Diseases of Fruit Plantation Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

Post harvest diseases

Fruit Rot/Macrophomina rot of Papaya

Causal Organism: Macrophomina phaseoli

SYMPTOMS

• Macrophomina rot appears as small, water soaked spots on fruit surface. Gradually, such spots become deeper and sunken causing rotting of inner tissues.
  
• Subsequently, small sclerotia develop on these spots.
  
• The inner tissues of such fruits develop brownish black colour having dark mycelial growth.
Etiology

• The conidiomata is pycnidial, pycnium is brown colored and thick walled. Conidia are septate. Sclerotia are black colored and hard.
Epidemiology: It prefers warm weather and usually invades immature unthrifty damaged or senescent tissues. Maximum decay occurs at 30°c and 100% RH.