuador and the other containing isolates from Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica.
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
''Theobroma cacao'', also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small ( tall) evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. The largest pr ...
'') in Latin America.
The fungus is indigenous to Central and South America.
This fungus is able to penetrate cacao trees through stem wounds that are caused either by insects or through infected cutting tools.
Wounds made by harvesting pods, removing stem sprouts or weeding may become infected.
The disease is a systemic infection that damages the entire plant.
The fungus enters its host through the
xylem
Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem. The basic function of xylem is to transport water from roots to stems and leaves, but it also transports nutrients. The word ''xylem'' is derived from ...
, causing a deep stain leading to the obstruction of water and nutrient transport.
It moves systemically through the plant.
Eventually, the plant turns yellow and then brown, leading to wilting and the sudden death of the tree.
The disease has been of major importance in Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador, parts of Colombia and Venezuela.
In the 1990s, ''C. cacaofunesta'' was
introduced to the southern region of
Bahia
Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-larges ...
, which is the largest Brazilian cacao-producing state.
This disease is responsible for reductions in the cacao population in plantation areas, which has resulted in great economic losses in the affected regions.
The fungus has killed as many as half of the trees in some locations.
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10445891
Fungal tree pathogens and diseases
Microascales
Fungi described in 2005