ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FUNGAL ENTOMOPATHOGEN Beauveria bassiana AS AN ENDOPHYTE IN COCOA PODS (Theobroma cacao L.) ESTABLECIMIENTO DEL HONGO ENTOMOPATÓGENO Beauveria bassiana COMO ENDÓFITO EN FRUTOS DE CACAO (Theobroma cacao L.)

The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana was re-isolated from surface sterilized pieces of the cocoa pod outer section and peduncle, two and three months after flowers of greenhouse cocoa plants were hand-pollinated and sprayed with a 1x107 mL-1 suspension of B. bassiana conidia. The colonization frequency of B. bassiana on cocoa pods was 0.8% and 1.3% two and three months post-spraying of conidial suspension, respectively. These results indicate that this entomopathogenic fungus can be established as an endophyte on cocoa pods if flowers are sprayed. Other naturally occurring endophytic fungi such as Acremonium spp., Aspergillus spp., Cladosporium spp. and Penicillium spp. as well as seven morphospecies of bacteria were also isolated from cocoa pods. These findings suggest that cocoa pods are conducive for endophytic fungal growth of both naturally occurring and inoculated B. bassiana, and could possibly lead to an innovative methodology to manage insect pests in biocontrol programs.