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

Plum pocket

Causal organism: Taphrina maculans
Symptoms

• The symptoms are more prominent on fruits and less on leaves and stem.
• The infected fruits having whitish circular spots on the fruits are completely covered
• Infected fruits develop into double their size.
• Infected fruits fail to produce seeds as they are hollow and which falls from the branches.
• On leaves whitish coat will form in rare cases and defoliation occurs.
Sources of inoculim

• PSI-dormant mycelia.
• SSI-Air born conidia
Epidemiology

• The disease is prevalent in areas where cool, misty spring weather prevails and the dry hot weather hastens defoliation.
• The organism produces open ascus in ascocarp. Ascospores may be 4-5 in number
• After release of ascospores, budding takes place which become detached and produces conidia.
• These conidia survive in the cracks and near by growing buds thus further continuing the life cycle.


Life cycle

Management

• Removal and burning of infected shoots reduce the spread of the disease.
• Before bud sprout spray sulphur or copper fungicide.
• Collect the fallen leaves & spray 5% urea on them.