Published Date: 1999-02-03 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/PL/EDR> Mango tree blight - Brazil (02)
Archive Number: 19990203.0151
MANGO TREE BLIGHT - BRAZIL (02)
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Mango tree blight - Brazil 990131001848Date: Mon 1 Feb 1999
From: <rcp@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu>
This sounds like either Recife sickness or seca/murcha. The former
disease was reported to be caused by _Diplodia recifiensis_, and the
latter by _Ceratocystis fimbriata_. There is some evidence to suggest
that the two diseases may actually be the same, but the literature is
confused on this point. In any event, scolytid beetles are associated
with, and are probable vectors of the respective diseases.
Refer to pgs. 295-296 in: The Mango (R.E. Litz, ed.) CABI. 1997.
__
Randy Ploetz
University of Florida, IFAS
18905 SW 280th Street
Homestead, FL 33031-3314, USA
<rcp@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu>
***
[2
Date: Wed, 03 Feb 1999 11:41:44 -0200
From: Dr. F. Murilo Zerbini <zerbini@mail.ufv.br>
Mango tree blight is caused by the fungus _Ceratocystis fimbriata_. It
was described in the Northeastern region of Brazil more than 50 years
ago. It was called "Mal de Recife", after the city where it was
isolated. It had never been found in SE Brazil (the major mango
producing area of the country) until now. This fungus is present in the
soil, and infects several tree species. Its most notorious host, at
least in Brazil, is Eucalyptus. The disease is transmited by a beetle,
which colonizes the trunk and carries fungal spores on its body. The
fungus grows inside the bark and affects the upper parts of the tree
(mostly branches). The only way to control the disease is by pruning,
although this does not eliminate the fungus from the tree. It merely
slows down the progress of the disease. A different form of infection is
via the root system, but so far this has not been demonstrated for mango
trees (it has been demonstrated for Eucalyptus). In this case the tree
dies from bottom to top. This form of infection can be avoided if
resistant rootstocks are available. This is the case with all mango
cultivars from the "espada" group, which are not infected by
_Ceratocystis_. So, if the disease now occuring in SE Brazil is
transmitted via root infection, it can be controlled by grafting trees
onto resistant rootstocks. If, however, it is transmitted by beetle
vectors, there won't be much to be done except pruning.
As mentioned before, we still don't know what the route of infection is,
although this can be inferred from the pattern of disease progress in a
single tree (bottom to top or top to bottom for root and beetle
transmission, respectively), information that should be fairly easy to
obtain.
This information is provided by Prof. Francisco A. Ferreira, a plant
pathologist specializing in tree pathogens, at the Dept. of Plant
Pathology, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, MG, Brazil.
--
Dr. F. Murilo Zerbini
Lab. de Fitovirologia Molecular
Dep. de Fitopatologia/BIOAGRO
Universidade Federal de Vicosa
Vicosa - MG - Brasil - 36571-000
Tel: (55-31) 899-2935
Fax: (55-31) 899-2240
<zerbini@mail.ufv.br>
...............................jw
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