Nieves-Méndez, Nisael

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Etiología de la malformación del tejido vegetativo del mango (Mangifera indica L.) en Puerto Rico
(2005) Nieves-Méndez, Nisael; Segarra-Carmona, Alejandro E.; College of Agricultural Sciences; Rivera Vargas, Lydia I.; Abreu Rodríguez, Edwin; Department of Crops and Agro-Environmental Sciences; Berrios Ortíz, Angel
Recently, mango seedlings (Mangifera indica L.) showing symptoms of mango malformation syndrome were detected Puerto Rico. Typical symptoms were: mottled and deformed leaves, defoliation, and loss of apical dominance. The objective of the present study was to identify the causal agent of the symptoms previously described. Diagnose molecular tests were made to detect phytoplasms and virus. Two species of mites were associated with the symptoms: Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks (Acari: Tarsonemidae) and Neocalacarus mangiferae Channabasavanna (Acari: Eriophyidae). Tests for phytoplasms and virus resulted all negative. The findings indicate that P. latus causes leaf deformation, which possibly causes defoliation, and development of lateral buds. No fungi were isolated from these seedlings. In contrast, N. mangiferae also caused the development of lateral buds, but did not induce leaf deformation. Fusarium lateritium was isolated associated to the symptoms and confirmed by pathogenicity test as a pathogen in mango seedlings causing cankers and lateral buds.