Diseases of fruit plantation medicinal and aromatic crops (2+1)

Fruit spot disease

Fruit spot

Causal organism: Pestalotiopsis versicolor (Speg.)
symptoms

o The disease manifests its symptoms as minute, brown to rust coloured spots on the fruits.
o The spots coalesce with the disease development and cause necrotic patches.
o The central portion of the lesion is depressed inwards with raised margin and in case of severe infection, tear open the rind.
o In several cases infection penetrates deep into the fruits and causes discoloration of seeds.


Mode of survival and Spread
The pathogen survives in infected plant parts as dormant mycelia and spreads through airborne conidia

Epidemiology
The disease is severe during August to November months when there is high humidity and atmospheric temperature between 20 and 27°C

Management

• Clean cultivation.
• Spray nitrogen solution (urea %) or bleaching powder to enhance degradation of fallen leaves or affected plant parts.
• Prune all infected branches and burn them.
• The pruned area should be coated with Bordeaux paste or COC paste.
• Spray thiophanate methyl (0.1%) or mancozeb (0.25%) or carbendazim( 0.1%) on the plant