Mango Malformation

[Guanabanus]

Saturday I worked on the worst case of mango malformation that I have been asked to remedy.  The 18-foot tree is affected in all its main branches--- so probably got the infection when it was about 7-8 feet tall in the nursery it came from.  Maybe even the graftwood it was produced from was already sick, but a counter-arguement to that is that the trunk is nice and straight.

I did sanitation pruning, removing two large bags of material, sanitizing clippers between each cut and daubing fresh cuts with a solution I prepared.

For more pictures and details, see my company page on my Facebook page: Har Mahdeem :  http://www.facebook.com/#!/HarsServices

[Squam256]

Interesting. Does the tree exhibit any other symptoms besides the deformed flowering? How much of the canopy did you have to remove?

[Guanabanus]

There was a lot of previous vegetative malformation still visible, but all the currently active malformation was in the bloom panicles.

[MarinFla]

Interesting, aside from removing the deformed pannicles and growth....is there a particular fungicide or other spray you use to treat it?

[Patrick]

Thats the worse case I have seen in our area.. Yikes! The scary thing is birds have been clamping their claws into those branches and moved it elsewhere!

[adiel]

Thanks for sharing this info.  I think this problem is becoming more prevalent now for some reason.

[bsbullie]

Thanks for sharing this info.  I think this problem is becoming more prevalent now for some reason.

Or like with anything, with more knowledge its more identifiable.

[Guanabanus]

I have spent several days studying the subject, and have not found any product labeled for mango malformation.

Since anthracnose follows closely on the heels of malformation, and since products labeled for anthracnose advise use before symptoms are visible, I am within my rights to spray for anthracnose--- I do hear through the grapevine that at least some of these products also suppress malformation.

So I will be spraying with systemic fungicides, miticides ((mango bud mites are said to be vectors of malformation), and nutritional supplements that are known to help plants increase their resistance to disease.

[Patrick]

And its not always that severe at all..

If the flower panicles dont look nice and smooth like a christmas tree tapering evenly to the center, it is probably being affected by one or more strain of Fusarium. 

It will also deform growth shoots and bunch them as well!

[Central Floridave]

This is the first I've heard of mango malformation (but I also haven't been paying attention).  After googlin', it looks like mango malformation is common internationally and been around for a long time.   

Can it be cured culturally?       I haven't seen malformation on any trees around me but I'll keep a eye out now.    I wonder if trees that are over cared for are more susceptible.  People always spraying something on them and watering too much.  To me, mango do better with no care than with care.  I never water and barely fertilize and they do pretty good for me.  But, then again, I'm just a homeowner grower.   

I have people ask me all the time why their mango is not producing.  The first thing I tell them is to stop watering.  Never water a mature mango tree (at least here in Florida). 

Of course, I'm no expert and fusarium is all around us.  Just throwing it out there.  (murphy's law now states all my mango will get malformation)  (knock on wood, throwing salt over my shoulder). 

[Cookie Monster]

The facebook url came across funky. Reposting the link: http://www.facebook.com/HarsServices

Saturday I worked on the worst case of mango malformation that I have been asked to remedy.  The 18-foot tree is affected in all its main branches--- so probably got the infection when it was about 7-8 feet tall in the nursery it came from.  Maybe even the graftwood it was produced from was already sick, but a counter-arguement to that is that the trunk is nice and straight.

I did sanitation pruning, removing two large bags of material, sanitizing clippers between each cut and daubing fresh cuts with a solution I prepared.

For more pictures and details, see my company page on my Facebook page: Har Mahdeem :  http://www.facebook.com/#!/HarsServices

[mangomandan]

I'll be interested in knowing if you are successful, Har.

Years ago I tried to solve this by stripping every single leaf-bearing branch from a good-sized tree. I think I sprayed with copper once or twice afterwards.

I figured I would kill either the tree or the pathogen.

But the tree flushed back just fine, complete with the disease.   I'm still wondering if there is any sort of fungicide or chemical that would have cured the problem.

[adiel]

I just found a book on Mango Malformation (Published January 6, 2011):

[bsbullie]

I just found a book on Mango Malformation (Published January 6, 2011):

Get the free preview here on #4:
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=1252.0

That'll save ya $200.00...though having actual books are nice.

[fruitlovers]

Are you referring to this link? http://www.dkchakrabarti.com/mango_malformation_01.pdf
That's not a book, just abstracts of articles written on mango malformation.
I don't see the Mango Malformation book online?

[Pancrazio]

Thank you Har, very interesting.
Probably MM is a multi-factorial disease, so an integrated approach is the best way to go. I'm not an expert by any means, but everything i have googled on the subject makes me think so.
For sure sanitizing a big tree is an hard work, but it is necessary to reuce the infective load. I wonder if a plant can revert to a normal state after a better balance in nutritional elements, an oculated spraying, and some selective pruning.
Just a couple question... What did you used to sanitarize the scissors between each cut? And what kind of chemicals did you use as systemic funghicide (i'm interested in the chemical because here probably i won't find the same identical product)?

[adiel]

As Oscar mentioned, you will have to buy this one for around $189.  This one is not FREE in pdf format as of the date I put in this posting.

[Guanabanus]

I used two clippers.  I put each one to soak, after each cut, in PineSol deluted 50%, then rinsed in 91% rubbing alcohol (undeluted).

The wound-penetrating solution I painted on was my own experimental formulation, involving 9 products.  I don't know how well it might work, and I will keep it proprietary, at least for now.

I will be treating the whole tree with Potassium Phosphite and other plant nutrients and vitamins.

Through the grapevine I have heard recommendations of Azoxystrobin.  Most readily available products with this active ingredient are not labeled for mangos or any other fruit trees.  I did find one labeled for anthacnose on mango--- but it is $245 for one gallon.  This one gallon would spray 32 acres;  to spray this one tree I would use 1/4 teaspoon, and a maximum of 6 sprays per year is allowed.  I will not be investing my money in such at this time.  Now if a customer wants to buy a gallon.... and include it in his will!

[adiel]

Har, thanks for sharing that info.  Do you know if the Azoxystrobin will actually get rid of the Fusarium or will the tree still have it in a "dormant" state?

Thank You

[fruitlovers]

look for it and you will find it.

By golly, enduser is right! Thank you enduser!!

[Guanabanus]

Adiel,
I do not know.  Your guess may well be true.  The person who recommended this product still has not gotten rid of the problem.

[puglvr1]

Thanks for the great info Har! What variety of Mango is that...I noticed all the blooms and thought it was very late in the season to have so many blooms (even though its all dried up from the disease)...

Appreciate you re-posting the link Jeff Hagen, I couldn't get in the other post either...now I can see all the pictures.

Its a horrible disease and very scary, I sure hope they find something to cure it or at least prevent it from spreading.