This summer, it is likely that the sweet smell of ripe mangoes may not be as strong as in previous seasons in Sindh. Mangoes are under threat in this Pakistan province by the fast-spreading mango death syndrome, which consists of different diseases - one of the deadliest being the sudden death disease. The disease causes the leaves and flowers to suddenly turn brown, wither, wilt and drop to the ground. The twigs of the plant turn dark. Some attribute the phenomenon to climate change.
“Experts call it the sudden death disease because it appears suddenly and there is no spray [pesticide] to rid the trees of this disease. There is no other option but to cut the infected twigs and branches,” one grower told.
