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[av_heading heading=’Improve the quality and yield of mango’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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Monday, March 6, 2017
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A RESEARCH that aims to address the problems pertaining to the yield and quality of mango, through the adoption of Integrated Crop Management (ICM), is expected to enhance the mango industry in the Philippines.
The study intends to prevent the decline in the production and quality of fruits attributed to pests, such as thrips, cecid flies, and fruit flies, as well as diseases like anthracnose, blossom blight, scab, and stem end rot, which occur during the pre and postharvest stages.
The problem in the production of mango is further magnified by issues on unproductive trees, and the rising cost of inputs such as pesticides, fertilizers, and other necessities.
The research is geared towards improving the quality of fruit by developing effective insect control and integrated pest management (IPM) solutions for pre and postharvest fungal diseases.
It also targets to improve the fruit size and yield by optimizing nutrition and canopy management.
The study, which is entitled “Research and development of integrated crop management for mango production in the Southern Philippines and Australia,” aims to improve the livelihood and income of mango farmers by developing and implementing an integrated management package of “best practices.”
It is a component project of the Horticulture Program on Fruits and Vegetables, and is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCAARRD-DOST).
Collaborating agencies include the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST), University of Southern Mindanao (USM), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and the provincial agriculturist’s offices of Davao Del Norte and Davao del Sur.
Research institutions and local government units are tasked to conduct research activities under the project to address the problems as cited.
In an annual review of completed and on-going researches that were held recently, initial results showed that the use of recommended insecticides with active ingredients cartap hydrochloride and profenofos were effective against thrips.
Spraying the mango trees with plant growth regulator (PGR) could also reduce the incidence of blossom blight, compared with multiple sprays of fungicide and could give higher average yield per tree.
Auxin, cytokinin, gibberellic acid, and salicylic acid were the PGRs used in the study.
In vitro and in vivo bioassay tests of different biofungicides against blossom blight, scab, anthracnose, and stem end rot were also conducted, however, results are yet to be completed.
A national survey which was conducted in at least eight major mango growing areas in the Philippines is expected to provide information as foundation of “best bet” management guidelines.
The study is linked with other ACIAR-PCAARRD mango projects.
One of these projects showed that the adoption of sustainable IPM practices could improve the quality and yield of mango, and would eventually increase the income of farmers by 156 percent.
The end result of the study is expected to benefit some 2.5 million smallhold mango farmers in the country./PN
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