Cacau e lagartao ou vassoura-de-bruxa: registros efetuados por Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira nos anos de 1785 a 1787 na Amazonia
Witch's broom disease of cacao, caused by the fungus Crinipellis perniciosa (Stahel) Singer and formerly known as Marasmius perniciosus Stahel, was reported under the name "lagartao" (big lizzard) as early as 1785 in the Amazonian area (see Fig. 1) by the Brazilian Bahia's born Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira PhD in his "DIARIO DA VIAGEM PHYLOSOPHICA PELA CAPITANIA DE SAO JOSE DO RIO NEGRO" (1885 - 1888). Probably, it seems to be the oldest record on this cacao disease in scientific literature. Pieces from Dr. Ferreira's work are here literally transcribed and analysed with special reference to the descriptions of the symptoms of this cacao disease in young shoot (lagartao) and stony (pedrado) and blacken (denegrido) pods. Heavy damages by this disease on young cacao plantings stablished by the portugueses settlers limited the expansion of this crop in that area accordingly numerical data presented. It is worth of mention that Dr. Ferreira did not observed this disease in the cacao plantings at the low Amazon River, as Cametá and Obidos at that time, whereas it was prevalent up the tributaries Rio Negro, Rio Branco and Rio Solimoes. In conclusion, the names "lagartao" and "witch's broom", to designate the most conspicous symptom on the young cacao shoot, are here discussed to show that the former one could be regarded as more approapiate for this disease (see Fig.2)
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| Format: | biblioteca |
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1987
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| Subjects: | CRINIPELLIS PERNICIOSA, THEOBROMA CACAO, ENFERMEDADES FUNGOSAS, HISTORIA, BRASIL, |
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