2. Fruit Rots

Symptoms :

• The disease appears as water-soaked spots covering the entire fruit within 3 to 4 days.
• Rotted fruits become soft and dark brown and later numerous acervuli are seen in rotted zones.
• The fungal colonies are yellowish white.
• Mycelium is branched & septate.
• Acervuli are black, globose to sub-globose
• Conidiophores are short and simple
• Conidia are fusiform, 4-septata.
• Middle three cells are dark brown.
• End cells are hyaline and pointed.
• Apical cell is with 1 to 3 hyaline setulae.

Phytophthora palmivora, Pestalotiopsis versicolor, P. glandicola, P. sapotae and Botrydiplodia theobromae are the causal agents of fruit rots in sapota.

• Diseased fruits exhibited water-soaked lesions which become brown within 2 to 3 days.
• Subsequently the whole fruit is covered with tufts of mycelium.

• Spray Mancozeb 0.25%.