FIELD CASE INVESTIGATIONS OF MANGO MALFORMATION DISEASE IN FIVE DISTRICTS OF SOUTHERN PUNJAB AND ITS BIOLOGICAL MEDIATED MANAGEMENT UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS

Abstract

Mango is the king of fruits and keeps the status of national tree in some countries. Pakistani Mangoes are considered to the best in the world due to its shape, taste, flavor and deliciousness. Mango malformation is said to be the hundred century old disease consistently a source of losses for the mango industry. Extensive mango orchard’s survey showed a dynamic presence of the disease in the orchards. On the basis of visual systems the trees were evaluated and hence maximum disease severity (41.44) was recorded in District Layyah where the soils were observed more clayey as compared to the other districts of the South Punjab. Similarly, Multan ranked second in the infestation of Mango Malformation disease severity in the orchards while (30.11) was calculated in Lodhran followed by Muzaffar-Garh with (27.11) and Khanewal with (23.33). The fungus was identified as Fusarium mangiferae under the microscope and for the biological mediated management of the pathogen as hypothesized that if successful may be the best possible solution for the management of the disease in the orchards by utilizing the various Trichoderma spp. T. harzianum gave best control against F.mangiferae by depicting 71% inhibition against the pathogenic fungi. The use of Trichoderma spp against the pathogenic fungi will open new avenues in the biological control tactics of the plant diseases.