Chronological History of Mango Malformation

Abstract

The disease was first noticed in 1891. The curiosity that it evoked hundred and twenty years before has not yet died down. The importance of mango crop, severity of the disease and its wide spread occurrence, the heavy loss in yield and unusual disease symptoms attract scientists across the disciplines, a rare event in research in plant pathology. However, lack of integration among scientists from diverse disciplines and the complex etiology of the disease made it an enigma. Pressing need from mango growers to find out control measures on one hand and the lack of knowledge in etiology and epidemiology on the other forced a number of speculative control measures, which as expected, did not yield desired results. The transition from such state of ambiguity and confusion to the present day scenario when the pathogen has been identified, the physiology of pathogenesis and various aspects of epidemiology are known, the disease forecasting systems and field effective IPM strategy have been developed and validated, definitely makes a fascinating story. The story of creating the enigma around the mango malformation and its gradual unraveling has been narrated in the first chapter.