• Black fungal threads resembling horse hair are attached to upper branches and twigs by small brown discs.
• The fungus penetrates and infects the twigs from the discs and produces volatile substances that cause rapid leaf drop.

• This pathogen is spread from infected twigs to healthy twigs by extending its hair-like threads.

Management

• Remove a and destroy all crop debris from around plants
• Prune out infected or dead branches from the plant canopy