Phytophthora megakarya | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
Clade: | SAR |
Clade: | Stramenopiles |
Phylum: | Oomycota |
Order: | Peronosporales |
Family: | Peronosporaceae |
Genus: | Phytophthora |
Species: | P. megakarya
|
Binomial name | |
Phytophthora megakarya Brasier & M.J. Griffin (1979
|
Phytophthora megakarya is an oomycete plant pathogen that causes black pod disease in cocoa trees in west and central Africa.[1] This pathogen can cause detrimental loss of yield in the economically important cocoa industry, worth approximately $70 billion annually.[2] It can damage any part of the tree, causing total yield losses which can easily reach 20-25%.[3] A mixture of chemical and cultural controls, as well as choosing resistant plant varieties, are often necessary to control this pathogen.