Caracterización molecular del microbioma endófito asociado al fruto de Theobroma cacao y su potencial para control biológico.

Abstract

Abstract: Ecuador because of its geographical location is a privileged country in the production of tropical crops such as cocoa (Theobroma cacao). However, its productive potential is limited by diseases such as Moniliasis produced by the phytopathogen fungus Moniliophthora roreri. It is essential to seek alternatives of control plans and management of this disease, through the use of biotechnological tools of characterization and use of microbiomes endophytes as antagonists of the pathogen. Therefore, the objective of this research was to characterize molecularly the microbiome endophyte associated with the cocoa fruit and assessed its potential as biological controller against Moniliophthora roreri. For this, 30 bacterial strains were isolated from cocoa crop fruits in Quinindé-Esmeraldas and then reactivated and characterized molecularly with universal primers. Was found the genus Bacillus with four species (B. cereus, B. subtilis, B. mycoides and B. sp.). Of the 30 strains analyzed, 21 were evaluated in in vitro to verify the antagonistic capacity against the pathogen Moniliophtora roreri. One of the best percentages of radial growth inhibition (PICR) was Bacillus cereus with a value of more than 70%.