First report of Moniliophthora roreri causing frosty pod rot (moniliasis disease) of cocoa in Mexico

Theobroma cacao, the source of cocoa or cacao, has been cultivated in Mexico for hundreds of years, with around 37,000 farms covering 62,000 Ha in Tabasco and Chiapas dedicated to its production. In March 2005, deformed and premature ripening cocoa pods were noted in the vicinity of Ignacio Zaragoza, Pichucalco in northern Chiapas. Chocolate-coloured lesions with creamy mycelium, darkening with age, mummies (shrivelled pods) and internal necrosis were also commonly observed. By April, local sources stated that around 1000 Ha were affected by the disease in the municipalities of Pichucalco, Juárez, and Ostuacán in Chiapas and nearby Huimanguillo in Tabasco.