Clovamide presence in disease-resistant chocolate tree leaves may spur novel breeding program
The researchers have created a streamlined sample-collection protocol that only requires a single leaf disc. The leaf discs are preserved in a solvent that prevents degradation of clovamide, allowing large-scale sampling in greenhouses and fields without the need for refrigeration.
Image: Ben Knollenberg/Penn State
Discovery of chemical clue may lead to solving cacao s black pod rot mystery
Jeff Mulhollem
December 23, 2020
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. The finding of relatively high levels of the antimicrobial compound clovamide in the leaves of a disease-resistant strain of cacao has significant implications for breeding trees that can tolerate black pod rot, according to Penn State researchers who conducted a novel study.