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What is anthracnose?
Anthracnose is a common plant fungal disease that can attack all plant parts during any
growth stage.
Causal organism- Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, is one of the most important plant
pathogens worldwide. It causes anthracnose, die back, whither tip, shot hole, leaf blight
and post-harvest rots.
Symptoms –
- In fruits the advantage stage of symptoms are seen as the dark brown to black spots on the unripe fruits.
- A second symptom caused by the same fungus has pepper spot specks on the surface of the fruit and these pepper spot also seen on avocado and litchi fruits.
- Leaf spots symptoms are also seen occasionally.
Mode of Spread –
- By overhead irrigation, heavy dews or warm showery weather.
- It spreads through infected seeds, rain splash and moist winds.
Reason for Severity –
- Wet and windy condition increases the severity of this disease.
- Fruits that are left even after ripening may be the source of these fungal spores.
- Infected pruned plant parts left on the orchard.
Management
- Copper can be used to control this disease in the form of copper hydroxide and copper sulphate. (C. Wongs-Aree, S. Noichinda, in Postharvest Biology and Technology of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Mangosteen to White Sapote, 2011)
- When pruning, open up the trees more to improve spray penetration. Dense foliage reduces spray penetration.
- Removal of all infected leaves fruits and branches from the orchard.
- Pruning leaves should also be removed from the orchard.
