Pre-harvest application of azoxystrobin minimised anthracnose of mango (cv. ‘Alphonso’) both at field and postharvest level enhancing yield and quality of fruits

Abstract

In the present investigation a new strobulurin fungicide azoxystrbin was compared with widely used carbendazim and other previously used fungicides on its efficacy in managing anthracnose disease of mango. Also as a need of an hour performance of non-pollutive bioagents and botanicals against the disease were also tested. Pre-harvest sprays of azoxystrobin at 0.1 % significantly minimised the field inocula (24.54 %) on mango leaves and thereby reduced the latent infection and manifestation of the anthracnose disease (3.3 %) on fruits at postharvest stage. Bioagents were slightly effective in combating the disease. The botanical Eupatorium odoratum performed in significance to control, though non-comparable to azoxystrobin. Suppression of the disease by Azoxystrobin lead to high fruit yield (70.56 kg/tree) and enhanced fruit quality in terms of weights of fruit, pulp, peel and stone, pulp recovery and fruit volume. Fruits in this treatment had ideal specific gravity (1.02 g/cc) at harvest.