Mango is a fruit with huge economic importance in Senegal, as in many tropical and subtropical countries in the world. Its production and trade increased tremendously since exportation started in 1997. However, mango diseases like floral and vegetative malformation is one of the most important constraints causing serious economic losses. Several species of the Fusarium genus have been associated to this disease. In Senegal, only one study has been carried out on mango malformation diseases in the south and Fusarium tupiense was identified as the causal agent. The present study was undertaken to explore the diversity of strains/species of the causal agents of mango malformation diseases in Senegal. Strains of Fusarium spp isolated from malformed mango flowers of different trees, collected in different locations in southern Senegal were characterized on the basis morphological criteria and using molecular biology. The ITS region from the ribosomal DNA was targeted for the molecular biology analysis. The morphological characterization brought out a diversity of Fusarium structures associated with mango malformation suggesting diverse species. The molecular characterization allowed a better refinement, confirming the diversity of species without leading to a definitive specific identification. Therefore, a molecular characterization with specific primers should be considered.
