Action of resistance inducers in cocoa plants infected with Ceratocystis cacaofunesta

Abstract

The fungus Ceratocystis cacaofunesta is one of the main problems in cacao culture in Brazil. For cocoa, there are few alternatives to control the disease, and induction of resistance has been tested as a possibility of control. In this study, three resistance inducers were used at three different concentrations with the aim of inducing resistance in the cacao tree attacked by Ceratocystis: glucose (0.1M, 0.5M and 1M), sucrose (0.1M, 0.5M, 1M) and acibenzolar-β-methyl (1ppm, 100ppm and 1000ppm). In addition, samples were collected from the treated plants and analyzed for the presence of starch grains. The only treatment that did not show any plant death was acibenzolar-s-methyl at a concentration of 1 ppm. Starch grains were observed in all treated plants, but in different amounts. More detailed studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the product in inducing resistance of cacao plants to the fungus Ceratocistys.