DIAGNOSIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE BACTERIAL FLORA OF MANGO (MANGIFERA INDICA L.) IN WESTERN SENEGAL

Fungal and bacterial diseases are one of the major constraints to mango productivity and fruit quality. In Senegal, data on the diversity of pathogenic bacteria associated with mango remain limited. To address this gap, field surveys were conducted in orchards in the Niayes production area, during where symptomatic leaves and twigs were collected. The isolates were subjected to morphological and biochemical characterization, followed by molecular identification through PCR and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Seven bacterial genera were detected:Stenotrophomonas,Pseudomonas,Bacillus,Ochrobactrum,Exiguobacterium,Burkholderia and Aeromonas.Several of these genera include known plant pathogens.The most frequent were Stenotrophomonas and Pseudomonas, representing 35.29% and 23.53% of the isolates, respectively. This study provides the first baseline dataset on the bacterial flora associated with mango in western Senegal, providing essential information for understanding and managing bacterial diseases.