Mexican scientists create new fungicide improving mango's quality

A group of Mexican scientists from the Institute of Biotechnology of the UNAM (IBT- UNAM) developed a fungicide that can increase the quality of mango by inhibiting the anthracnose, a disease that causes black spots on the fruit.

Mangoes are frequently colonized by some fungi varieties that cause the appearance of black spots. According to experts from the IBT- UNAM, the anthracnose is a widespread disease in almost all of the mango producing regions and it causes significant losses and may affect up to 60 percent of the total harvest.

The problem motivated a group of scientists from the IBT- UNAM to develop research that focused on inhibiting the anthracnose. According to Dr. Enrique Galindo Fentanes, it is common for mango producers to attack the anthracnose with some chemically synthesized fungicides. However, these products might decrease the fruits' potential export because of each country's health standards.

The IBT- UNAM scientists were given the task of detecting and isolating a bacterium of the genus Bacillus, which was identified as a natural enemy of the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides fungi (which cause anthracnose). The researchers found that the bacteria limited the growth of the fungus on the fruit and, with the spores of this microorganism, created the active ingredient of a product called Fungifree.

Galindo Fentanes explained that Fungifree's wide range of antifungal compounds make it a product that not only attacks anthracnose, but also other fruit diseases, such as the powdery mildew, which affects several varieties of chilli, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes, and other species. According to the expert of the IBT- UNAM, the treatment of mango crops with the Fungifree fungicide could increase exports of the product from 20 to 70 percent of the total harvest.

In turn, Dr. Leobardo Serrano Carreon, said that the team of scientists - entrepreneurs were currently working in the development of applications that stimulate the growth of various species, since they had observed that the use of the fungicide, at root level, allowed the plant to develop natural defences. "The symbiosis of the spores of the active ingredient with the plant species allows producers to obtain healthier plants," explained the specialist.