Mango anthracnose integrated management

Abstract

Mango anthracnose in mango in the tropical and subtropical regions of Mexico is a disease that induces serious economic losses, caused by Colletotrichum gloesporioides. The objective of this research was to determine the efficiency of integrated management for anthracnose control and to identify the critical moment for disease management. The work was carried out on cv. 'Ataúlfo', in Guerrero, Mexico, in three production cycles. The identification of the pathogen was confirmed and during a period of 11 months the abundance of spores in the canopy of the trees was examined. Three treatments were evaluated: integrated management with severe pruning (MIM-Pruning), integrated management without severe pruning (MIM) and Control treatment. The climate was conducive to the development of the disease (>80% incidence). The greatest increase in spores, with 65.9 to 84.1 spores/week, was observed during summer vegetative growth, in the phase of flowering and fruit set on the rachis, with its subsequent decrease in fruit growth. The MIM-Pruning and MIM treatment showed consistent results of less area under the disease curve progress (AUDCP), in foliage and flowering, causing a greater definitive fruit set per inflorescence and marketable fruits per tree with respect to the Control (P ≤0.05). Field pathogen population management should begin with the spraying of fungicide products in the summer vegetative growth phase and before the full flowering stage. Pruning is a practice that should be included in anthracnose management.