Witches' broom disease, caused by the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, decimated cocoa crops in southern Bahia state, Brazil, in the 1990s. It was even the subject of a local soap opera and continues to plague the chocolate industry in the Amazon region. However, a recent study published in Scientific Reports offers hope that increased cocoa production in the Amazon region will not rely so heavily on fungicides and fertilizers.

Witches’ broom disease, caused by the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, decimated cocoa crops in southern Bahia state, Brazil, in the 1990s. It was even the subject of a local soap opera and continues to plague the chocolate industry in the Amazon region. However, a recent study published in Scientific Reports offers hope that increased cocoa production in the Amazon region will not rely so heavily on fungicides and fertilizers.

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