Does this look like MBBS on my fruit?

[JakeFruit]

A small, black spot appeared on my Sweet Tart fruit several weeks ago. There was no fruit above it, so it couldn’t have been sap or something dropping onto it. It was firm/hard to the touch and didn’t seem to be a expanding, so I stopped paying attention to it. After some really heavy rains this week, it now looks like what you see in the pic. It’s gotten bigger, has developed a yellow ring around the black area, and is now soft to the touch. Is this what MBBS looks like?

[Squam256]

Yes

[JakeFruit]

Yikes. Is there any way to tell for sure? Should I remove the fruit (other fruit around it aren't showing any spots)?
We've had a bunch of rain for awhile now, been thinking a few of my mangoes are being hit hard by anthracnose (one is another Sweet Tart), but now I'm wondering if it's MBBS...

[JakeFruit]

Reading this UF research paper (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/hs1369) gives me a little hope it's not MBBS, since the original damage started out fairly large and circular. Once it dries off a bit outside, I'm going out with a magnifying glass to see it clearer.

In the article it states that leaves effected by MBBS develop a greasy appearance on their undersides. I've been noticing that all season on leaves for a few (smaller) trees, so that's not good. I did some reading on mango diseases that cause the leaves to have that greasy appearance, and it sounds like this problem could also be caused by Powdery Mildew. PM was a real problem earlier in the season, destroyed 90% of my panicles. I'm thinking/hoping what I'm seeing is a continuation of the PM problem.

[bsbullie]

Reading this UF research paper (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/hs1369) gives me a little hope it's not MBBS, since the original damage started out fairly large and circular. Once it dries off a bit outside, I'm going out with a magnifying glass to see it clearer.

In the article it states that leaves effected by MBBS develop a greasy appearance on their undersides. I've been noticing that all season on leaves for a few (smaller) trees, so that's not good. I did some reading on mango diseases that cause the leaves to have that greasy appearance, and it sounds like this problem could also be caused by Powdery Mildew. PM was a real problem earlier in the season, destroyed 90% of my panicles. I'm thinking/hoping what I'm seeing is a continuation of the PM problem.

I hate to say this and bad mouth UF but better to listen to Alex on this one.  There are different strains of MBBS, one affects the foliage and one the fruit (you can have either or both at the same time).

[JakeFruit]

I assumed there would be more images/info out there on identifying MBBS. It's such a blight on the mango and seems to have spread nearly everywhere in the world; strange that it's not better documented.

From what I can gather, MBBS causes raised, angular (oozing) lesions while anthracnose causes flat/sunken lesions. Going by that and looking closer at the lesion, my guess now is this is anthracnose

[Squam256]

In the first photo the mbbs lesión is visible in the middle of the anthracnose/rot spot. The lesion from the mbbs is what allows the fungí to enter the fruit and cause the necrosis.

[bsbullie]

Reading this UF research paper (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/hs1369) gives me a little hope it's not MBBS, since the original damage started out fairly large and circular. Once it dries off a bit outside, I'm going out with a magnifying glass to see it clearer.

In the article it states that leaves effected by MBBS develop a greasy appearance on their undersides. I've been noticing that all season on leaves for a few (smaller) trees, so that's not good. I did some reading on mango diseases that cause the leaves to have that greasy appearance, and it sounds like this problem could also be caused by Powdery Mildew. PM was a real problem earlier in the season, destroyed 90% of my panicles. I'm thinking/hoping what I'm seeing is a continuation of the PM problem.

I hate to say this and bad mouth UF but better to listen to Alex on this one.  There are different strains of MBBS, one affects the foliage and one the fruit (you can have either or both at the same time).

Here is a LZ with similar damage.

[JakeFruit]

Thanks for the further analysis Alex and the pic Rob. Makes sense on how it could have evolved to where it is now; wish I would have taken a pic when I first saw it a few weeks ago. That exact spot on the fruit gets full sun nearly all day, the black spot was firm with no cracks or signs of injury back when I first saw it (I chalked it up to sunburn back then).

This fruit being one of only two Sweet Tart fruits I have this season, what's my best chance at getting it to the ripe/eating stage? I think it's a few weeks away from ripe. Can I just leave it on the tree and watch that the rot doesn't spread too fast? As you can see in the pic, the stem is still nearly all green, but the skin looks like it's starting to change color and lose it's chalky outer appearance.

[JakeFruit]

I went ahead and took the fruit off the tree. I cut the damaged area off the fruit, the blackness went down into the flesh, nearly to the seed. The flesh is very fragrant and starting to color up; I placed a paper towel over the exposed flesh and put it in with some bananas in a fruit bowl.

I've found cutting damaged areas off unripe fruit and then covering the exposed flesh with a paper towel is a good way to halt any rotting and give the fruit time to ripen (don't use plastic/saran wrap, it can't breath and will ferment). I had a really unripe mango two months ago that I did this trick on, it held for many weeks with out going bad; when I decided it was as ripe as it was going to get, the exposed flesh that was covered by the paper towel had developed something like a skin when the towel had been. Mango band-aids 

[bsbullie]

I went ahead and took the fruit off the tree. I cut the damaged area off the fruit, the blackness went down into the flesh, nearly to the seed. The flesh is very fragrant and starting to color up; I placed a paper towel over the exposed flesh and put it in with some bananas in a fruit bowl.

I've found cutting damaged areas off unripe fruit and then covering the exposed flesh with a paper towel is a good way to halt any rotting and give the fruit time to ripen (don't use plastic/saran wrap, it can't breath and will ferment). I had a really unripe mango two months ago that I did this trick on, it held for many weeks with out going bad; when I decided it was as ripe as it was going to get, the exposed flesh that was covered by the paper towel had developed something like a skin when the towel had been. Mango band-aids 

Once the fruit cut open, it doesn't really ripen.  It will get soft but will not develop further.

[JakeFruit]

I've done it for the last 3 seasons, maybe it's not textbook ripening, but it definitely evolves towards a more edible/enjoyable fruit. It's like bananas. In fact, don't we refer to bananas "ripening" as the sit on the counter and go from the green, tongue-coating starchy experience to the yellow, sweet and soft fruit we prefer to eat? Then, they become "over-ripe" once they start going black and mushy (which, I actually prefer, up to a certain point). If I cut that Sweet Tart up now and eat it, it'll be all sour, chalk & starch. Given time, those starches breakdown/convert to sugars and the texture softens to become much more enjoyable.  I bet in a week or two, I'll enjoy eating this fruit.

I don't enjoy a wealth of quality mangoes in my area, gotta make do.

[bsbullie]

I've done it for the last 3 seasons, maybe it's not textbook ripening, but it definitely evolves towards a more edible/enjoyable fruit. It's like bananas. In fact, don't we refer to bananas "ripening" as the sit on the counter and go from the green, tongue-coating starchy experience to the yellow, sweet and soft fruit we prefer to eat? Then, they become "over-ripe" once they start going black and mushy (which, I actually prefer, up to a certain point). If I cut that Sweet Tart up now and eat it, it'll be all sour, chalk & starch. Given time, those starches breakdown/convert to sugars and the texture softens to become much more enjoyable.  I bet in a week or two, I'll enjoy eating this fruit.

I don't enjoy a wealth of quality mangoes in my area, gotta make do.

There is a difference between a fruit ripening as picked compared to a fruit that has been cut open and then expecting it to ripen.

[JakeFruit]

Yes, a fruit picked at the proper time will ripen properly and be best, but improper ripened fruit can still be very enjoyable. If you slice off a section of the unripe fruit down to the seed and any amount of flesh around the seed has started to change color and soften, it's a good bet the fruit will continue to ripen over time. If there is no color/texture difference in the flesh around the seed, it's too young and likely a lost cause. A paper towel over the exposed area works like a band-aid, allowing air to flow and keeping the bugs away. after a few days, the exposed flesh dries out. Then touch and (especially) smell tell you when it's ready.

The Sweet Tart had maybe 1/4" of softer, orange-r flesh around the seed, I think it'll be good. Maybe the rot that was setting in from the damage will have a negative effect on the process, time will tell.

[palmcity]

Thanks for the further analysis Alex and the pic Rob.

This fruit being one of only two Sweet Tart fruits I have this season, what's my best chance at getting it to the ripe/eating stage? I think it's a few weeks away from ripe.

IMO Sweet Tarts that size will have no problem ripening on the counter within 5 days and I usually eat them when they soften a little. Even if the fruit is still green but yet soft, it has been sweet at my location just a little bit more tart with the sweet if still green skin .

I went ahead and took the fruit off the tree. I cut the damaged area off the fruit, the blackness went down into the flesh, nearly to the seed. The flesh is very fragrant and starting to color up; I placed a paper towel over the exposed flesh and put it in with some bananas in a fruit bowl.

I've found cutting damaged areas off unripe fruit and then covering the exposed flesh with a paper towel is a good way to halt any rotting and give the fruit time to ripen (don't use plastic/saran wrap,

Agree with you on the definition of ripening : "Google: Ripening is a process in fruits that causes them to become more palatable. In general, fruit becomes sweeter, less green, and softer as it ripens"
I see you were trying to help other readers and members know they do not have to always throw away damaged fruit & I agree with you 100%.

[JakeFruit]

Thanks, yeah, that was my aim. Damaged/downed fruit, even with moderate damage or rot, isn't lost and doesn't have to be pickled, etc.,. If the fruit is full-sized, it'll probably become enjoyable with enough time.

[JakeFruit]

Just following up, only took a week and it was delicious. You can see the slight skin/dry exposed flesh, some slightly moldy spots, but I cut 1/4" off and it was perfect. The disease/rot was spreading pretty quickly, if I hadn't cut it off and just let the fruit sit, it would have spread through nearly the entire fruit over this last week.