Anthracnose: Gloeosporium psidii
Symptoms :
- The most characteristic symptoms appear during the rainy season as small pin-head sized spots on the unripe fruits.
- They gradually enlarge to form sunken and circular, dark brown to black spots.
- The infected area of the unripe fruits becomes harder and corky.
- Acervuli are formed on fruit stalks.
- The pathogen remains dormant for about three months in the young infected fruits.
- In moist weather, acervuli appear as black dots scattered throughout the dead parts of the twigs.
- The conidia are spread by wind or rain.
Management:
- Spraying the trees with Bordeaux mixture 0.6 % or Copper oxychloride 0.2% before the onset of monsoon reduces the disease incidence.
Image source:
| Initial symptom | Circular black spots | Corky fruit |