![]() Witches’ broom is a hemibiotrophic fungus, meaning that it functions in two stages. Credit: Tuta Aquino How Witches’ Broom Attacks You may also like Is Producing Fine Cacao Worth It?Ĭacao pods spoiled by witches’ broom. He says, “I’m convinced it was brought to the region and deliberately spread in our plantations.” Tuta Aquino is a cacao farmer at Vale Potumuju in Bahía. There is some evidence that the outbreak of witches’ broom in Bahía was intentional. It’s reported that cacao output fell from 390,000 metric tons in 1988 to 123,000 metric tons in 2000. But the outbreak in the Bahía region spread more rapidly than ever seen before. The fungus responsible was Moniliopthora perniciosa, more commonly known as witches’ broom (or, sometimes, witch’s broom).Ĭacao producers were familiar with the fungus, which is indigenous to the Amazon basin. Then a fungus ran rampant through the nation’s cacao plantations and the industry was decimated. But as recently as the early 1990s, Brazil was also a major producer. Today, most of the world’s cacao is produced in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Credit: Tuta Aquino A Brief History of Witches’ Broom Lee este artículo en español ¿Qué es la Escoba de Bruja y Cómo Afecta al Cacao?Īrataca, Bahía, Brazil, one of the areas hit hard by witches’ broom in the 1990s. Let’s take a look at what witches’ broom is and how cacao farmers can handle it. In the 1980s, the disease devastated Brazil’s cacao production and it’s never far from producers’ minds. One of the most damaging infections is witches’ broom, an aggressive fungus that can kill the tree and wipe out whole farms. You can, however, prune out the broom growth several inches (7.5 cm.) below the point of its formation, if desired.Like any other plant, cacao is vulnerable to pests and diseases. There is currently no cure or treatment for witches’ broom. Witches’ broom can occur for several months to several years, and while it may be unsightly to some people, it really poses no serious threat to the tree or shrub affected. Some may be large, while others may appear quite small and less noticeable. There may be only one broom seen, or in some cases, there may be many. While needled trees, like pines, may consist of denser needles. It is best seen on deciduous trees or shrubs when they are not in leaf. Witches’ broom can be easily identified by the dense clusters of twigs or branches, which grow from a central source-resembling a broom. Aphids are generally to blame for these deformities in honeysuckle shrubs, while phytoplasmas lead to the disease in ash and elm trees. Mites can also be responsible for witches’ brooms in willow trees. Hackberry trees can get brooms as well, and these are normally caused by both fungus and mites. ![]() Peach trees and black locusts can be affected by viruses that can result in witches’ brooms. Fungal infections can also affect cherry trees and blackberry bushes, forming broom growth. For instance, pine brooms are commonly caused by rust fungus. Generally, the type of tree/shrub is a good indicator of its causal agent. Environmental factors may also be to blame, and some are caused by genetic mutations. In addition, parasitic plants like mistletoe, which cause stress to host trees, can lead to the formation of witches’ brooms. This includes anything from mites, aphids, and nematodes to fungi, viruses, and bacterial organisms (phytoplasmas). They’re actually caused by stress that is brought on by pests or diseases. Witches’ broom disease is not caused by witches, however. As brooms were once fashioned together from bundles of twigs and since witches were presumed to be responsible for anything unusual, these abnormalities became known as witches’ brooms. ![]() The stress results in a deformed mass of twigs and branches, which appear broom-like in appearance. This includes deciduous trees and shrubs as well as conifers and evergreen varieties. Witches’ broom is a symptom of stress found in woody plants, mainly trees, but it also affects shrubs as well. What are these and do they cause any harm? Keep reading to find out more about the signs and symptoms of witches’ broom disease. ![]() Ever seen those odd-looking, broom-like distortions in a tree? Perhaps it’s one of yours or in a tree nearby.
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