Agromorphological Determinants Favoring the Spread of Anthracnose Disease in Cashew Agroforestry Farms in Côte d'Ivoire

Cashew cultivation faces several health problems. Among these problems, anthracnose causes extensive damage to twigs, leaves and fruits and causes loss of yield. The spread of this disease is thought to be determined by certain agromorphological features of the cashew tree. The objective of this study was to search for these agro-morphological determinants that influence the spread of anthracnose disease in agroforestry systems in Côte d'Ivoire. To achieve this objective, 30 cashew trees spread across 26 agroforestry cashew orchards in the Korhogo, Sinématiali and Boundiali departments were chosen and geolocated. The factor studied was the clone, consisting of 30 cashew genotypes, with 15 modalities. The collected data was subjected to descriptive analysis, correlation test, PCA and hierarchical ascending classification (CAH). The results showed that the wingspan, leaf area and size of cashew trees are determinants that promote the spread of anthracnose disease. Following this result, the CAH made it possible to screen the genotypes into three groups. These results could contribute to management of anthracnose disease in agroforestry, to enhance and intensify this cropping systems.