Selecting cacao clones with high productivity potential and tolerance to Black Pod Rot (BPR) and Frosty Pod Rot (FPR).

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is affected annually by Frosty Pod Rot (FPR) (Moniliopthora roreri) and Black Pod Rot (BPR) (Phytophthora sp). The loss caused by both diseases is threatening cacao production worldwide. Therefore, cacao breeding programs focus on developing new cacao clones with high productivity potential and disease resistance. However, this challenge is not easy to achieve due to the long time required for selection, the influence of environmental conditions on the severity of the disease, and the avoidance of chemical control of diseases. Therefore, genetic resistance should be the best option for selecting and releasing new cacao clones to the farmers. In this study, 40 cacao clones, 20 from CATIE and 20 from FHIA breeding programs were evaluated from 2013 to 2017. Three criteria were used to select clones: Yield, Percentage Disease Pod (PDP), and Disease and Production Index (DPI). Results indicated that depending on the cacao breeding program objectives, it is possible to use those criteria to select new cacao clones that are highly productive and resistant to diseases because cacao clones with high productivity are not always the most resistant to diseases and vice versa; however, a combination of both criteria can be used to select cacao clones with high productivity potential and resistance to FPR and BPR.