Early selection for resistance to cacao witches’ broom in new parental combinations

ABSTRACT Progenies from 69 crosses between parents obtained by recurrent selection for resistance and yield were inoculated with Moniliophthora perniciosa basidiospores. The symptoms were evaluated and compared with those in the equally inoculated progenies of Catongo, SIC 23 and SCA 6. Forty-three of the new progenies did not differ statistically from SCA 6, while 10 new progenies were statistically better than this control. The female parents that can be highlighted are (P4B x SCA 6), (MA 16 x SCA 6), (CEPEC 86 x SCA 6), and the EET 75 clone. The best male parents were (CAB 214), (CAB 208) and (P4B x OC 67), which did not differ from each other. This study proved the existence of gene combinations between fathers and mothers, the occurrence of additive effects and the dominant inheritance of these factors, which should allow the selection of clones with higher resistance levels and durability.