Sooty Mold Threatens Mangoes: Protect Your Sundarja Crop Now!

• Sooty mold (black fungus) is appearing in mango orchards in Madhya Pradesh's Vindhya region, threatening the famous Sundarja mango.
• The fungus is caused by sweet secretions from sap-sucking insects, covering leaves, flowers, and fruits, hindering photosynthesis.
• Severe infection during flowering stops fruit formation and causes premature fruit drop, also reducing market value due to black spots.
• Control measures include managing sap-sucking insects and ants, pruning branches, and removing weeds.
• Spray a mixture of 6 spoons of soap or 3 spoons of liquid dishwash in 5 liters of water, or use commercial white oil/homemade oil spray for prevention.

Why It Matters: Timely intervention against sooty mold is crucial to save mango crops and preserve the sweetness of Sundarja mangoes.