EFFECT OF TIME OF INOCULATION WITH XANTHOMONAS-CAMPESTRIS PV MANGIFERAEINDICAE ON MANGO FRUITS SUSCEPTIBILITY - EPIPHYTIC SURVIVAL OF X-C-PV-MANGIFERAEINDICAE ON MANGO FRUITS IN RELATION TO DISEASE DEVELOPMENT

Susceptibility of mango fruits to bacterial black spot disease was related to the stage of fruit development and to climatic factors (rainfall and temperature). The highest percentages of infected fruits occurred when inoculations were performed during the month just before harvest. Wounds and lenticels are effective entry sites for the bacterium. The ability of lenticels to take up bacterial inoculum was estimated using safranin. The susceptibility of lenticels to entry of the pathogen was directly related to the fruit age. X. c. pv. mangiferaeindicae can survive epiphytically on immature mango fruits. Bacterial populations around 10(5) c.f.u./fruit are commonly detected. Epiphytic X. c. pv. mangiferaeindicae were not detected on symptomless mature fruits. Those resident populations are an important source of inoculum for fruit infection. The number of bacterial spots occurring on the fruits is directly related to epiphytic populations.