Moniliophthora roreri
Encyclopedia
Moniliophthora roreri is a plant pathogen of Herrania
and Theobroma
spp., including the cacao tree: on which it is called Frosty pod rot. T. gileri thought to be the indigenous forest host in the upper Amazon basin
. Sometimes it is known by the misnomer Monilia. It is a highly invasive species
, with records of spread up the isthmus of Panama
(1956), followed by: Costa Rica (1978), Nicaragua (1979) Honduras (1997), in Guatemala (2002), Belize (2004) and in Mexico (2005), where it threatens ancient cocoa germplasm . Were it to be introduced into other continents, its impact on cocoa production could be catastrophic, having replaced other diseases such as black pod disease as the number one threat in any country where both exist.
Herrania
Herrania is a genus of flowering plant in the Sterculiaceae family.It contains the following species:* Herrania balaensis* Herrania laciniifolia* Herrania umbratica...
and Theobroma
Theobroma
Theobroma is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is sometimes classified as a member of Sterculiaceae. It contains roughly 20 species of small understory trees native to the tropical forests of Central and South America...
spp., including the cacao tree: on which it is called Frosty pod rot. T. gileri thought to be the indigenous forest host in the upper Amazon basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
. Sometimes it is known by the misnomer Monilia. It is a highly invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
, with records of spread up the isthmus of Panama
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
(1956), followed by: Costa Rica (1978), Nicaragua (1979) Honduras (1997), in Guatemala (2002), Belize (2004) and in Mexico (2005), where it threatens ancient cocoa germplasm . Were it to be introduced into other continents, its impact on cocoa production could be catastrophic, having replaced other diseases such as black pod disease as the number one threat in any country where both exist.