Epidemiology of cocoa pod rots and characterization of causal agents in Cote d'ivoire

Cocoa pod rot poses a real threat to cocoa farming in tropical countries. In Côte d'Ivoire, these diseases are caused by a fungal complex that can lead to severe yield losses of up to 60 %. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological parameters of cocoa pod rots and characterize the fungal agents responsible. To this end, a phytosanitary survey was carried out in eight producing areas (Agboville, Aboisso, Abengourou, Bouaflé, Daloa, Méagui, Soubré and Tiassalé). The symptoms observed were described, their severity have been assessed. The fungi associated with these different symptoms were isolated on PDA, then their pathogenicity was assessed after inoculation on asymptomatic pods. Pathogenic fungi were identified morphologically and molecularly. Black and brown rot are the symptoms observed in all the locality. Rot was very severe in Tiassalé with 68.4% black rot and 62.2% brown rot, and less severe in Soubré with 21.6% and 20%. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of Fusarium falciforme, Colletotrichum aenigma, Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Phytophthora megakarya, which demonstrated their pathogenic powers.This first exhaustive study of the microflora and knowledge of the fungal species responsible for rotting in Côte d'Ivoire enables us to better orientate control methods.