KNOW THE DISEASES THAT AFFECT COCOA CULTIVATION

Hello friends of the farm today I am going to talk about the most common diseases that affect the production of cocoa can reverse a very serious character, compromising much of the harvest and the life of the plant itself. In general, cocoa diseases cause more losses to the farmer than insects. Some of them can destroy the ears of a plantation at any given time. Other diseases can destroy or kill susceptible plants. Usually, the biggest problems of the farmer are linked to diseases and their combat. Each disease has its own causes and effects in cocoa, but has similar consequences in production, the disease that most affects the production of cocoa is the black cob which affects the harvest of the same in a fairly high percentage.
There are many agrochemicals that, when used, cause diseases in the cocoa and increase the production costs to the farmer, which makes it more difficult to produce.

AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT DISEASES ARE.

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THE MONILIASIS.
Monilía del cacao is a disease caused by the fungus Moniliophthora roreri, although some scientists have identified it as Crynipelis roreri, but it has not yet become official. It is a fungus that attacks only ears or cocoa fruits at any age, causing pimple rot.
This disease is also known as: Moniliasis of cocoa, watery puddle, hand of stone, frost, ash stain or Quevedo disease.
The severity of the attack of the Monilia varies according to the zone and time of the year, according to the weather conditions. Apparently the high temperatures are more favorable for the dissemination of the Monilia.
One of the first external symptoms of the disease is that a chocolate-colored spot forms where all the grains and tissues are already affected.

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-Points clear or greasy on the cob.
The greasy spots are difficult to see, but if a good revision of the ear is made, they can be observed in the green cobs, the points are yellow. In the fruits of red color, the points are orange to check that the ear is infested, we barely peel the skin with the machete where the clear place is observed and if brown spots are noticed the fungus has already entered the fruit. On many occasions there is already rotting of the seeds.

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-Abults, Gibas or chichotes
The bulges or gibas appear in the first two months of age of the fruit, which is the state of pickle of the ear, and appear because of the entrance of the fungus in the fruit. When the ears with hump or chichote are left on the ground the development of the disease stops and no spores are produced.

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-Medura Premature
Premature maturity is a deceptive symptom, since when observing an ear, it is possible to be believed that it has matured, but when opening it, it is found that the seeds are rotten. Fruits with this symptom are heavier than healthy ripe ears.

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-Stain bright coffee or chocolate color.
The chocolate brown spots grow irregularly until the corncob is fully covered. As the stain advances, the fruit becomes heavier and begins to dry. The ears left on the ground in the state of chocolate spot come to produce spores or seeds that can infect other fruits for up to 20 days.

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-Polvo Blanco y Cremoso (spores or seeds)
The last symptom in a fruit attacked by the Monilia, is the appearance on the chocolate spot, of a whitish powder that later becomes creamy. This appears 6 or 10 days after the chocolate spots and is very dangerous, since this powder is the spores or seeds of the fungus, which can infect other fruits or healthy plantations. Cobs left on the ground with white powder can infect other cobs and healthy plantations for 30 days.

CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF MONILY DISEASE.
Manage the plantation carrying out four important activities:
Clean or weed.
Pruning of cocoa plants.
Management of shade trees.
Organic fertilization

Do not introduce fruits from other plantations where there is monilía, although they look healthy.

Perform the monitoring of the plantation to detect in time the appearance of fruits that present the first symptoms of the disease, to prevent it from spreading throughout the plantation.

Avoid visiting plantations where monilía is present. In case of doing so, it is recommended to bathe, wash clothes, shoes before traveling through other plots of cocoa.

Sensitize the neighboring families that have areas of cacao with monilía so that they give a good handling or eliminate the plantation if they do not have interest in the crop.

Disinfect the tools used to handle and harvest cocoa with chlorine, soapy water, lime, ash or alcohol.

Check the cocoa tree crown thoroughly to discover any cob hidden or covered by branches.

Build drainage channels or drainage ditches to avoid waterlogging. This helps lower soil moisture and reduces the humidity of the air in the plot.

Control weeds three times a year, this helps control pests and diseases.

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THE BLACK COB.
This is the most important disease of cocoa in all the cocoa areas of the world; caused by fungi of the Phytophthora complex, is responsible for more crop losses than any other disease in the region. Although the fungus can attack seedlings and different parts of the cacao tree, such as floral cushions, suckers, buds, leaves, branches, trunk and roots, the main damage is suffered by the ears.
The black cob is found in all the countries that grow cocoa. It is estimated that the losses caused by this fungus worldwide are 10 to 20%. It is considered the most important disease in 80% of the cocoa producing countries.
The fungus that produces the black ear, attacks the root, stem, leaves, flowers and fruits of the cocoa. The damage occurs more intensely in the ear. A dark brown color is formed that can cover the whole fruit. The edges of the spot are very "even". In the suckers it damages the leaves, the stem and the head. The leaves become dry and roll up inside, the bud dries out and the stem dries, turns black and thins.
In the stem it produces "cancer". Start with a dark and damp spot, then it sinks and a sticky liquid that looks like rubber comes out. Inside the stem appear

COLORED SPOTS.
In flower cushions the fungus causes a total burning or death of flowers and fruits. The dead fruits remain hanging on the tree for several weeks. If the attack of the fungus is very strong, the evil reaches the roots, these are put with red spots, rotten and die, the tree withers little by little until it dies.

CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF THE BLACK COB DISEASE.
The use of hybrid seed for sowing with genetic resistance is the most economical and safest method of combating the disease of the black ear. This criterion applies to any other disease
-To lower the humidity of the air in the cacao plantation, it is necessary to prune the cacao trees and shadows, eliminate the weeds and make a good care system.
-Before the rains begin, all the fruit husks left in the breaking spots of the harvested ears of corn must be collected and destroyed.
-Every eight days you have to cut the diseased ears, break the shells and bury them in a place away from the cocoa plot. This is done to prevent the fungus from infecting other fruits or causing cancer in the trunks and branches of the cocoa trees.
-Any tree infected with cancer of the trunk, you have to remove it with a knife or machete, the whole part that is affected with the colored spot, peeling the bark and inside the trunk until it is clean of the disease.

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BAD MACHETE.
Caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fimbriata destroys whole trees. The fungus always infects cacao by injuring the main trunks and branches and can kill a tree quickly. If good control is not made of the trees killed by this disease, it can cause a loss of dead trees up to 10% over several years, mainly in abandoned plantations.
The fungus invades and destroys the bark or shell of the part of the tree where the wound is produced.
The plant can appear to be healthy although the fungus is found in almost all its bark or trunk, branches and roots. When the fungus is watered to the heart of the stem, then the sudden death of the tree occurs.
The disease begins with the death of several leaves, which turn yellow before drying. Then the death or wilting of the other leaves follows until the whole plant dies. The wood of the dead parts has a dark red color.

The characteristic symptom of this disease is that the dry leaves remain stuck to the tree already dead, for several weeks

CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF MALETE'S EVIL DISEASE.
-Seeding plants resistant to the disease.
-The use of hybrid seed for sowing with genetic resistance, is the most economical and safest method to combat the disease of the black ear.
-The cultural combat of Mal de Machete is preventive and consists of cutting and burning all the affected branches. A paste based on Copper Sulfate and Lime should be applied to the wounds to avoid contamination of the wounds while they heal.
-If the whole tree dies, it is necessary to destroy it with all its roots; It is removed from the plot and I know it burns.

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ANTRACNOSIS.
Cocoa anthracnose is caused by the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporoides Penza. Known with the common name Anthracnose where it has been distributed worldwide. In cocoa the fungus attacks the stem, leaves, suckers and fruits. The damage to the ears is not economically important, although the damage to the stem is.
The cocoa leaves attacked by the disease dries from the edge inwards. When they are completely dry, the leaves fall, leaving the branches and branches peeled.
When the entire branch begins to dry, the "death down" of the tree occurs. This is a burning that starts in the leaves and runs down, killing the entire branch.
On the ears appear brown spots and sunken appearance. Then a pink plush appears on the stain.
The damage of Anthracnose seldom seriously affects the seeds. The ears that are slightly affected can be harvested and their seeds harvested.
Good maintenance of permanent shade trees is important so that cocoa is never fully exposed to direct sunlight.

CONTROL AND PREVENTION OF ANTHRAPHYSIS DISEASE
-The control of anthracnose is based on the pruning and destruction of all sick and dead branches and ears.
-When the damage to the leaves and buds is very severe, after pruning it is advisable to make three applications of Bordelés broth every fifteen days. This should be done as a preventive control in the nursery.

-In the nursery, on the floor of the bags, a thick layer of sawdust, granza of rice or other materials, ensures that the fungus does not pass from the soil to the leaves of the seedlings through the splash of water.

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L AS BUBAS.
They are characterized by a bulging and abnormal growth of floral cushions. Although five different types of bubo have been identified, only two are important: the buba de puntos verdes, caused by the fungus Calonectria (Fusarium) rigidiuscula, and the floral buba, whose causative agent is unknown.
Abundamiento and abnormal growth of the floral cushions the buba of green points, caused by the fungus Calonectria (Fusarium) rig
-The only known form of combat is the use of resistant cultivars. There are data of at least three cultivars with back resistance to the buba of green points and immune to the floral buba: "UF29; U F 2 42 and U F 273" idiuscula, and the floral buba,

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WITCH'S BROOM
This disease affects cocoa plants, especially vegetative shoots, flower buds and young fruits; in short it attacks meristematic tissues (young), in active growth. It is known by the scientific name of (Crinipellis perniciosa). The witch's broom gives rise to malformed buds, proliferation of lateral branches; in the floral bearings it produces the formation of vegetative shoots and / or flowers and abnormal ears in the form of cherimoyas, carrots, causing in young and adult fruits necrotic spots in the rind and maceration in the almonds.
The symptomatology of the witch's broom represents a practical interest in the diagnosis of the disease. The symptoms have been described by several researchers from studies on the infection process in vegetative buds, floral cushions and fruits.

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IN CONCLUSION
Cocoa plants are like all living things; they are born, they grow, and they reproduce and die, but in this lapse they suffer from many diseases that affect their production and also the plant itself. The fertilization is a key aspect to reduce different types of diseases that affect the plant, it is also important the application of organic fertilizers that help to improve the production of the soil and the fertility of the plant and increases the production. The diseases are usually caused by fungi and rapidly reproducing pathogens that are transmitted through the contact between plant and man, animals and the action of the wind. If good nutrition and care of the cocoa plants is guaranteed, we can avoid that; There are fewer diseases in the plant, and when there are fewer diseases, the harvest or production of the same is increased.

SOURCE:
http://elproductor.com/articulos-tecnicos/articulos-tecnicos-agricolas/control-de-plagas-y-enfermedades-del-cacao/
https://www.monografias.com/trabajos88/enfermedades-del-cultivo-cacao/enfermedades-del-cultivo-cacao.shtml

I hope that my article has served you well.