Gummosis, caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae, is an important disease of cashew plants in Brazil. Genetic resistance is a promising control method, however, the selection of resistant genotypes under field conditions is both expensive and time consuming. This work was developed in order to define a method for the early selection of clones resistant to gummosis by testing different methodologies for inoculum production and pathogen inoculation. The evaluated techniques included bevel, spore suspension injection and toothpick methods in two cashew clones with different reactions to gummosis: BRS 226 resistant and CP 76 susceptible. The effect of water stress induced by increasing the irrigation intervals (daily, 3, 6, and 7 days) was studied using the best inoculation technique. At 17 and 21 days after inoculation, external and internal symptoms (gum exudation, internal lesion length and plant death), respectively, were evaluated. Oat agar was the best medium for conidium production. Bevel and injection methods were equally efficient in differentiating between clone. The evaluation of external symptoms failed to distinguish between genotypes, whereas the length of internal lesions allowed the differentiation between genotype reactions, independently of the irrigation interval. The best inoculation method to differentiate between clones was that of bevel.
Lasiodiplodia theobromae; inoculation method; inoculum production
