Mango inflorescence midge (Erosomyia indica Felt) as possible vector of Fusarium mangiferae Britz, the causal agent of Mango Malformation Disease.
Usman Atif, Naqvi S. A. H., Rashida Perveen
Author Affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
International Journal of Biosciences (IJB) 7 : 192-198
Abstract : Mango is a matchless species in fruit trees with respect to specific nature, growth and diversity. This current study was conducted to determine the potential role of mango inflorescence midge as a possible vector of the Fusarium mangiferae Britz. The pathogen was isolated under in-vitro on potato dextrose agar media from various samples of the symptomatic, asymptomatic inflorescence and mango inflorescence midge samples. The results of the isolation of F. mangiferae Britz from symptomatic inflorescence showed maximum recovery from treatment 04, with 83.77% infection frequency. Alternaria alternata ranked second with infection frequency 35.55%. Similarly, the isolation frequency of F. mangiferae Britz from asymptomatic samples was calculated 65.92, 65.92 and 62.25% respectively, from treatment 03, 05 and 04 and A. alternata with 35.55% infection frequency. Isolation frequency of F. mangiferae Britz from mango inflorescence midges (Erosomyia indica Felt) showed maximum recovery of the problematic fungi i.e., F. mangiferae Britz from treatment 04 and 03 and 05 with 96.55, 93.44 and 84.44% respectively. F. mangiferae Britz was the only isolated fungi from the mango midge samples which showed this insect to be the vectors of the fungi as a source of dispersal in the orchards of mango. The present study may be concluded with the fact that E. indica Felt is the possible vector of the F. mangiferae Britz which carry it towards the healthy inflorescence from the diseased ones and the infectivity and dominant association of F. mangiferae Britz with malformed tissues.