title: Trichoderma theobromicola and T. paucisporum: two new species isolated from cacao in South America.
abstract: Trichoderma theobromicola and T. paucisporum spp. nov. are described. Trichoderma theobromicola was isolated as an endophyte from the trunk of a healthy cacao tree (Theobroma cacao, Malvaceae) in Amazonian Peru; it sporulates profusely on common mycological media. Trichoderma paucisporum is represented by two cultures that were obtained in Ecuador from cacao pods partially infected with frosty pod rot, Moniliophthora roreri; it sporulates sporadically and most cultures remain sterile on common media and autoclaved rice. It sporulates more reliably on synthetic low-nutrient agar (SNA) but produces few conidia. Trichoderma theobromicola was reintroduced into cacao seedlings through shoot inoculation and was recovered from stems but not from leaves, indicating that it is an endophytic species. Both produced a volatile/diffusable antibiotic that inhibited development of M. roreri in vitro and on-pod trials. Neither species demonstrated significant direct in vitro mycoparasitic activity against M. roreri.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Systematic Botany and Mycology Lab., Rm. 304, B-011A, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA. gary@nt.ars-grin.gov
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Samuels
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Solis
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ismaiel
authors.forename: Harry C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002099:Cacao; D002965:Classification; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008857:Microscopy, Interference; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010838:Phytophthora / Q000382:microbiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer