Mango Anthracnose

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the most economically damaging mango pathogen worldwide, and it earns that reputation by attacking the crop at nearly every vulnerable stage: flowers, young fruitlets, and ripening fruit are all susceptible. The fungus overwinters in infected debris and bark, then produces spores that spread by splashing rain or irrigation. Warm, humid conditions between roughly 25°C and 30°C accelerate spore germination and infection, making the flush and bloom periods the highest-risk windows in tropical and subtropical climates.

A key characteristic of this pathogen is quiescence: spores land on young fruit and germinate, but lesion development stalls until the fruit begins to ripen and its defenses weaken. This means visually clean fruit at harvest can break down within days, which is why post-harvest losses in humid growing regions often exceed field losses.

Management combines several approaches. Copper-based fungicides applied at flush, bloom, and fruit set provide the strongest evidence base for reducing blossom blight and latent fruit infections; efficacy depends heavily on timing relative to wet weather. Canopy pruning to improve airflow reduces the microclimate humidity that favors spore release. For growers focused on post-harvest quality, a hot water dip at 50°C for five minutes after harvest is a well-documented non-chemical option that reduces latent infections already present on the skin.

Variety choice is the most durable lever. Carrie, Glenn, and Keitt show meaningfully better tolerance than Tommy Atkins, which is widely grown commercially but consistently ranks among the most susceptible cultivars.