+33 680 38 14 46
Mango orchards at stake
Pakistan
Monday 18 February 2008
A strong threat of lethal disease Quick Decline to the mango orchards has established in South Punjab after elimination of species of Shisham trees while thousands of mango trees were observed last year showing black colored stink liquid at the collar portion of the stem, wilting and then finally dying of the plants with in a few days and the injured roots have been found as primary site of infection spread.
Neither a complete disease diagnostic set up could be established in Multan to streamline strategy against Quick Decline nor a single research specialist on mango is available in the country to protect the 3rd biggest crop of the country, said the mango growers.
The Shujaabad mango research station sources complained about non-filling of vacant technical posts and acute shortage of scientific literature and lack of coordination between different research organizations. The only research station is also facing shortage of field staff to conduct field operations while the funds have already been curtailed to ¼ due to which the research work is being hampered adversely.
The mango growers observed the bureaucratic attitudes in agriculture research wing caused the rapid spread of disease because the researchers did not take the whole matter seriously. The researchers also used delaying tactics into conducting pathogenic tests of infected mango plants, which further promoted the sudden drying of mango trees. The government has been charging a fix tax and water tax from disease infected dry orchards, which are not producing fruits while the mango growers were forcefully cutting their orchards, said mango growers.
The mango orchards sprawl over 125300 acres with production of 650400 metric tons was received in 2002 from orchards in Punjab districts have been producing average crop since the appearance of lathel diseases in the entire remote belt of Mango. Mango orchards were facing critical attack of fruit disease Quick Decline, lack of grading, vexing and cold storage infrastructure at wide scale. Thousands of mango trees have been cut down in past years due to severe attack of disease Quick Decline that suddenly dry the mango plants and the growers come to know when last stage of prevention has passed. None of a single commercial variety has been found resistant to this disease and the problem is more commons in the canal-irrigated orchards while over irrigation is conducive for the development of the disease.
Neither a complete disease diagnostic set up could be established in Multan to streamline strategy against Quick Decline nor a single research specialist on mango is available in the country to protect the 3rd biggest crop of the country, said the mango growers.
The Shujaabad mango research station sources complained about non-filling of vacant technical posts and acute shortage of scientific literature and lack of coordination between different research organizations. The only research station is also facing shortage of field staff to conduct field operations while the funds have already been curtailed to ¼ due to which the research work is being hampered adversely.
The mango growers observed the bureaucratic attitudes in agriculture research wing caused the rapid spread of disease because the researchers did not take the whole matter seriously. The researchers also used delaying tactics into conducting pathogenic tests of infected mango plants, which further promoted the sudden drying of mango trees. The government has been charging a fix tax and water tax from disease infected dry orchards, which are not producing fruits while the mango growers were forcefully cutting their orchards, said mango growers.
The mango orchards sprawl over 125300 acres with production of 650400 metric tons was received in 2002 from orchards in Punjab districts have been producing average crop since the appearance of lathel diseases in the entire remote belt of Mango. Mango orchards were facing critical attack of fruit disease Quick Decline, lack of grading, vexing and cold storage infrastructure at wide scale. Thousands of mango trees have been cut down in past years due to severe attack of disease Quick Decline that suddenly dry the mango plants and the growers come to know when last stage of prevention has passed. None of a single commercial variety has been found resistant to this disease and the problem is more commons in the canal-irrigated orchards while over irrigation is conducive for the development of the disease.
