Eco-Friendly Biocontrol of Moniliasis in Ecuadorian Cocoa Using Biplot Techniques

Abstract

Cocoa is the main crop in Ecuador’s agricultural sector and is the most important to the country’s economy. This crop is mainly threatened by moniliasis caused by Moniliophthora roreri and Moniliophthora perniciosa. Monialisis is a disease that causes the watery rot of cocoa beans, causing serious yield losses at crop harvest and great economic losses. In this research, we used 50 Trichoderma spp. cultivated in two culture media, PDA and MEA, to demonstrate mycelial growth and antagonistic capacity against two cacao-crop pathogens: M. roreri and M. perniciosa. Multivariate methods, namely a PCA biplot and a GGE biplot, indicated that four strains of Trichoderma spp. (17, 33, 42 and 44) cultivated on the PDA medium had the highest mycelial characteristic values and antagonistic capacities against Moniliophthora perniciosa. The experimental test showed that the lowest incidence of moniliasis and highest yield of cocoa occurred when using the treatments based on the Trichoderma spp. The results obtained in this study allow the use of strain 42 to control moniliasis in cocoa, avoiding economic losses.

Multivariate Statistical Techniques: A New Approach to Identify the Commercial Properties of Mixtures of Flours of Lentinula edodes and Cocoa Pod Husk

“…Figure 1a indicates that eight samples of the flours of mixture 1 (5,6,8,13,20,26,28,36,41) presented the highest content of protein, moisture and fat; four samples of the flours of mixture 1 (1,17,24,37) showed the highest content of total dietary fiber (TDF); eight samples of mixture 1 (10,18,21,31,32,34,46,47) presented the highest values of carbohydrates; and one sample of mixture 1 (30) indicated highest value of ash. On the other hand, Figure 1b points out that 13 samples of the flours of mixture 2 (2,4,5,7,13,14,27,30,32,37,44,45,48) presented the highest content of protein, moisture and fat, and 13 samples of the flours of mixture 2 (3,12,18,20,22,25,26,28,29,40,41,…”

“…The mixture of the extract with ethanol was incubated in the dark for 30 min and later it was measured at 515 nm using a microplate reader. The radical scavenging activity (RSA) of DPPH was determined using Equation (2) [25].…”

“…Figure 2a indicates the presence of three important groups of samples in mixture 1: Cluster 1, "color blue", formed by 11 samples (10,16,28,31,32,33,34,35,38,45,46), that indicated the highest relation with the antimicrobial activity; Cluster 2, "color red", formed from 28 samples (1,2,5,7,11,12,14,15,18,21,22,23,24,25,27,29,30,36,37,39,41,42,43,44,47,48,49,50), which presented the highest values of antioxidant activity, pH and water activity (a w ); and Cluster 3, "color green", formed of 11 samples (3,4,6,8,9,13,17,19,20,…”

Biotechnological tools for genetic improvement of Trichoderma

“…Meanwhile, in the pursuit of solutions to address the impending population growth and the pressing need for field practices aligned with food safety regulations, pertinent information has emerged regarding the efficacy of biocontrollers, in the case of utilizing microencapsulated derived from Trichoderma isolates, which has proven to be a valuable strategy in managing diseases, notably effective against Moniliopthora roreri. This pathogen has posed a significant threat to cocoa crops, particularly in countries like Ecuador and Colombia, where it has caused substantial damage (Valenzuela-Cobos et al, 2023). Applying these beneficial fungi through microencapsulation has shown promising results (Qi et al, 2023), significantly mitigating the development of the disease and providing a practical solution to combat the destructive impact of Moniliopthora roreri on cocoa cultivation.…”

Prevention of cocoa moniliasis using Progressive Web Applications and sensor data in the province of Francisco de Orellana

“…Thanks to its biodiversity and favorable geographical location, Ecuador is a significant cocoa producer. 1 For the authors 2 , cocoa is scientifically known as Theobroma cacao and is prominent among the country's traditional export products. It is the third-largest cocoa producer in the world, earning international recognition and appreciation for its distinctive quality and aroma.…”