Diseases of Fruit Plantation Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

Peach rust

Causal organism: Puccinia pruni-spinosae
Symptoms

• Pale yellow spots appear on both the surfaces of leaves.
• These spots become bright yellow at a later stage.
• Numerous brown dusty pustules are seen on the under surface of leaves.
• Pustules cover under surface area of the leaves.
• Defoliation occurs.
• The fruit is rarely attacked.
• Primary source of inoculum: Air borne teliospore (teliospores germinate producing wind borne basidiospores)
• Secondary source of inoculum: Uredospores
Etiology

• The fungus persists as perennial mycelium, in the under ground stems of anemone.
• The asci and ascospores produced on this host infect peach leaves during spring.
  


Management

• Cut and burn the infected leaves or plant part.
• Spray with zineb (0.2%) or dusting with sulphur has been found effective