Plantation Crops (2+1)

Plant protection in cocoa

Disease : Symptoms of attack and control measures of
I)Black pod disease ii) Charcoal rot diseases.
Diseases
1)Black pod disease (Phytophthora palmivora)
It also causes seedling die back in the nursery and also canker in the advance age/ stage.
Symptoms: Affected pods turn chocolate brown to black and beans become discolored.
Congenial conditions :
? Temperature below 21 ºC
? High RH
? Rainy season
Control/ Management
• 1) Prophylectic spray : A preventive spray with BM 1 per cent can also be given at the onset of monsoon in heavy rainfall areas.
• 2)Regular and frequent harvesting : Removal of infected pods at frequent intervals to reduce loss and
• 3) Fungicidal Spray :Spraying 1 % Bordeaux Mixture or 0.3 per cent copper oxychloride during monsoon twice at 45 days interval.
II)Charcoal rot (Botryodiplodia theobromae and Macrophoma Spp)
Season : More during summer, though it is seen through out the year.
Part affected : pods
Symptoms : Pods of all ages are susceptible. The affected pods turn black and remain hanging down on the tree as mummified fruit. Even beans inside the fruit turns black due to rotting of internal tissues. Soot (Charcoal/ black) of spore massed is formed.
Control:
• Spray 1 % Bordeaux Mixture. Other diseases include cherelle wilt, pink disease, white thread blight, etc.