The disease cycle of mango malformation induced by Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans and the curative effects of mangiferin-metal chelates.
Chakrabarti D. K., Ghosal S.
Author Affiliation: Dep. Pharmaceutics, Inst. Technol., Banaras Hindu Univ., Varanasi 221?005, India.
Journal of Phytopathology 125 : 238-246
Abstract : Mango plants sprayed with spore suspensions of F. moniliforme [Gibberella fujikuroi] var. subglutinans produced bunchy top, dieback, abnormal inflorescence and blossom blight symptoms, demonstrating that these apparently discrete disease syndromes are interlinked. Interpretation of chemical analyses of infected tissues revealed that the host produced 4-O-methylgallic acid and large quantities of mangiferin in response to infection and that the pathogen was reversibly stopped from producing fusaric acid. These findings enabled a disease cycle for mango malformation to be postulated. Partial control of the disease was obtained by spraying diseased parts with mangiferin-Zn2+ and mangiferin-Cu2+ chelates. These treatments revived the normal balance of mangiferin and micronutrients in the diseased parts, caused a decline in the fungal population and enabled the emergence of healthy shoots.