Resistance to brown rot and witches' broom in cocoa

Brown rot and witches' broom are important cocoa diseases in the south of Bahia. The main form of control consists of using resistant cultivars. However, many of the cocoa varieties grown in Bahia (local cultivars) have not been improved for resistance to these diseases. It was therefore necessary to ascertain what levels of resistance could be found in these materials and to indicate future breeding actions. The aim of this study was to characterise local cultivars called Pará, parazinho and comum, based on morpho-agromomic characteristics of the fruit and resistance to these diseases. The cultivars are therefore promising in terms of resistance, and the genetic factor is decisive in terms of their potential for use in future breeding work aimed at resistance to these diseases and fruit characteristics.