Field evaluation of the performance of Boost 500 SC (Acibenzolar-S-methyl) against major disease of mango

A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of different rates of Boost 500 SC (acibenzolar-S-methyl) against major fungal disease of mango under field conditions. Based on the results of the experiment, all fungicide treatments effectively reduced anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloesporioides) and stem-end rot (Lasiodiplodia theobromae). Boost 500 SC at 2.5 and 5.00 g ai/100 li H2O exhibited excellent activity in reducing the severity of anthracnose on leaves, panicles and flowers. At these rates, the efficacy of the product was comparable to the standard fungicides Score 250 SC (12.5 g ai/100 li H2O) and Benlate 50 WP (125 g ai/100 li H2O) but performed better than Mancozeb 80 WP (120 g ai/100 li H2O). Boost 500 SC at higher rates also performed better than Mancozeb 80 WP in reducing lesion development due to fruit anthracnose and stem-end rot and provided comparable efficacy with the other standards. Boost 500 SC at 5.00 g ai/100 li H2O provided the highest percent control of fruit anthracnose and stem-end rot with 95.31% and 92.97% control, respectively. On yield and yield components, Boost 500 SC at 2.50 and 5.00 g ai/100 li H2O gave higher fruit yield on mango comparable to standard fungicides. The increase in fruit yield may be attributed to the excellent activity of the test chemicals against C. gloesporioides on leaves, panicles, flowers and fruits. Based on the results of this study, Boost SC at 2.5-5.00 g ai/100 li H2O is highly recommended against anthracnose on leaves, flowers, and fruits. The results showed that the product performance is comparable to the standards and, at higher rates, performed better than the standard Mancozeb 80 WP. The tank mix combination of Boost 500 SC (2.5 g ai/li H2O) + Score 250 SC (12.5 g ai/100 li H2O) can be further tested and compared to other combination designed for mango anthracnose, an stem-end rot. Initial results showed the schedule application and combination produced good quality fruits for export and further testing can confirm such activities