Caracterización morfo-molecular de hongos en frutos cosechados de Theobroma cacao L.

In the present research, various isolates of pathogenic, endophytic, and epiphytic fungi were molecularly identified from diseased fruits collected in the harvest phase of Theobroma cacao L. coming from two different farms of Norte de Santander and Bolívar departments, Colombia. Standard microbiological procedures were used to phenotypically and molecularly characterize 26 fungi. Moniliphthora roreri, Scopulariopsis spp., 7 species belonging to the Fusarium solani complex, 6 species of Aspergillus, Neocosmospora tonkinensis, Penicillium paneum, Pestalotiopsis microspora, and Geotrichum candidum were found. Besides this, the identification of Neofusicoccum parvum, PQ721376.1, the causal agent of cocoa pod rot in the analyzed samples, is one of the most remarkable results since it is the first time that this recognized destructive fungal pathogen is reported in the country. We concluded that cocoa crops from two geographically different farms located in Colombia harbor a wide variety of fungi, most of them with pathogenic behavior, which could influence their low productivity. This finding supports the need to implement differentiated strategies for disease management depending on the regions where T. cacao L. is cultivated and the pathogenicity profile of the fungus found, to improve crop productivity.