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Cocoa white thread (015) Print Fact Sheet

Common Name

White thread

Scientific Name

Marasmiellus (Marasmius) scandens

Distribution

Worldwide. Common in the wet tropics. Restricted occurrence in Asia, Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Oceania. It is recorded from Fiji (cocoa, coffee), Papua New Guinea (cocoa), and Solomon Islands (cocoa).

Hosts

Cocoa is the main host, but it is recorded on many other trees and shrubs.

Symptoms & Life Cycle

The life cycle of this fungus has not been fully described. The white threads are a collection of strands of the fungus, and these grow over branches and leaves (Photos 1&2). The fungus produces toadstools, and these produces spores. However, the toadstools are not often seen.

Spread of the fungus is thought to occur as follows:

As the leaves are infected, they turn dark brown and die (Photo 3), but even though they are no longer attached to the branches, they remain suspended in place by the threads of the fungus (Photo 2).

Impact

White thread is a disease associated with poor tree maintenance. If management is poor, the fungus can destroy large numbers of leaves, but the impact on yield has not been recorded. Normally, the disease is of little economic importance as it is controlled by hygiene measures.

Detection & Inspection

Look for the white strands of the fungus along the branches; look for patches of dead leaves, held in place by white threads. The fungus can be more clearly seen over the branches and leaf blades when they are wet. Compare with other thread blights, e.g., Pellicularia koleroga (see Fact Sheet no. 199) and horsehair blight (see Fact Sheet no. 05).

Management

CULTURAL CONTROL

During growth:

CHEMICAL CONTROL
Chemical control is not recommended for this disease.


AUTHORS Helen Tsatsia & Grahame Jackson

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.



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