Sooty mould of mango

Sooty mould of mango

    The disease is of common occurrence and affects many kinds of fruits and plantation crops.
    SYMPTOMS
    • The fungi produce mycelium, which is usually superficial and dark. They grow on the flowers, both tender and old leaves, stems and fruits.
    • They grow thrive on the sugary secretions of the plant hoppers.
    • Black encrustations are formed on the surfaces of different parts of the plant. The photosynthetic ability of the plant is highly reduced.
    • During flowering time, its attack results in reduced fruit set and cause fruit fall. Black coating is also found on the fruits.
    • Appearance of the affected fruits is lost and the price for such ugly fruits is usually low.
    sooty mould
    Etiology
    Melioa mangiferae Earle. Capnodium ramosum Cke. C. mangiferae Cke. & Brown and Trichospermum acerinum (Syd). Speg.
    Mode of spread and survival
    Diseased leaves serve as primary source of inoculum
    Epidemiology
    • High infestation with plant hoppers and the sugary substances secreted by them favour development of sooty mould.
    • Disease is severe in old and dense orchards where light intensity is low. Trees exposed to eastern side have fewer incidences while the trees in center of the orchard have more incidences.
    • Continuous and heavy rainfall washes down these substances but high humidity proved congenial for growth of the fungus.
    Management
      • Both the insects and sooty moulds are to be simultaneously controlled in the eradication process. The insects are killed by spraying with carbaryl or phosphomidon 0.03%.
      • It is followed by spraying with a dilute solution of starch or maida 5%. On drying, the starch comes off in flakes and the process removes the black mouldy growth fungi from different plant parts.
      • Spraying insecticide followed by spraying with fungicide viz., Bordeaux mixture 1% is also recommended.
      • Spraying of wettable sulphur methyl parathion+gum acacia (0.2+0.1+3%) at 15days interval reduces the sooty mould incidence.

Last modified: Monday, 16 January 2012, 4:42 AM