Development of integrated crop management practices to increase sustainable yield and quality of mangoes in Pakistan and Australia

The four areas of focus of the ASLP mango production project (HORT/2005/153) are: 1. Establishment of clean nurseries, 2. Improvements in orchard husbandry, 3. Detection and management of mango sudden death and 4. Improvements in training and extension. Good progress was made with activities associated with each of these focus areas, during the first year of the project operations.

For the establishment of clean nurseries, the target was to initiate capacity for a mango research nursery at the Mango Research Station at Shujabad in Punjab and another at the Sindh Horticulture Research Institute at Mirpurkhas in Sindh. Structures for these nurseries have been re-furbished at both stations and there is good progress with the establishment of functional research nurseries. The other target was to encourage and technically support private commercial nursery operators to establish model commercial nurseries in each of the two main mango production regions of Punjab and Sindh, from which other operators could learn and duplicate in their establishments. One private commercial nursery operator from Multan visited Australia and undertook training through a Crawford-funded training fellowship. He has commenced the construction and establishment of the model commercial nursery in the Multan area. There have been expressions of interest from a number of commercial nursery operators from the Sindh and one will soon be selected and assisted through the Crawford fund to undergo similar training in Australia, so that he can establish a model commercial nursery for Sindh.
The last activity associated with clean nurseries establishment was the publication of a nursery manual which could facilitate clean nursery establishment by others. This is a collaborative activity with the Pakistan Federal Seed Certification Board and the Punjab Fruit and Vegetable Development Project, all of who also have this as an output of their on-going projects. An outline for the publication of this manual has been produced and the activity is on schedule to produce the first draft by the end of year two and have the final document published as scheduled by the end of year 3.

In the focus of improving tree husbandry to increase yields of quality fruits, one of the activities was the identification and introduction of rootstocks with tolerance to adverse abiotic conditions such as high pH and salinity. A good number of mono-embryonic rootstock sources from 3 locally cultivated varieties (Chaunsa, Sindhri & Langra) have been identified from the screening of over 1500 trees with apparent good salt tolerance. Seedlings of a known salt tolerant variety (13-1) have been imported from Australia and are being conditioned at the National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) in Islamabad, for later distribution to the different research centers for evaluation and use in establishing salt tolerance rootstock sources. Nutrient and canopy management trials were also established as activities to improve tree husbandry. Unfortunately, these trials were affected by the heavy frost that went through most of the production districts of Multan. In the few farms in the area where the effects were less and in other farms in Sindh where these trials were also conducted, the initial results are very encouraging, indicating that current orchards could be improved through appropriate nutrient applications and a carefully planned pruning schedule to reduce tree height, without severely affecting the yields of quality fruits.

Studies on the mango sudden death syndrome (MSDS) were closely linked with on-going activities in the national project focusing on the aetiology and management of this disease. Progress was made with the completion of surveys initiated through the national project. Disease detection studies were completed with the standardization of sampling and isolating methods among researchers and the identification and testing of the main pathogens (Ceratocystis fimbriata and Lasiodiplodia theobromae) involved in this disease syndrome. The role of other minor pathogens in the syndrome was also investigated and demonstrated. Initiated studies which are on-going are also demonstrating that the bark beetle has a major role in the transmission and spread of this disease within orchards. The two main associated pathogens have been isolated from infected beetles. A grower guide showing various stages of symptoms development of the disease has been developed. It will be linked with action points during initial phases of the disease and made available to growers for use. There was limited progress on research on the epidemiology of dendritic spots due to the absence of a graduate student fellowship.

In capacity building, individuals have undertaken training in Australia and there have been a number of group training seminars and workshops delivered by visiting Australian project scientists as well as national project counterparts on different areas of the project focus. Individual trainings have been on commercial nursery establishment and the implementation of extension strategies, both undertaken in Australia through Crawford funds. Another individual training was in project management through the John Dillon fellowship. More individual graduate training fellowships are expected to commerce through the John Alright Fellowships during the next academic year. Group training workshops and seminars have focused on integrated disease management strategies, tree pruning in good orchard management and procedures in the establishment of clean and disease-free nurseries. During the first year of project operation, a total of 252 researchers have been trained through 14 training workshops. It is also estimated that more than 3600 growers have been addressed and directed through 19 seminars/workshops conducted in different production districts.

In the communication and dissemination of the project outcomes, two project Newsletters were produced and the third is in the press while the forth is also in progress. Project brochures highlighting some of the project outcomes have also been produced and distributed to growers and other stakeholders.