Ethel M. Doidge's thesis is placed on the UIR in 2013 to celebrate 140 years of university education in South Africa. She was the first women to receive a D.Sc. from Unisa'a predecessor, the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1914 / This thesis researched a mango disease which caused considerable loss to mango growers
in South Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century, particularly around Barberton,
Warm baths and the coastal region of Natal. The disease caused dark angular spots on the
leaves. This did not noticeably affect the general health of the tree, but served as a source
of infection for the fruit. The infected fruit is detached from the tree by the slightest air
movement and falls rotting to the ground. The infection is carried by wind and rain. Several
spraying experiments were carried out at Barberton in an orchard placed at the author's
disposal by Messrs Winter Brothers during an exceptionally dry season, which showed that
spraying with Bordeaux mixture, iron sulphide or Hyco/ was useless in checking the disease.
The disease had not been described in the literature before.
According to the author, the cause of the disease was a flagellate bacillus Bacillus
mangiferae. It invades the parenchyma, wedging apart and killing the cells and causing
gummosis, but it does not touch the lignified tissues. The organism is described, and was
tested in detail in laboratory experiments and a resume of its salient characters is given in
the thesis / Agriculture and Animal Health / D.Sc. (Botany)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:umkn-dsp01.int.unisa.ac.za:10500/10419 |
| Date | 19 August 2013 |
| Creators | Doidge, Ethel M. (Ethel Mary) |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (45 pages, xiv) |
| Rights | University of South Africa |
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