Ecuador is one of the leading producers of fine aroma cocoa worldwide, involving around 100,000 producer families. On the American continent, the largest producer is Brazil, with 18%, followed by Ecuador and Colombia, and it is estimated that more than 20 million people depend directly on this crop. Moniliophthora roreri, the causal agent of frost pot rot, has been a cause of great concern due to the production losses it has caused, which in 2022 amounted to 80% in different cocoa-producing provinces of Ecuador and worldwide losses of 30% performance they are estimates. This study aimed to determine the biological control potential of microcapsules made with Trichoderma spp spore solution against M. roreri. The In vitro evaluation of the microcapsules did not show significant results in the percentage of inhibition, and this was not the case in the direct evaluation on the farm, where th...

Cacao cultivation is one of the main agricultural products of Ecuador, known internationally for its quality and aroma. However, it is affected by fungal diseases including Moniliophthora roreri, Moniliophthora perniciosa, Phytophthora spp., and Colletotrichum spp. The genus Colletotrichum spp. is known for its characteristics that complicate traditional taxonomic identification. In cacao cultivation, it is one of the most frequently found species as an endophyte of leaves and fruits, yet it is also reported to cause the disease known as anthracnose on leaves and fruits. The objective of this work was to identify at the species level 16 Colletotrichum isolates, 13 from healthy leaf endophytes and 3 from pods with symptoms, through multilocus analysis of the ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 region, and partial sequences of the TUB2 and GAPDH genes. Subsequently, their pathogenicity was evaluated by i...

Phytopathogenic nematodes are a threat for agriculture, they cause plant diseases and economic losses worldwide. Currently, the pursuit of compounds of biological origin for nematode biocontrol has become a priority as an environmentally friendly alternative. Microorganisms-derived compounds have several strategies to reduce the populations of infectious juvenile nematodes. Although microorganisms and their metabolites are the focus of literature reports reviews on nematicidal control, interactions between fungi, bacteria, and nematodes, as well as the compounds that are generated in such interactions, are not highlighted. The aim of this review was to discuss the latest advances on chemical compounds secreted by microorganisms and their interaction mechanisms for biological control of phytopathogenic nematodes. Results were organized based on: i) mode of action, ii) infection process, i...

Root-knot nematodes are detrimental to agricultural crops and hard to control once established in the field. The objective of this research was to evaluate the growth, sporulation, and capture in vitro of asexual fungi against Meloidogyne sp. Molecular identification of the asexual fungi included in the study was performed by sequencing the ITS1 region of rDNA. The growth and sporulation of Arthrobotrys sp., Dactylellina sp. and Dactylaria sp. was evaluated in five culture media and two types of substrates (rice husks and ground corn). For the evaluation of attraction and capture of the nematodes, second stage juveniles of Meloidogyne sp. All the evaluated fungal isolates grew and sporulated in the culture media and substrates. The fungi Arthrobotrys sp. (C19-1-1) and Dactylellina sp. (C19-48) showed greater effectiveness in attracting and capturing Meloidogyne sp. The evaluated fungal i...