African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12481

Full Length Research Paper

Consistent association of fungus Fusarium mangiferae Britz with mango malformation disease in Pakistan

Zafar Iqbal1*, Sohail Hameed2, Naeem Akhtar1, Muhammad Aslam Pervez3, Salman Ahmad1, Muhammad Yasin1, Muhammad Asif1, Altaf Ahmad Dasti4and Ahmad Saleem5        
1University  College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan. 2National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan. 3Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan 4Department of Botany, Bahauddin Zakaria University, Multan, Pakistan. 5Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB), Lahore, Pakistan.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 25 April 2011
  •  Published: 15 June 2011

Abstract

Mango malformation disease (MMD) deforms the natural shape of panicles and shoots. The disease incitant is of great concern due to its complexity and mode of infection. Recently, a new species Fusarium mangiferae Britz was confirmed as the etiological agent of MMD in African and Asian clade. There was a need to confirm the fungus in other Asian countries. We investigated the association of F. mangiferaewith malformed branches of five exotic and five indigenous cultivars of Mangifera indica L. in Pakistan. F. mangiferae proved to be the dominant fungus hosting majority of the malformed tissues. Among the indigenous cultivars, maximum tissue infection of 96.66% was found in cultivar Anwar Rataul and minimum was found in cultivar Late Chaunsa (48.33%). In exotic ones, maximum and minimum infections of 97.33 and 70.67% were noted in the cultivars Sensation and Pop, respectively. Light and transmission electron microscopy proved helpful in investigating the morphological matrix and ultrastructure of the propagules of fungus F. mangiferae.

 

Key words: Mangifera indica, microconidium, Pakistan, tissue assay, transmission electron microscopy.