Resumen

URDANETA G., L.M.  y  DELGADO A, A.E.. "Cocoa plant (Theobroma cacao L.)" Phylloplane Mycobiota identification, at the Carraciolo Parra Olmedo municipality, Merida state, Venezuela". Rev. Fac. Agron. [online]. 2007, vol.24, n.1, pp.47-68. ISSN 0378-7818.

Merida state is the major cocoa producer in the western zone with yields that represent 50% of mean world due to the predominance of old and unproductive plantations that for a long time have not received the agricultural management that crop requires. Due to the absence of plant health management there are some diseases that affect the foliage, flowers, fruits and roots. The identification of cocoa leaves phylloplane mycobiota it was made with the purpose of establishing the fungi diversity that are present in the crop foliage. In period Sept Nov 2002 were accomplished three samplings for each of five farms selected. Healthy leaves and sections of these leaves were collected and placed by 5-15 days inside a moist chamber made with Petri dishes with sterilized filter paper and at mean temperature of 28 ºC. From the microscopically analysis of various isolated fungi and by using taxonomic keys it was possible to identify 48 fungi. The more abounding species were Curvularia lunata (67-100%), Nigrospora sphaerica (53-100%) and Colletotrichum gloesporioides (67-93%). It is confirm the Colletotrichum gloesporioides; Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Moniliophthora roreri and Phytophthora spp presence, as causal agents of important diseases in the Maracaibo Lake region, so the Penicillium sp. and Gliocladium sp fungi acting as possible bio controllers.

Palabras clave : Mycobiota; Theobroma cacao; phylloplane.