Abstract
Theobroma cacao L. is an understory tree from the Amazon basin that can be cultivated in a sustainable agro-forestry system, providing income to small farmers while maintaining biodiversity. Four main genetic groups of cacao are traditionally described: Criollo, Trinitario, and lower and upper Amazon Forastero. During the 17 th and 18 th centuries, plants derived from a small number of parents were distributed to many tropical regions of the world, resulting in commercial plantings with a narrow genetic base. Production of cacao in tropical America has been severely affected by two fungal pathogens causing diseases known as witches' broom (WB) and frosty pod (FP). These, along with another pan-tropical fungal disease, black pod (BP), were responsible for over 700 million USD in losses in 2001.[...]
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