Tedihou et al., J. Appl. Biosci. 2017 Dépérissement des manguiers et citrus dans la région centrale du Togo et méthodes de lutte par des fongicides Dieback of mangos and citrus in the central region of Togo and control methods by fungicides ABSTRACT Objectives: Begun in 2014, an epidemic of mango and citrus dieback broke out in the central region of Togo. This study was undertaken to determine the causal pathogen and to identify a pesticide to control the disease. Methodology and Results: A

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... ey was conducted to collect tissue samples from diseased plants. Potential pathogenic fungi were isolated from these tissues by cultivating them on PDA and PDA amended with mango extracts. Fusarium solani, Phoma glomerata (27.78 and 16.67% of the tissues studied) and Lasiodiplodia theobromae were isolated but the later was more frequently encountered and present on 83.33% of studied tissues. Five fungicides available on the local market were tested. The symptoms of the disease and the frequency in the diseased tissues pointed to L. theobromae as the main causal agent. All fungicides blocked the germination of L. theobromae spores. Banko Plus, a binary fungicide containing carbadazim, best inhibited the growth of L. theobromae. Conclusions and application of findings: The control of the epidemic can be summarized to the control of L. theobromae. Firstly, the incorporation of Mancozeb into the culture medium before its insemination was the most effective followed in order by Callomil, Jumper, Callicuivre and Banko Plus. This treatment blocks spores germination and could be used to prevent the disease. Secondly, in the case of spraying of fungicide suspensions on growing colonies on PDA, Banko Plus gave the best result. The combination of Banko Plus, used as systemic fungicide, and Mancozeb, as contact fungicide, should be effective in controlling the dieback of mango and citrus in Togo.