Question

Rainfall during blossoming in mango may give rise to many problems such as:
(A) It may injure un protruded pistil.
(B) It may wash away the pollen.
(C) It may provide congenial conditions for powdery mildew.
(D) It may cause Recife sickness.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. (A), (B) and (C) only.
• B. (A), (C) and (D) only.
• C. (A), (B) and (D) only.
• D. (B), (C) and (D) only.

Hint:

Horticulturalists avoid overhead irrigation during flowering to prevent washing away pollen and creating humid conditions that promote powdery mildew.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Mango (Mangifera indica) is highly sensitive to weather fluctuations during its flowering and fruit-setting phases (typically from December to March in India).
Unseasonal rainfall during this period can interfere with pollination and create favorable environments for fungal pathogens, significantly reducing fruit yields.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the direct impacts of unseasonal rainfall during mango blossoming:
- (A) Injury to unprotruded pistil:
Heavy rain drops can cause physical damage to the delicate, emerging floral panicles, destroying the unprotruded pistils and preventing normal flower development.
Therefore, Statement A is correct.
- (B) Washing away the pollen:
Mango pollen is released from the anthers during anthesis. Rainwater physically washes away these pollen grains, preventing pollination.
Additionally, wet weather reduces the activity of key insect pollinators, such as houseflies (Musca domestica) and wild bees, leading to poor fruit set.
Therefore, Statement B is correct.
- (C) Congenial conditions for powdery mildew:
Fungal pathogens like Powdery Mildew (Oidium mangiferae) and Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) thrive in high humidity and moderate temperatures.
Rainfall creates a wet microclimate within the tree canopy that accelerates spore germination and spread, which can quickly turn panicles black and cause flower drop.
Therefore, Statement C is correct.
- (D) Recife sickness:
Recife sickness (also known as mango decline or quick decline) is a soil-borne vascular disease complex caused by pathogens like Ceratocystis fimbriata and Lasiodiplodia theobromae, often spread by bark beetles.
It is not an immediate atmospheric consequence of blossom-period rainfall.
Therefore, Statement D is incorrect.
Thus, statements (A), (B), and (C) are correct.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Therefore, the correct option is (A), which corresponds to (A), (B), and (C) only.