Response of endemic <em>Mangifera zeylanica</em> (Blume) Hook. f. fruit to common postharvest pathogens of cultivated mango (<em>Mangifera indica</em> L.) fruit in Sri Lanka

• Main Authors: K. O. L. C. Karunanayake, N. K. B. Adikaram
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka 2021-03-01
• Series: Ceylon Journal of Science
• Subjects: mangifera zeylanica, endemic, postharvest, anthracnose, stem-end rot, mango fruit
• Online Access: https://cjs.sljol.info/articles/7849

Two species of <em>Mangifera </em>are found in Sri Lanka, the cultivated <em>Mangifera indica </em>L. and the endemic <em>M. zeylanica </em>(Blume) Hook.f. [Et-amba (S)]. <em>Mangifera indica </em>is a climacteric fruit, susceptible to infection by many fungal pathogens, causing postharvest diseases at ripe stage. Among them, <em>Colletotrichum </em>spp. and <em>Lasiodiplodia theobromae </em>that cause anthracnose and stem-end rot disease respectively, are considered the most destructive postharvest pathogens in ripe mangoes. Harvested fruit of <em>M. zeylanica </em>also showed a climacteric pattern of respiration and the pulp was sweet to taste, with acceptable TSS value for mango fruit. The present study investigated the resistance or susceptibility of the fruit of endemic <em>M. zeylanica </em>to these two pathogens. Artificial inoculation of fruits with <em>C. gloeosporioides </em>and <em>L. theobromae </em>separately, produced anthracnose as well as stem-end rot symptoms respectively, showing that <em>M. zeylanica </em>fruits are susceptible to the pathogens. However, considering the pattern and the extent of disease development, <em>M. zeylanica </em>fruits can be considered moderately resistant to both pathogens. <em>Alternaria </em>sp., <em>Pestalotiopsis </em>sp., <em>Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Curvularia </em>sp. and <em>Neofusicoccum </em>sp. were frequently isolated from the pedicel and the stem-end region of healthy fruits of <em>M. zeylanica </em>at harvesting maturity. However, <em>Colletotrichum </em>species could not be isolated from either the pedicel or the stem-end region of <em>M. zeylanica</em>. TLC-<em>Cladosporium </em>bioassay of peel extract of the unripe <em>M. zeylanica </em>fruit resulted in a large inhibition zone at R_f0.00 which corresponded with antifungal gallotannins contributing to the constitutive defences of <em>M. indica </em>fruit against invading pathogens<em>.</em>