Assessing the options for spray interventions to control the moniliophthora disease complex of cocoa in Ecuador

Abstract

We describe a series of field tests that examine the relative efficacy of control agents for the management of frosty pod rot (Moniliophthora roreri) and the witches’ broom pathogens (Moniliophthora perniciosa ). Research and development to date has focused on the optimisation of delivery systems for chemical fungicides and microbial control agents (MCAs) through improved MCA formulation, field testing and spore monitoring techniques. Only copper hydroxide sprays significantly increased yield in the Rio Lindo fungicide trial during 2005: which was a dry year with relatively low FPR incidence.