Mango killer strikes UAE farms as officials set out to protect trees

Abu Dhabi/Ras Al Khaimah: Thousands of mango trees in the UAE's farms have been hit by a fungal disease resulting in high tree mortality, environment officials have said.

A fungus called Ceratocystis Manginecans, commonly known as mango killer, was identified as the cause of the disease.

If left untreated, the disease has the potential to wipe out entire farms, according to researchers.

In response, the Ministry of Environment and Water has geared up to protect the trees by containing and controlling the disease, officials told Gulf News yesterday in a phone interview.

"The disease leads to rapid deterioration of the mango trees. Once infected, the trees die within six months' time", reads a report produced by the ministry.

The fungus prevents the movement of water and nutrients from the roots to the branches and the twigs.

The disease first appeared in the UAE in 2005 in the eastern region of the country.

Since then, it has spread to other areas including Bitnah, Masafi, Dadna, Dibba and Kalba, the report said.

Sultan Abdullah Alwan, Director General of the Agricultural and Animals Affairs at the ministry, said that the ministry is currently working on curing the infection and saving the mango farms.

He said that the ministry will implement serious measures to fight the infection and prevent its spread to other farms, where the infected farms and trees will be handled with great care.

The symptoms of the disease include sudden browning and wilting of leaves.

This then progresses gradually to the drying out of branches, until the whole plant dies.

Indications

Insects such as bark beetles act as vectors in spreading the fungus to other plants in the locality and eventually plants in other nearby areas. Small holes left behind on the stem by the beetles are also one of the indications of the disease.

Difficulty in treating the disease led the ministry to preparing a new strategy — including measures for pest and disease control.

The cause of the disease remained unknown for a long time. In Oman, the same infection was reported in 2000 and resulted in a huge decline of yield.

Researchers at the Crop Sciences Department of the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences at the Sultan Qaboos University of the Ministry of Agriculture in Oman were finally able to successfully identify the fungus causing the disease and put in place a project to protect mango farming in December last year.

To benefit from their experience, the UAE ministry is cooperating with the university by bringing in experts to study the issue and train technical staff.

As a preventive measure, circulars detailing the dos and don'ts have been issued to mango farmers to raise awareness.

— With inputs from Nasouh Nazzal, Staff Reporter