Trichoderma harzianum produces nonanoic acid, an inhibitor of spore germination and mycelial growth of two cacao pathogens

An isolate of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai from an infected cacao pod produces and secretes nonanoic (pelargonic) acid into a liquid culture medium. Nonanoic acid (NA) was very inhibitory to spore germination and mycelial growth of two cacao pathogens, Crinipellis perniciosa Stahel and Moniliophthora roreri Cif. H.C. Evans. It was highly active causing 75% inhibition of spore germination in an in vitro assay at a rate as low as 0.09 μM for M. roreri and 0.92 μM for C. perniciosa. Mycelial growth was comparatively less sensitive to inhibition, but still there was a 75% reduction in growth with 0.62 μM in M. roreri and 151 μM NA in C. perniciosa. In contrast, NA did not affect Trichoderma mycelial growth or spore germination at concentrations that were inhibitory to the pathogens. 6-pentyl-α-pyrone was also produced and secreted into the medium by T. harzianum, however; it was not antagonistic to the cacao pathogens. Although a number of metabolites produced by Trichoderma spp. have been identified in the past, this is the first report of NA production and secretion by any Trichoderma. The results suggest that NA may play a role in the successful use of some Trichoderma spp. isolates in the biocontrol of fungal diseases of plants.     

Comparison of Crinipellis perniciosa isolates from Brazil by ERIC repetitive element sequence-based PCR genomic fingerprinting

Fifty isolates of Crinipellis perniciosa originating from Theobroma cacao , Heteropterys acutifolia and Solanum lycocarpum , from six states within Brazil, were characterized through ERIC-PCR, representing the first application of this method for molecular characterization within C. perniciosa . Phenetic analysis of banding patterns revealed a separation of isolates on the basis of host of origin, with T. cacao -derived isolates showing only a 0·2 similarity level to a cluster comprising the isolates from H. acutifolia and S. lycocarpum . Considerable intraspecific variability was observed within C. perniciosa isolates from T. cacao , with distinct groups observed correlating with geographical origin. Given that a number of isolates from T. cacao from the Amazon region grouped with isolates from Bahia state, this work discusses the possibility that current C. perniciosa populations pathogenic on T. cacao in Bahia originated from the Amazon region, rather than from alternative host plants.     

Phylogeny of the frosty pod rot pathogen of cocoa

Morphological, cytological and molecular evidence is presented which confirms that the frosty pod rot pathogen of cocoa, formerly classified as the mitosporic fungus Moniliophthora roreri (Deuteromycota), belongs to the hymenomycetous genus Crinipellis (Basidiomycota) and that two varieties should now be recognized: Crinipellis roreri var. roreri and the new variety C. roreri var. gileri . The latter was collected on Theobroma gileri , an endemic tree of submontane forests in north-west Ecuador, and can be distinguished from Ecuadorian and Peruvian isolates from cocoa ( T. cacao ) on the basis of spore morphology, incompatibility and nucleotide sequence data. As with var. roreri , meiosis is shown to occur within the dispersive and infective spore stage of var. gileri and these meiospores are interpreted to represent a much modified probasidium. In addition, in a field inoculation experiment, an isolate from T. gileri proved to be noninfective to cocoa pods when compared with positive control strains isolated from T. cacao in western Ecuador and T. bicolor in eastern Ecuador. It is concluded that var. gileri is the vestigial progenitor of the frosty pod rot pathogen of cocoa, with a host range and distribution restricted to T. gileri in the mesic forests of north-west South America.     

不同处理对可可种子萌发以及幼苗生长的影响

可可是世界三大饮料作物之一，可可种子为顽拗性种子，含水量低于某一相对高的临界含水量时，其种子就会丧失活力。为探讨可可种子的贮藏方法，研究分析了果实处理方法、温度、时间对可可种子发芽及幼苗生长的影响。结果表明：可可种子经过4℃处理后便丧失了发芽力，室温25℃条件下果壳不破开，放置30 d后可可种子仍有近50%的发芽率；清洗可可种子果肉后短时间放置，可以提升种子的发芽势，并且能促进幼苗前期生长。     

基于MaxEnt模型的可可潜在适宜分布研究

根据野外采样和文献查阅,系统整理了可可的地理分布记录,并利用MaxEnt生态位模型和ArcGIS软件对可可的潜在适宜分布范围进行预测。结果表明:北美洲南部、中南美洲北部、非洲西部、亚洲东南部以及太平洋美拉尼西亚群岛地区均是可可的潜在适宜分布区域。其中,中国海南、台湾南部、云南西双版纳、广东雷州半岛也属于可可的适生范围。经ROC(Receiver operating characteristic)曲线分析法验证,MaxEnt模型的AUC(Area under curve)值为0.977,表明预测结果具有较高的可信度。各环境变量重要性的Jacknife检验表明,极端最低温度、年降雨量、年温度变化范围、最暖季降雨量对可可的潜在分布影响最大。     

可可泛素结合酶基因家族的生物信息学初步分析

泛素结合酶(E2s)促进底物泛素化或者与E3s链接,是靶蛋白泛素化的关键酶,在泛素-蛋白酶体途径中起重要作用。利用可可(Theobroma cacao L.)全基因组测序数据,共鉴定出45个E2s基因家族成员,包括39个UBC和6个UEV基因。通过生物信息学方法,对可可E2s家族的基本理化性质、基因结构、二级结构预测、亚细胞定位、进化关系等方面进行初步分析。结果表明:可可E2s基因CDS长度在441(Tc UEV3)~3 651 bp(Tc UBC7)之间,对应的编码蛋白氨基酸数目在146(Tc UEV3)~1 216 aa(Tc UBC7)之间,编码蛋白分子量在16.39~134.71 ku之间。E2s基因外显子在1~11之间,多数基因外显子数目在5~7之间。E2s基因在10条染色体上均有分布,1号染色体为7个,数量最多;6号染色体2个基因,数量最少。可可E2s蛋白大多为不稳定蛋白,且均为亲水性蛋白,其二级结构以α-螺旋和无规则卷曲为主要构成元件。大多数可可E2s蛋白定位在细胞核,少数定位在内质网或者细胞质。进化树分析表明:可可E2s蛋白被分为20个亚家族,包括16个UBC亚家族和4个UEV亚家族,第Ⅵ亚家族E2s数目最多为9个;E2s家族蛋白在物种进化过程中具有高度保守性。     

椰子可可间作下种植密度对作物产量及经济效益的影响

研究椰子可可间作条件下,不同种植密度可可对椰子和可可产量及经济效益的影响。试验共设7个处理：在椰园间作不同密度的可可2.0 m×2.0 m（A）、3.0 m×2.0 m（B）和3.0 m×3.0 m（C）,以单作椰子6.0 m×6.0 m（CN）和单作可可2.0 m×2.0 m（CA）、3.0 m×2.0 m（CB）和3.0 m×3.0 m（CC）为对照。结果表明：间作不同密度的可可均显著提高椰子叶片全氮、全磷和全钾等养分含量;间作园土壤有机质、全氮、有效磷、速效钾等养分含量均显著高于单作椰园;间作可可使椰子产量显著提高,间作可可产量高于单作可可,但差异不显著;处理C的产投比和土地当量比较高。在海南椰园,采用3.0 m×3.0 m的密度间种可可有利于经济效益提高,并起到节本增效的作用。     

Cacao leaf procyanidins increase locally and systemically in response to infection by Moniliophthora perniciosa basidiospores

Flavan-3-ol monomers and oligomers from dimers to decamers were quantitatively determined by HPLC-FLD in leaves of four Theobroma cacao varieties. Cacao flush leaves had higher procyanidin content than mature leaves. Moniliophthora perniciosa basidiospore infection results in an increase in cacao leaf procyanidins in the inoculated leaves, as well as in the uninoculated, adjacent, older leaves on an actively growing branch, resulting in both a local and systemic increase in procyanidin content in response to infection. Procyanidin oligomers increased significantly in leaves of the less susceptible genotype Scavina 6 upon infection, and total procyanidin levels were higher than in Cacao Comum a more disease susceptible genotype. Selection of genotypes with high constitutive and/or inducible content of procyanidins in young flush leaves may be a strategy to develop witches’ broom disease resistant cultivars.     

Cacao resistance to Phytophthora: Effect of pathogen species, inoculation depths and pod maturity

Two species of Phytophthora (P. palmivora and P. capsici) and inoculations at two depths (3 mm and 9 mm) were tested each on 10 clones of Theobroma cacao to determine their effects on pod resistance. Ripe and unripe pods were also assessed to determine the influence of physiological status of the pod on the expression of resistance. The two pathogens tested (P. palmivora and P. capsici) differed significantly in their reactions on pods, with P. palmivora being more aggressive than P. capsici. However, the lack of interaction between clones and pathogen species and the similarity in the ranking of clones based on lesion size suggested that selection for resistant clones can be based on one of the two pathogens, preferably the more aggressive one. Pod reactions differed between inoculation depths (3 mm and 9 mm), and between pod maturity stages (ripe and unripe pods) with relatively larger lesions being recorded at 9 mm depth and on unripe pods as compared to those observed at 3 mm depth and on unripe pods, respectively. The magnitude of increase in lesion sizes, however, varied with genotypes, indicating that inoculation depth and pod maturity stage should be standardized in screening cacao germplasm for resistance to Phytophthora.     

Modelling agroforestry systems of cacao (Theobroma cacao) with laurel (Cordia alliodora) and poro (Erythrina poeppigiana) in Costa Rica III. Cycles of organic matter and nutrients

Models for cycles for organic matter and nutrients element (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) are presented for the agroforestry systems of cacao (Theobroma cacao) withCordia alliodora orErythrina poeppigiana in Turrialba, Costa Rica. For the models, system reserves (soil, humus, vegetation divided into leaves, branches, stems, fine roots, fruits) and transference between compartments (production and decomposition of litter residues) inputs (fertilizer, rainfall) and outputs (harvests) of the system are considered. The implications of the models are discussed in detail. Aspects of net primary production in the systems studied are considered. N fixation is calculated on the basis of balances. Analysis of soil water showed high variations that coincided with rainfall patterns and pruning of theE. poeppigiana. For part I see Vol. 4, No. 3, 1986 For part II see this issue Agroforestry Project, CATIE/GTZ (Tropical Agricultural Research and Training Center/Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit), Turrialba, Costa Rica