Cultivation of Mango - Varieties, Propagation, Planting, Special Practices, Physiological disorders

1. Scientific name : Mangifera indica
Family : Anacardiaceae
Origin : Indo-Burma region
Chromosome Number: 2n=40
King of Fruits/ National Fruit of India/ Pride Fruit of India/ Hindustan Fruit of India/
Bathroom Fruit/ Symbol of Love
Production technology of Mango
Dr. M. Kumaresan (Hort.)
Department of Horticulture
Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced
Studies (VISTAS)
Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu -600117

2. Introduction
• Raw fruits used for chutney, pickles
• Ripe fruits used for table purpose and for processed products like squashes,
syrups, nectar jam, jellies
• Foreign exchange earner for India
• Mango is an outstanding source of Vitamin A (4800 IU/100 g) and a good source of
Vitamin C, apart from minerals and other vitamins.
• Good mango varieties contain over 20 % TSS.
• Acid content varies from 0.2 to 0.5 %
• Protein content is about 1 %
• Fruit type : Drupe

3. • It is one of the most ancient fruits of India.
• India is the only country where truly Wild forests of Mango are found in Assam
and its adjoining Chittagong Hills.
• This genus is reported to have originated from South-East Asia with a natural spread
in the Indo-Malayan region.
• India’s contribution to the global production is the maximum (nearly 65%) followed
by Pakistan, Phillippines and Indonesia.
• Among the states in India, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh are the leading
states in area and production wise.
• Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem, North Arcot and Kanyakumari have maximum area.
Origin and Distribution

4. ▪ About 40 species are recognized in the genus Mangifera.
▪ Some important ones are M. altissima, M. sylvatica and M.
zeylanica which closely resemble to M. indica
M. altissima
M. sylvatica
Species

5. Species Specific Feature
Mangifera pajang
(Largest Fruit)
Mango Species easily peeled like Banana
Mangifera similis Free stone species
Mangifera magnifica Completely free from fiber
M. rufocostat, M. swintonoides Off season bearing habit
M. indica var. mekongensis Fruits twice a year yielding species
M. decandra, M. inocarpoides,
M. gedebe
Rootstock for waterlogged condition
M. laurina Resistant to anthracnose
M. altissima Resistant to leaf hoppers
M. odorata Highest TSS (21.7° Brix)
M. casturi Purple or Black colour fruits bearing species.
Important Wild Species

6. • There are nearly 1000 mango varieties in India. However, only about 20 varieties
are grown commercially.
• Most of the Indian mango varieties have specific ecogeographical requirements for
optimum growth and fruiting.
• North India: Dashehari, Langra, Chausa and Bombay Green
• South India: Banganapalli, Totapuri, Neelum, Suvarnarekha, Mulgoa, Kalapadi
and Rumani
• Western India: Alphonso, Kesar, Fernandin and Vanraj
• Eastern India: Langra, Chausa, Himsagar and Malda
Varieties

7. Alphonso
• Leading commercial variety of Maharashtra and one of the choicest
varieties of the country
• Fruit is medium in size, ovate oblique in shape and orange yellow in colour
• Fruit quality and keeping quality is good.
• Good for canning purpose
• Susceptible to spongy tissue
• Mainly exported as fresh fruit to other countries
• Mid season variety

8. Bangalora
• Commercial variety of south India
• Common synonyms of this variety are Totapuri, Killi Mukku and Gilli Mukku
• Fruit size is medium to large, its shape is oblong with necked base and colour is
golden yellow
• Fruit quality is poor but keeping quality is very good
• Widely used for processing
• Mid season variety

9. Banganapalli
• Commercial variety of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
• Fruit is large in size and obliquely oval in shape
• Colour of the fruit is golden yellow
• Fruit quality and keeping quality are good
• Mid season variety and is good for canning

10. Dashehari
• This variety derives its name from the village Dashehari near Lucknow
• Leading commercial variety of north India and one of the best varieties of our
country
• Fruit size is small to medium, shape is oblong oblique and fruit colour is yellow
• Fruit quality is excellent and keeping quality is good
• Mid season variety and is mainly used for table purpose

11. Himsagar
• This variety is indigenous to Bengal
• One of the choicest varieties of Bengal and has gained extensive popularity
• Fruit is of medium size, ovate to ovate oblique in shape
• Fruit quality and keeping quality are good
• Early season variety

12. Longra
• This variety is indigenous to Varanasi
area of Uttar Pradesh
• Extensively grown in northern India
• Fruit is of medium size, ovate shape and
lettuce green colour
• Fruit quality is good but keeping quality
is medium
• Mid season variety

13. Mulgoa
• Commercial variety of south India
• It is quite popular among the lovers of mango owing to high quality of its fruit
• Fruit is large in size, roundish oblique in shape and yellow in colour.
• Fruit quality and keeping quality are good
• It is a late season variety.

14. Neelum
• This is a commercial variety indigenous to Tamil Nadu.
• It is an ideal variety for transporting to distant places owing to its high keeping
quality
• Fruit is medium in size, ovate oblique in shape and saffron yellow in colour
• Fruit quality is good and keeping quality is very good
• Late season variety

15. Suvernarekha
• This is a commercial variety of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh
• Other synonyms of this variety are Sundari, Lal Sundari and Chinna Suvernarekha
• Fruit is medium in size and ovate oblong in shape
• Colour of the fruit is light cadmium with a blush of jasper red
• Fruit quality is medium and keeping quality is good.
• Early season variety

16. Vanraj
• It is a highly prized variety of Vadodra district of Gujarat and fetches good
returns
• Fruit is medium in size, ovate oblong in shape and colour is deep chrome with a
blush of jasper red on the shoulders
• Fruit quality and keeping quality are good
• Mid season variety

17. Amrapali
• This hybrid is from a cross of Dashehari and Neelum
• It is dwarf, regular bearing and late maturing variety
• Variety is suitable for high density planting as about 1600 plants may be planted in
a hectare
• Yields on an average of 16 t/ha

18. Mallika
• It is from a cross of Neelum and Dashehari
• Fruit is large in size, oblong elliptical in shape and cadmium yellow in colour
• Fruit and keeping quality are good
• Mid season variety

19. Arka Puneet
• Hybrid between Alphonso and Banganapalli
• Regular and prolific bearer
• Fruits are medium sized having attractive skin colour with red blush, excellent
keeping quality and free from spongy tissue

20. Arka Aruna
• Hybrid between Banganapalli and Alphonso
• Dwarf, regular bearing and precocious
• Fruits are large having attractive skin colour with red blush and free from spongy
tissue
• Suitable for homesteads as well as high density planting

21. Arka Anmol
• This hybrid is from a cross of Alphonso and Janardhan Pasand
• Regular bearer and good yielder
• Fruits are medium sized having uniform yellow peel colour, excellent keeping
quality and free from spongy tissue

22. Arka Neelkiran and Ratna
Arka Neelkiran
• It is a hybrid between Alphonso and Neelum
• It is regular bearing late season variety with medium
sized fruits having attractive red blush and free from
spongy tissue
Ratna
• Hybrid is from a cross of Neelum and Alphonso
• Tree moderately vigorous, precocious, fruits are
medium sized, attractive in colour
• Free from spongy tissue

23. Sindhu and Ambika
Sindhu
• From a cross of Ratna and Alphonso
• It is regular bearer, fruits medium sized, free from spongy
tissue with high pulp to stone ratio and very thin and small
stone
Ambika
• Hybrid is a cross between Amrapali and Janardhan Pasand
• Regular and prolific bearer
• Fruits are medium sized having attractive skin colour with red
blush, and late in ripening

24. PKM 1 and PKM 2
PKM 1 (1981)
• It is a clonal selection from the hybrid, Chinnaswarnarekha and Neelum
• Regular bearer during both on and off years.
• Suitable for long distance transport
• Each fruit weighs 250 – 300 g, which is long, narrow with prominent beak
PKM 2 (1990)
• Hybrid between Neelum and Mulgoa
• Yields higher than Neelum and Mulgoa with other attributes like large size fruits, high
pulp content, abundant juice, pleasant flavour, good keeping quality, very sweet taste,
high total soluble solids/acid ratio
• The fruit comes to harvest during May (Mid season)

25. Paiyur 1 (1992)
• This is a clonal selection from Neelum variety of mango from Karukkanchavadi
village of Kaveripattinam, Dharmapuri district
• Trees are dwarf, low spreading and suitable for high density planting
• This is a regular bearer with a mean yield of 22.3 kg per tree (8929 kg/ha) at nine years
after planting
• Fruits are medium long, ovate with yellow skin
• Fruits have excellent taste with good keeping quality
• Fruits are medium in size with an average weight of 150g - 200g

26. Climatic and Soil Requirements
• Mango thrives well in Tropical and Sub tropical climate.
• It can be grown from sea level to an altitude of about 1400 meters.
• The optimum temperature range is 240 C to 270 C.
• It can tolerate up to 48° C during fruit development with regular irrigations, which improve
fruit size, quality and maturity.
• Low temperatures (130C-190C) are good for flower bud differentiation.
• It can be grown in areas with rainfall from 25 cm to 250 cm
• Frequent rains and high humidity (>80%) during flowering and fruit-set undesirable.
• Mango grows in all soils with good depth and drainage except black cotton soils.
• Optimum pH is 5.5 to 7.0.
• It cannot tolerate saline conditions.

27. Seed Propagation
• Primary method of multiplication for raising seedlings.
• It is easy but not uniform, most of seeds germinate immediately and some
are having dormancy periods.
• Viability of seeds should be known in seed propagation
• Pre-sowing treatments are necessary to enhance the germination.

28. Vegetative - Propagation Techniques
▪ Inarching/ Approach grafting, Veneer Grafting and Epicotyl Grafting
are commercially adopted in India.
▪ Inarching is the only technique in vogue in commercial nurseries.
▪ June to Sept/Oct is best for grafting
▪ Polyembryonic seedlings are best in providing uniform root stocks
▪ Totapuri red small and Olour are dwarfing root stocks
▪ Bappakkai good root stock for Neelum in respect growth & yield
▪ Polyembryonic stocks induced more scion vigour than the monoembryonic
ones.
▪ Kurukkan and Nileshwar Dwarf impart tolerance to salt stress

29. Inarching
▪ For inarching, One year old seedlings are used as rootstocks.
▪ About 90 % success is obtained in this method.
▪ From the time of sowing seeds, the grafts take One and a Half to
Two years to be ready for planting in the field.

30. Rootstock: 1 year old; 30-
45cm high; 1cm thick
Scion: 1 year old; 60cm
long; 1cm thick
5cm x 7.5mm x 2mm
Polythene strip, 1.5cm wide,
200 gauge thick
Best season: End of monsoon in heavy rainfall
areas; beginning of monsoon in light rainfall
areas
Inarching

31. Epicotyl grafting
▪ It has been standardized recently.
▪ Germinating seeds of about 8 to 15 days old are used as the rootstocks.
▪ The scions are prepared by prior defoliation of shoots of comparative thickness.
▪ Splice and Wedge methods are used for grafting.
▪ Percentage of success in Splice – 50 %, Wedge method – 33 %.

32. Veneer grafting
• Recently propagation by veneer grafting has been perfected.
• It can be done in any time from from spring to early monsoon.
• Success up to 80% can be obtained.
• The grafts make rapid growth and are cheaper to be produced.
• The grafting can be done on root stocks raised in pots or in the field (insitu)

33. Rootstock: 1 year old
Scion: Pre-curing by defoliation 2
weeks prior
3-4cm long slanting cut on one side
and a short sharp cut on the other
side
Best season: July-October

34. Main Field preparation
▪ The main field is brought to fine tilth.
▪ Pit size of 1m × 1m× 1m
▪ These are exposed to sun for about 30 days.
▪ Before planting, pits are filled with well-rotten farmyard manure.
▪ The top and sub-soil are taken out separately while digging the pits.
▪ The grafts should be planted during rainy season.
▪ Under Tamil Nadu conditions, planting season varies from June to
September.
▪ In North India, planting can be done in February-March if irrigation is
available.

35. PLANTING
• The low density planting at a spacing of 10 x 10 m accommodates 100
plants/ha (40 plants/acre), the moderate density at a spacing of 7 x 7 m
accommodates 204 plants/ha (82 plants/acre) and high density planting at a
spacing of 5 x 5 meter accommodates 400 plants/ha (160 plants/acre).
Details
Conventional
planting
(plants/ ha)
Resource
Rich
(plants/ ha)
Resource
moderate
(plants/ ha)
Resource
poor (plants/
ha)
No. of plants 100 204 278 400
Spacing 10 x 10 m 7 x 7 m 6 x 6 m 5 x 5 m
Arka Aruna, Sindhu 5 x 5 m- 400 plants/ha
HDP - Amrapalli 2.5x2.5m – 1000 plants/ha

36. HDP
▪ In High Density planting, a closer spacing of 2.5 x 2.5 m to 5 x 5 m is
recommended.
▪ The Polyembryonic Mango Vellaikolumban when used as rootstock
imparts dwarfing in Alphonso.
Variety Spacing No. of Plants/ha
Arka Aruna, Sindhu 5 x 5 m 400
Amrapali 2.5 x 2.5 m 1000

37. Micronutrients
▪ Spraying of Zinc sulphate (0.3%) during February, March and May
is recommended to correct the zinc deficiency.
▪ Spraying of Borax (0.5%) after fruit set twice at monthly intervals
and 0.5% Manganese sulphate after blooming corrects Boron and
Manganese deficiencies respectively.

38. Water Management
▪ Mango needs 125 – 170 cm of precipitation annually.
▪ But on account of deep tap root system, it requires little irrigation after the first few
years.
▪ When the planting is done in spring, the young plants require irrigation fourth or fifth
day during the first summer till the rain breaks.
▪ During rains, irrigation should be given only if the soil dries up.
▪ The bearing plants are often given no irrigation but irrigation during flowering reduces
fruit drop and gives larger fruits.
▪ Irrigation if withheld during the pre flowering phase increases flowering, otherwise,
irrigation during this period is likely to promote vegetative growth.
▪ Trees receive heading back pruning needs to be provided 2-3 irrigation at that time
to induce new shoot formation.

39. Training & Pruning
▪ Rootstock sprouts & low lying branches have to be removed in the initial years of
establishment.
▪ Besides, training is done to provide frame work for the future so that branches are spaced
properly and do not break with the crop load at the bearing stage.
▪ Overlapping, Intercrossed, Diseased, Dried and Weak branches are to be removed
after their harvest season is over.
▪ In old and Irregular bearing trees, TNAU recommends a kind of severe pruning to
make it a regular bearer.
▪ In this method, few internal branches are removed only once to have open centre and
the terminal whorl of shoots are thinned out annually during August, September so as to
retain only one or two healthy shoots.
▪ This has resulted in greater yield than in previous years in Cv. Mulgoa.

40. Pruning
• Mango is a terminal bearer in the past season’s growth and normally does not
require any pruning.
• But when the trees become very old, the bearing capacity decreases.
• This is due to imbalance in hormonal status, which might be due to excess
vegetative growth and self-shading of most of lower branches.
• The productivity of old trees can be revived by judicial pruning adopting.

41. Flowers
• Inflorescence
– Terminal panicles
– Up to 6,000 flowers
• Flowers
– Most male
– Few hermaphroditic
– Insect pollinated
• Flies, thrips
• Ability to set fruit related to hermphroditic flowers

42. Cropping
• Flower bud differentiation occur between October to December
• Flowering take place as early as Nov-Dec (AP) Dec-Jan (TN), Feb-Mar (North India)
• KNO3 at 1% sprayed in flowering and fruit set stage improved the earlier flowering
and fruiting
Fruit drop
• Due to the various causes, fruit drop occurs in mango rather at a higher rate, even upto
about 99 per cent in various stages of growth, more during the initial four weeks.
• Regular irrigation during the fruit development period, application of growth regulators
like NAA (50 ppm) and 2,4-D (20 ppm) during off years about six weeks after fruitset.
• Soil application of 5 g cultar (Paclobutrazol) resulting in induction of flowering and
fruiting of bearing.

43. Flowering and Bearing behaviour
▪ Fruit buds are borne on Past season shoots terminally in mango and is a
pure bud.
▪ Inflorescence is a Large terminal panicle which carries both Male and
Bisexual flowers.
▪ Each panicle carries 300 to 4000 flowers in which the percentage of perfect
flowers vary from 2.0 to 65 % depending upon the cultivars.
▪ Nectar is produced to attract insects.
▪ Fruit bud differentiation occurs between October to December.
▪ Flowering takes place as early as November to December in A. P.,
December to January in Tamil Nadu, February to March in North India.
▪ The duration flowering is very short, usually of 2 to 3 weeks.

44. Fruit set
▪ The fruit set varies with cultivars and generally in a shy bearing
cultivar, 0.1 % is considered optimum.
▪ Many chemicals are recently recommended to induce flowering and
fruit set.
▪ Potassium nitrate (KNO3) at 1% concentration sprayed at the time
of flowering/ fruit set stage improved the earlier flowering and
fruiting.

45. Use of Plant Growth Regulators
▪ NAA (50 ppm) and 2,4-D (20 ppm) six weeks after fruit set control fruit drop in mango.
▪ Malformed trees can be improved by a single spray of NAA (200 ppm) in the first week of
October and at the budburst stage.
▪ Ethephon (200 ppm) - For breaking alternate bearing and to increase yield. Total 5 sprays,
I spray in mid October or early November & Subsequent sprays at fortnightly interval.
▪ Ethephon (1000 ppm) - For flower induction in juvenile mango. Total 5 sprays at weekly
interval commencing from early November.
▪ Ethephon (500 ppm) - Post harvest treatment for uniform ripening Single dip treatment or
spraying on physiologically matured fruits.
▪ Paclobutrazol - To reduce the inter node length of new shoots and earlier formation of
terminal bud. Favourably, influence the fruit bud production, fruit colour and yield.
Application after the harvest of fruits (Any time from July to Oct)

46. Physiological Disorders & Remedies

47. Black tip
▪ Development of a small etiolated area at the distal end of the fruit which gradually spreads
and turn black and covers the tip completely.
▪ Fetch very low price in the market.
▪ Prevalent in Punjab, U.P., Bihar and West Bengal if orchards are located near the brick
kilns (Within a distance of 1-1.5 km).
▪ Gases like Carbon-di-oxide, Sulphur-di-oxide and acetylene which constitute the brick klin
fumes are reported to cause the above symptoms.
▪ Spraying Borax (0.6 %) and Caustic soda (0.8%) thrice, i.e., before flowering, during
flowering and at the fruit set stage reported to prevent the disorder.

48. Spongy Tissue
• Common in the fruits of Alphonso wherein a non-edible, sour, yellowish sponge-
like patch with or without air pockets develop in the mesocarp of the affected fruit
during ripening.
• Externally the affected fruits present a healthy appearance. The incidence is reported
to be more if fruits are harvested at full maturity than at 3/4th maturity.
• Higher temperature coupled with radiation is believed to induce more of this
problem.
• Mulching using organic materials along with irrigation can reduce this incidence.

49. Mango Malformation
• Serious one in North India than in South.
Vegetative malformation Floral malformation
Vegetative malformation is more common in
the nursery seedlings and young plants,
wherein malformed vegetative shoots are
characterized by the appearance of small
leaves in whorls on thick; stunted shoots
which may crown the apex, giving a bunchy-
top like appearance.
In the case of floral malformation, the
floral parts are transformed into compact
masses of sterile flowers appearing in the
form of a bunch, causing total loss to the
crop.
Malformed trees can be improved by single spray of NAA (200 ppm) in the first week of
October and at the budburst stage.

50. Leaf Scorch
• The Characteristic symptom is akin to that of potash deficiency, i.e. scorching of
old leaves at the tips and margins.
• This condition is quite common during the winter months when the entire old
foliage in some regions appears to be affected by this symptom.
• The leaves fall down and the tree vigour and the yield reduced.
• It is caused by excess of chloride ions which render the potash unavailable.
• This disorder is common in saline soils or where brackish water is available for
irrigation.
• Acute condition can be cured by 4-5 foliar applications of potassium sulphate
(5%) on newly emerged flushes at fortnightly intervals.

51. Clustering (Jhumka)
▪ Clustering of fruits without growth at the tip of the panicle caused
by adverse weather (low temperature) during Feb-March.
▪ Most of the fruits drop, shriveled and aborted embryos.

52. Biennial Bearing
▪ Also called ‘Alternate’ bearing which denotes yield variation in alternate
years, i.e. a year of optimum or heavy fruiting is followed by a year of little
or no fruiting.
▪ The term ‘Irregular bearing’ imply that cropping does not follow a systemic
pattern, i.e. an optimum crop is obtained only once in a number of years.
▪ Such behaviour is largely due to lack of proper orchard management practices.
▪ Proper care and maintenance of trees in a healthy condition
▪ Deblossoming during the ‘ON’ year so as to obtain some crop every year has
been recommended but the response to this practice depends on the cultivar,
stage of the panicle, etc.,

53. • Use of growth retardants: Spraying of growth regulators like ethrel during ‘OFF’
years to induce flowering is recommended.
• Application of Paclobutrazol, an anti-gibberellin synthesis, when drenched around
the trees @ 3-5 ml/tree during August/ September induces the trees to flower
within 100-120 days of application.
• Drenching process invloves dissolving the growth retardant in 6 litres of water and
poring it around the trees in drip circle in previously made 5-6 holes using the
crowbars. This operation should follow regular irrigation.
• Growing of regular bearing cultivars like Neelum, Bangalora, Ratna, Sindhu.
Biennial Bearing

54. Integrated Pest Management

55. • Grub tunnels in the sapwood on the trunk or branches
• Grub bore into the sap wood and making irregular tunnels
• Feeding the vascular tissues interruption of nutrient and water transport on the
tissue
• Drying of terminal shoot in early stage
• Frass comes out from several points and some times sap oozes out of the holes
• Wilting of branches or entire tree
• Remove and destroy dead and severely affected branches of the tree
• Grow tolerant mango varieties viz., Neelam, Humayudin
• Apply carbofuran 3G 5 g per hole and plug with mud
Mango stem borer (Batocera rufomaculata)

56. Mango hoppers (Idioscopus niveoparsus, I.
clypealis, Amirtodus atkinsoni)
• Nymphs and adults suck the sap of inflorescence
• Withering
• Shedding of flower buds and flowers
• Presence of honey dew secretion on lower leaves and development of sooty mould
• Clicking sound - movement of jassids amidst leaves.
• Hoppers provide shelter in the cracks and crevices of the barks on the tree
• Spray two rounds of acephate 75 SP@ 1g/lit or phosalone 35 EC@ 1.5 ml/l (or)
Spray two rounds of imidacloprid 0.2ml/lit or phosphamidon 40SL 2 ml/lit of water
• Wettable sulphur @ 2 g/lit may be sprayed after spraying carbaryl to avoid mite
resurgence

57. Fruit fly (Bactrocera (Dacus) dorsalis)
• Maggot bore into semi-ripen fruits with decayed spots and dropping of fruits
• Oozing of fluid
• Brownish rotten patches on fruits
• Carbaryl 50 WP 4 g/l. two rounds at 2 weeks interval before ripening of fruits

58. Mango nut weevil (Sternochaetus mangiferae)
• Grub makes zigzag tunnels in pulp
• Eats unripe tissue and bore into cotyledons
• Fruit dropping at marble stage
• Spray application of fenthion 100EC 1ml/l; (first at marble stage of the fruit second
at 15 days interval)

59. Shoot Webber (Orthaga exvinacea)
• Caterpillar webbing of terminal leaves and scrapes the chlorophyll content
• Drying up plants
• Remove and destroy the webbed leaves along with larva and pupa
• Spray carbaryl at 50 WP @ 0.1%

60. Integrated Disease Management

61. Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides)
• Produces leaf spots, blossom blight, wither tip, twigs blight and fruit rot
• Small blister like spots develop on the leaves and twigs
• Young leaves wither and dry
• Black spots appear on fruits, the fruit pulp becomes hard, crack and decay at
ripening
• Spray P. fluorescens at 3 weeks interval commencing from October at 5g/like on
flower branches
• Before storage, treat with hot water, (50-55°C) for 15 minutes or dip in Benomyl
solution (500ppm) or Thiobendazole (1000ppm) for 5 minutes

62. Powdery mildew (Oidium mangiferae)
• It attacks the leaves, flowers, stalks of panicle and fruits
• Shedding of infected leaves occurs when the disease is severe
• The affected fruits do not grow in size and may drop before attaining pea size
Dusting the plants with fine sulphur (250-300 mesh) at the rate of 0.5 kg/tree
• The first application may be soon after flowering, second 15 days later (or) spray
with Wettable sulphur (0.2%), (or) Carbendazim (0.1%),(or) Tridemorph
( 0.1%),(or) Karathane (0.1%)

63. Stem end rot (Diplodia natalensis)
• The dark epicarp around the base of the pedicel
• In the initial stage the affected area enlarges to form a circular, black patch
• Under humid atmosphere extends rapidly and turns the whole fruit completely black
within two or three days
• The pulp becomes brown and somewhat softer
• Dead twigs and bark of the trees, spread by rains
• Prune and destroy infected twigs and spray Carbendazim or Thiophanate
Methyl(0.1%) or Chlorathalonil (0.2%) as fortnightly interval during rainy season

64. Red-rust (Cephaleuros virescens)
• Algae attacks foliage and young twigs.
• Rusty spots appear on leaves, initially as circular, slightly elevated, coalesce to form
irregular spots.
• The spores mature fall off and leave cream to white velvet texture on the surface of
the leaves
• Bordeaux mixture (0.6%) or Copper oxychloride 0.25%

65. Grey Blight (Pestalotia mangiferae)
• Brown spots develop on the margin and at the tip of the leaf lamina
• They increase in size and become dark brown. Black dots appear on the spots which
are acervuli of the fungus
• Survive on mango leaves for over a year
• Spreads through wind borne conidia
• Heavy infection is noticed during the monsoon when the temperature is 20-25oC and
high humidity
• Remove and destroy infected plant parts
• Spraying copper oxychloride 0.25 Mancozeb 0.25% or Bordeaux mixture 1.0%

66. Sooty mould (Capnodium mangiferae)
• The fungi produce mycelium which is superficial and dark
• They row on sugary secretions of the plant hoppers
• Black encrustation is formed which affect the photosynthetic activity
• The fungus grows on the leaf surface on the sugary substances secreted by jassids,
aphids and scale insects
• Controlling of insect by spraying systemic insecticides of methyl dematon
• After that spray starch solution (1kg Starch/Maida in 5 litres of water. Boiled and
dilute to 20 liters)
• Starch dries and forms flake which are removed along with the fungus

67. Maturity Indices
• Slightly colour development on the shoulders
• When one or two ripe fruits fall from the plant naturally
• When the specific gravity of fruits ranges between 1.01 and 1.02.
• Number of days taken from flowering ranges from 90-120 days to fruit maturity.
• Method of Harvesting: The fruits are harvested by shaking the branches which results in
internal breakdown of the flesh on falling and spoils the appearance
• In the other common method, the fruit picker climbs up the tree with a collecting bag
on his shoulder and the fruits plucked are placed in the bag.
• This method though more satisfactory, is rather impracticable because of the large size
of the tree.
• Besides, there is danger of breaking the branch also.

68. • The most satisfactory method available at the moment is the one which makes use
of a bamboo hand tool, called Mango Picker.
• This consists of a long bamboo pole fitted with a cutting shear at the distal end
and under which a fruit cutting net is tied.
• A vibratory mango harvesting system has been designed for harvesting mangoes
with maximum fruit removal and minimum tree damage.
Harvesting
Mango Picker