Diseases of Fruit Plantation Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

Leaf spot disease

Causal organism: Sphaceloma punicae (Bitancourt and Jenkins)
Symptom

 
• The disease attacks leaves, shoots, calyx and fruits. Rusty spots appear on leaves.
• Infected leaves turn yellow and die, Rusty colored pustules appear on fruits.
• Drizzling rains and abundant dew favour disease development and spread
 
Epidemiology

• The disease is severe during August to November months when there is high humidity and atmospheric temperature between 20 and 270 C.
Mode of survival and Spread

• The pathogen survives in infected plant parts and spreads through airborne conidia
Management

• Clean cultivation.
• Spray nitrogen solution (Urea %) or bleaching powder to enhance degradation of fallen leaves or infected plant parts
• Prune and burn affected branches and pruned material. The pruned area should be treated with Bordeaux paste or COC paste.
• Spray thiophenate methyl (0.1%) or mancozeb (0.2%) or carbendazim (0.1%) on plants as preventive sprays.