Studies on Biology, Seed dispersal and Host interaction of Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f.) Etting. - A stem parasite of Mangifera indica L. (Mango)

The hemiparasitic plant, Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f.) Etting. known as Loranthus is a stem parasite, mostly prefers Mangifera indica L. (mango) as its host. Remarkable damage of the mango crop due to the adverse effect of Loranthus was identified in the field area. The occurrence and host preference of the D. falcata was systematically studied at eight field sites of Vizianagaram District. The vegetative, reproductive and parasitic characteristics of D. falcata were recorded periodically. The effective management strategies to control Loranthus were not employed in the study area because of the lack of knowledge on the host-parasite interaction. Keeping in mind, the investigation was conducted (October 2018 to June, 2019) in mango fields of Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh to explore the biology, the host specificity, the occurrence, the pollination, the bird-host-parasite interaction and the effective control methods of D. falcata.