Association of bark beetle Hypocryphalus mangiferae Stebbing (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) with the pathogens Ceratocystis fambriata and Phomopsis sp in relation to mango sudden death in Pakistan

Background/Question/Methods Mango udden death is recently introduced, economically a very serious disease apeared first time in Pakistan by which apparently healthy looking mango trees collaps with in couple of days. The association of bark beetle, Hypocryphalus mangiferae, Stebbing (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) with a fungal pathogens Ceratocystis fambriata and Phomopsis Sp.in etiology of sudden death was studied during mango survey 2006-2007.

Results/Conclusions: The disease symptoms of mango sudden death on different varieties were recorded along with the attack of bark beetle species. It was found that there was maximum 25.30% disease incidence on cv. Chaunsa. The fungi C. fambriata and Phomopsis Sp. were isolated from the diseases trees and the bark beetle caught from diseased trees and cultured on PDA medium and  carrot discs. As C. fambriata isolated from mango wood samples showd less frequency (11.66-18.57%) as compared with Phomopsis Sp. (26.66-33.75) on PDA. Where as from the beetle, the isolation of C. fambriata by carrot disc technique was significantly higher (30.55%) as com[pared to PDA (3.33%) and Phomopsis Sp.was not isolated from carrot disc technique. THe results showed that C. fambriata and Phomopsis Sp.are involved in causing mango sudden death due to their consistent isolations from symptomatic plants as well as the beetle. This study also illustrated that abundance of bark beetle Hypocryphalus mangiferae with diseases of mango trees may serve as a wounding agent and facilitating factor for transmission of disease pathogens in mango orchards in Pakistan.