Improvement of mango yields through integrated disease management of mango bacterial black spot in Southern Ghana

Mango (Mangifera indica) is a significant fruit crop in Ghana, contributing to economic growth and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. However, mango productivity is increasingly threatened by Mango Bacterial Black Spot (MBBS) disease, which affects fruit quality and reduces yields. This study examines the effects of adoption of different MBBS disease management strategies on mango productivity in the Eastern Region of Ghana. A total of 270 respondents were selected using a multistage sampling technique. A multivariate probit model was employed to analyse the factors influencing the adoption of MBBS disease management strategies, while the Inverse Probability Weighting Regression Adjustment (IPWRA) method was used to estimate the effects of adoption of the different management strategies on mango yield. The results show that occupation, farm size, certification, market access, training, extension services, and labour source influence farmers’ adoption of MBBS management strategies. The study finds that chemical control alone increases productivity by 9.19 tons per hectare, while Indigenous control alone increases productivity by 5.80 tons per hectare. However, a combination of cultural, indigenous and chemical management strategies resulted in the highest productivity gain of 24.27 tons per hectare. These findings show the importance of integrated disease management in mitigating MBBS and enhancing mango productivity. Based on these findings, it is recommended that smallholder mango farmers adopt a combined approach incorporating cultural, indigenous, and chemical control methods.