First report in Ghana of Xanthomonas citri pv. mangiferaeindicae causing mango bacterial canker on Mangifera indica.
Pruvost O., Boyer C., Vital K., Verniere C., Gagnevin L., Austin L. de B., Rey J. Y.
Author Affiliation: CIRAD-Université de la Réunion, UMR PVBMT, Saint Pierre, La Réunion, F-97410, France.
Plant Disease 95 :774
Abstract : Bacterial canker of mango (or bacterial black spot), caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. mangiferaeindicae, is an economically important disease in tropical and subtropical producing areas. X. citri pv. mangiferaeindicae can cause severe infection in a wide range of mango cultivars and induces raised, angular, black leaf lesions, sometimes with a chlorotic halo. Several months after infection, leaf lesions dry and turn light brown or ash gray. Severe leaf infection may result in abscission. Fruit symptoms appear as small water-soaked spots on the lenticels. These spots later become star-shaped, erumpent, and exude an infectious gum. Often, a tear stain infection pattern is observed on the fruit. Severe fruit infections will cause premature fruit drop. Twig cankers are potential sources of inoculum and weaken resistance of branches to wind damage. Leaf lesions with suspected bacterial canker were collected in January 2010 from mango cv. Keitt trees in several blocks at the Integrated Tamale Fruit Company, Ghana. Non-pigmented Xanthomonas-like bacterial colonies were isolated on kasugamycin-cephalexin semiselective agar medium. On the basis of IS1595-Ligation Mediated-PCR data, 16 strains from Ghana produced identical fingerprints and were identified as X. citri pv. mangiferaeindicae. This is thought to be the first report of mango bacterial canker in Western Africa.