Resistance of cocoa to Moniliophthora perniciosa – progenitors and progenies selection

Abstract

Witches' broom, caused by Moniliophthora perniciosa, is the most important cacao disease in Brazil, and the final objective of this study is increasing the level and durability of resistance to this fungus, through the association of different alleles or genes favorable to the character, for the generation of new cocoa varieties. It was conducted, for 10 years, the evaluation of the number of vegetative brooms and cushions brooms per plant, of progenies from a cross breeding scheme in North Carolina II design, with the clones: