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Title: Development of SCAR markers for typing the Trichoderma asperellum strains used as potential microbial control agents of the Black Pod Disease in Cameroon

Author
item BON, MARIE-CLAUDE - European Biological Control Laboratory (EBCL)
item HURARD, CORINNE - European Biological Control Laboratory (EBCL)
item TONDJE, PIERRE - Institute Of Agricultural Research For Development (IRAD)

Submitted to: Genbank
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/22/2008
Publication Date: 10/22/2008
Citation: Bon, M., Hurard, C., Tondje, P. 2008. Development of SCAR markers for typing the Trichoderma asperellum strains used as potential microbial control agents of the Black Pod Disease in Cameroon. Genbank.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Phytophthora megakarya is the most aggressive cocoa pathogen in Central and West Africa where total loss of pods can occur. In the near future, microbial control agents such as Trichoderma asperellum against this pathogen should become an important component of integrated pest management since chemical fungicide costs can be quite high for smallholder farmers, and there is an urgent need to reduce Black Pod disease near to harvest without risking high residual levels of fungicide in marketable cocoa beans. Monitoring the genetic and environmental fate of three T. asperellum isolates sprayed as mycofungicides in experimental cocoa farms is one objective of an ongoing international collaborative research initiative in Cameroon involving USDA-ARS, CIRAD, IRAD, Mars Inc. and Imperial College of London. The classical sequence-characterised amplified regions (SCAR) technique was purposely modified to perform the molecular typing and tagging of these three biocontrol agents namely GJSO2-63, GJSO2-64 and GJSO65. The SCAR markers originated from original UP-PCR markers (Genbank Accession numbers n° FJ211373 to FJ211376), from ISSR markers (Genbank Accession numbers n° FJ211377 to FJ211379) and from RAPD markers (Genbank Accession number n° FJ211380). These SCAR markers once multiplexed were successfully used for quality control of the formulated inocula produced as well as the monitoring of the agents.