CERATOCYSTIS WILT IN ‘UBÁ’ AND ‘DURA’ MANGO TREES UNDER WATER DEFICIT

Abstract

ABSTRACT The occurrence of water stress in mango trees grown in orchards located in semi-arid climates in Brazil is frequent. Water stress caused to plants may predispose them to the incidence of fungal diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of water deficit on the incidence and severity of Ceratocystis wilt in mango trees considered resistant. Seedlings of ‘Ubá’ and ‘Dura’ were kept in pots and submitted to different water stress levels and inoculated with Ceratocystis fimbriata isolate (CEBS15). Mortality was low in ‘Ubá’ plants and high in ‘Dura’ plants. ‘Ubá’ plants showed lower severity and lesion length. In ‘Ubá’ plants, water deficit influenced the increase in lesion length. ‘Dura’ plants showed greater severity and lesion length, which were not affected by increasing water stress. It was concluded that ‘Ubá’ variety is resistant to fungus Ceratocystis fimbriata, even in severe drought conditions, while ‘Dura’ variety was not resistant to CEBS15 isolate, even under optimum irrigation conditions.