Mango anthracnose control, aam black spot fruit rot fungicide management
3 Answers
Mango anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum, shows as black spots on leaves, blossom blight on panicles, and sunken black lesions on fruit that often appear after harvest. It spreads in warm, wet, humid weather. Manage it by pruning to open the canopy, removing and destroying dead twigs and mummified fruits, and improving air movement. Apply protective fungicide sprays from flowering through fruit development as per the recommended schedule, and follow up with proper post-harvest handling such as hot water treatment where recommended, since latent infection shows up during ripening. Rotate fungicide groups to prevent resistance and always use label-approved products and doses confirmed with your state horticulture department.
Cleaning out the old dried twigs and mummy fruits before the rains made a big difference for my orchard. The black spots on fruit reduced a lot once I started pruning properly and spraying on time.
The frustrating part is that the fruit can look clean at picking and then rot during ripening because the infection was hidden inside. A recommended hot water dip after harvest helped our consignment hold up. Ask your KVK for the right temperature and time, do not guess it.