Guava diseases

Wilt of guava– Fusaium oxysporum f.sp. psidii

 Guava wilt is a common disease in India.

 In India the disease was first recorded near Allahabad in 1935.
 The infection was reported 15 -30 %.
 The disease is a serious threat to guava cultivation in U.P.
 In West Bengal it reduces the yield in affected orchard by 80%.
 The disease is also prevalent in Haryana Rajasthan, A.P, Punjab and M.P.
It has forced uprooting of about 150 acre of guava orchard in Punjab and
300 acres in Haryana during 1971-81.
 Symptoms
 The symptoms appear as browning and wilting of leaves, discoloration of the stem and
death of branches on one side.

 The infection may girdle the entire stem resulting wilting of the whole plant.

 The leaves may fall off and trees usually collapsed within a year or earlier depending on the
intensity of infection.

 When the stem is cut open vascular tissues will show dark colour extending up to the
cambium region.

 The fungus normally present in tissues of the stem near ground level.

 Bark splitting can be seen in wilted plants in later stages.

 The disease can be categorized into slow wilt and sudden wilt.
Pathogen : Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. psidii

Kingdom Fungi
Phylum Ascomycota
Class Sordariomycetes
Order Hypocreales
Family Nectriaceae
Genus Fusarium
Species F. oxysporum f.sp. psidii
 Disease Cycle
 The pathogens are soil borne (Fusarium oxysporum f. psidii)
 The fungus may invade the trunk and roots through tunnels bored by the larvae of
Coelosterna beetles.
 The fungus normally present in vascular tissues of the stem near ground level & on bark
also.

Survival and spread

 Primary: Chlamydospores in soil

 Secondary: Macro and micro conidia through irrigation water
 Favourable conditions

pH 6.0 is optimum for disease development. Both pH 4.0 and 8.0 reduces the disease.

Disease is more in loamy alluvial soils than in heavy soils.

Disease incidence increases in post monsoon period.

The nematode, Helicotylenchus dihystera aggravates the disease.

 Management
Cultural:
 Proper sanitation of orchard.
 Wilted plants should be uprooted and burnt.
 Treat the pits with formalin and cover the pit for three days and then transplant the seedlings
after two weeks.
 While transplanting seedlings avoid damage to the roots.
 Maintain proper tree vigour by timely and adequate manuring, inter-culture and irrigation.

Resistant variety: Apple guava. Guava species, Psidium cattleianum var. lucidum and
Syzigium cumini (Jamun) are resistantr to wilt.
Psidium cattleianum (P. molle), P. quianense, Chinese guava (P. friedshthalianum) and
Phillippine guava are recommended as resistant root stocks.
Chemical management:
 Stem injection with 0.1% water soluble 8-Quinolinol sulphate.

 Drench with 0.2% Benomyl or Carbendazim, four times in a year and

spray twice with Measystox and Zinc sulphate.

 Disinfestation of soil with Metam-sodium at 252 ml/10m2 area to control

nematodes.
 ZINC DEFICIENCY IN GUAVA

 Guava is very hardy, long lived and it needs comparatively little attention.

 Micro nutrient deficiency is a common physiological disorder seen in Guava.

Symptoms
 Zinc deficiency results in interveinal chlorosis, formation of little leaves and
restricted internodes leading to "rosette".
 Dieback of terminal branches.
 This is common in water logged areas.
Management

 Sprayed with zinc sulphate+ lime mixture (1.0 kg zinc sulphate+500g

unslaked lime) dissolved in 100 liters of water.
Diseases of Banana
 Panama wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense

 First reported in Australia in 1874.

 In India the disease has been causing heavy crop mortality in states like
Tamil Nādu, Karnataka, MS, AP, West Bengal and Assam.
 Banana wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease and gets entry in the plant body
through roots and wounds caused by nematodes.
 It is most serious in poorly drained soil.
 Disease spreads through infected suckers.
 Symptoms
 Appears on 3-5 months old plants.
 The earliest symptoms are faint yellow streaks on the petiole of oldest,
lower most leaf.
 Affected leaves show progressive yellowing, break at the petiole and hang
down along the pseudo stem.
 Longitudinal splitting of pseudo stem is very common.
 Discoloration first appears in outer leaf sheath and extend into inner
sheath.
 Rhizome of affected plants give characteristic odour of rotten fish.
 Pathogen : Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense
Kingdom Fungi
Phylum Ascomycota
Class Sordariomycetes
Order Hypocreales
Family Nectriaceae
Genus Gibberalla
Species G. oxysporum f.sp. psidii

Kingdom: Fungi, Group: Hyphomycetes, Genus: Fusarium, Species: f.sp. cubense

 Characteristics
 Microconidia: Oval to ellipsoidal, 1-2 septate, cylindrical, straight or curved,
produced from simple, short lateral phialides often grouped into sporodochia.
 Macroconidia: Generally 3-5 septate, thin walled, fusoid.
 Chlamydospores: Globose, formed singly or in pairs, intercalary or on short lateral
branches.
Etiology

 Primary inoculum: Chlamydospores in soil and propagules in infected

suckers used for planting.
 Secondary inoculum: Micro and macroconidia through irrigation water.
 Epidemiology
 Infection by burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis, predisposes the plant to disease.
 Poorly drained soil.
 Survival and spread

 Survive as chlamydospores in soil or in infected rhizomes. Spread as conidia through

irrigation water or through root contact.

 PSI: Chlamydospores in soil debris or Infected Rhizomes.

 SSI: Spread as micro and macro conidia through irrigation water or through root

contact.
 Management
 Maintain field sanitation.
 Use of disease-free suckers for planting.
 Avoid ill drained soils and prefer slightly alkaline soils (7-7.5 pH) for cultivation.
 Flood and fallowing for 6 to 24 months.
 Neem cake + Trichoderma viride should be applied in pits.
 Treat pits with lime before planting – 2 kg / pit.
 Dipping suckers in Carbendazim (0.1 %) solution before planting.
 Soak planting material in Benomyl – 0.1 %.
 Soil drench with 0.1 % Carbendazim or 0.01 % vapam. Avoid Zn deficiency.

 Growing resistant (Cavendish varieties): Basrai (Vamanakeli), Poovan (Karupura

chakkara keli), Red banana, Moongil. Dwarf varieties are generally resistant.
 Sigatoka disease of banana : Mycosphaerella musicola (Cercospora musae)

Black sigatoka leaf spot/ Black leaf streak: Mycosphaerella fijiensis

 The disease was first appeared in Java (1902) and later in 1913 it appeared
in epidemic form in Sigatoka valley in Fiji.
 In India it is a major problem in the major banana growing states like
Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala. Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
 Symptoms
 Early symptoms appear on the lower leaves.
 Initially small specks develop on leaves near the tip or margin of lamina.
 Spindle shaped spots with greyish center which are surrounded by yellow halo are
developed in the leaf lamina and later converted into brownish green narrow streaks.
 Spots coalesce and entire spotted area appears dried.
 At the time of heavy infection, if banana fruits attain maturity, individual bananas
remain undersized, they ripen unevenly and their flesh develops a buff pinkish colour.
 These bananas cannot be stored for longer period.
Pathogen : Mycosphaerella musicola/fijiensis

Kingdom Fungi
Phylum Ascomycota
Class Dothideomycetes
Order Capnodiales
Family Mycosphaerellaceae
Genus Mycosphaerella
Species M. musicola/ fijiensis
 Characteristics
 The disease is caused by the fungus Cercospora musae.

 The perfect stage of the fungus is Mycosphaerella musicola.

 Conidia are elongated, narrow and multi septate and 20-80 x 2-6 micron meter in size.

 Perithecia are dark brown to black and asci are oblong, clavate and measure 28.8-36.8 x
8.0-10.8 micro meter.

 Ascospores are single septate, hyaline, obtuse with upper cell which is slightly broader.
 Disease cycle

 The pathogen survives on dry infected leaves lying on soil and primary
infection takes place through ascospores produced in the infected plant debris.
 The secondary infection takes place by conidia disseminated through wind
and rain water.
 The disease is favoured by the temperature ranging from 23-25°C, high
humidity within the plantation due to rain, poor drainage, closer spacing,
heavy weed infestation, frequent irrigation and more number of suckers per
mat.
 Management

 Planting banana in well drained soil.

 Growing resistant varieties like Karpura Chakkerakeli.
 Removal of excess suckers from the banana mat is important to facilitate
air circulation and thereby reducing the humidity within the plantation.
 Removal and destruction of affected leaves followed by spraying bordeaux
mixture 1% + linseed oil 2%.
 Spray of mancozeb or chlorothalonil @ 0.2% or Carbendazim 50 WP
0.05% or Thiophanate methyl 70 WP 0.07% .
Bunchy top/ Curly top/ cabbage top/ Strangles disease of Banana
Causal organism: Banana Bunchy Top Virus or Banana virus - 1 or Musa virus – 1.

 First reported from Fiji in Cavendish varieties.

 Introduced in India from Sri Lanka through cyclones.
 Banana bunchy top virus is a ss DNA virus with single isometric particles.
 The disease is covered by domestic quarantine regulations.
 Losses were estimated to be Rs.4 crores every year and 100% loss occurs if
infected suckers are planted.
 Occurs in a severe from in central India.
 In India 1st reported from Mumbai and Pune in 1947.
 90-100% damage occurs in severe cases.
 Symptoms

Infection may start at any stage of crop growth.

Lamina becomes pale with interveinal chlorosis.
Prominent dark green streaks on the petioles and along midrib and
leaf veins.
Lower leaves are small and chlorotic curl upwards, stand upright and
become brittle and clustered / crowded at apex giving Bunchy
appearance.
Bunchy top formation.
 Etiology
 Primary infection: Virus particles (ssDNA) through diseased suckers.
 Secondary infection: Transmission by banana black aphid (Pentalonia
nigronervosa).
 Management

Adoption of strict quarantine measures.

Use of only certified suckers.
• The new crop should be regularly inspected and the diseased plants destroyed as
soon as noticed.
Control of vectors by application of methyl demeton @ 2 ml/L or phosphomidon
@ 1ml/L.
Killing infected plants using 50 g Gammoxine and Feranoxone in stem
alternatively + 100 ml Kerosene / plant. Spray Dimethoate – 2 g / lit pesticide.
Diseases of Papaya
 Damping off and Foot rot of
Papaya
Causal organism: Pythium aphanidermatum

 Also known as collar rot or stem rot or root rot.

 This disease is wide spread in papaya plantations of India, Sri
Lanka, Hawaii and South Africa.
 Under favourable conditions of high rain fall and high
temperature, the whole plantation is wiped out within one season.
 Symptoms
 In case of nursery plants, damping off symptoms are produced, whereas in
adult plants, foot rot symptoms are produced.
 Foot rot is characterized by water soaked spot in the stem at the ground
level which enlarge and griddle the stem.
 The diseased area turns brown or black and rot.
 Terminal leaves turn yellow and droop off.
 Fruits if formed are shrivelled and malformed.
 The entire plant topples over and dies.
Pathogen : Pythium aphanidermatum

Kingdo Fungi
m
Phylum Oomycota
Class Oomycetes
Order Peronosporales
Family Pythiaceae
Genus Pythium
Species P. aphanidermatum
 Characteristics
 Mycelium is well developed, coenocytic, hyphae 2.8-7.5 μ in diameter.
 Sporangia are loculate, toruloid and vesicle formed at the time of germination,
zoospores are present within the vesicle and are borne on spherical oogonia.
 They germinate by producing a germ tube.
 The sexual spores are the oospores, borne singly which are moderately thick
walled.
Epidemiology
 A number of factors like inoculum density, rainy condition, soil moisture,
temperature, pH, light intensity etc effect the pathogen development.
 Severity increases with intensity of rainfall in dry and hot weather (360C)
 Disease Cycle

 The pathogen is soil borne nature.

 The fungi survive in the form of oospore in the soil.
 The pathogen can survive on dead organic matters as saprophyte and causes infection
when suitable host is grown in such soil.
 Young seedlings are more susceptible than one year old trees.
 The secondary spread takes place by zoospores.

Survival and spread

 P.I: Oospores (Pythium) or Sclerotia in soil
 S.I: Seedlings raised in infected soil carry the disease to field
 Management

 Seedlings should be raised on well drained nursery area.

 Planting in well-drained soil, uprooted and burnt of infected plants and avoid planting on
the same place are the best cultural practices for disease management.
 Seed treatment with Thiram or Captan or Chlorothalonil @4 g/kg or Trichoderma viride
4g/kg reduces the damping off.
 Drenching with Copper oxychloride @0.25 % or Bordeaux mixture @1% or Metalaxyl
@0.1%.
 Papaya leaf
curl
Causal organism: Papaya Leaf Curl Virus
Transmitted by White fly (Bemisia
tabaci)

 Leaf curl is an important disease of papaya in India.

 In India, the disease was first reported by Thomas (1939) from Madras.
Symptoms
 Curling, crinkling and distortion of leaves, reduction of leaf
lamina, rolling of leaf margins inward and downward, thickening of
veins.
 Leaves become leathery, brittle and distorted, and plants
stunted.
 Affected plants does not produce flowers and fruits.
Pathogen
 This virus belongs to Gemini virus group.
 It is not seed or soil borne nor sap
transmissible.
 The germinated particle contain ssDNA.

Survival and spread

 P.I: Infected plant parts
 S.I: Whitefly (Bamesia tabaci) and grafting
 Virus also infects tobacco, tomato, sun hemp, chilli,
Petunia, Zinnia, Datura stramonium, hollyhock, cape
gooseberry etc.
 Management

 Use disease free seedlings.

 Removal and destruction of infected plants.
 Soil application of Carbofuran (1 kg a.i./ha) at the time of sowing.
 Spray of Dimethoate (0.05%) or Metasystox (0.02%) or Nuvacron
(0.05%) at 10 days interval .
 Papaya ring spot or Papaya mosaic

Causal organism: Papaya Ring Spot

Virus
Transmitted by Aphids (Aphis gossypii and A.
craccivora)

 In India Ist reported from Mumbai and Pune and occurs more in central India.
 Cause 90-100% damage occurs in severe cases.
 It is destructive disease of papaya.
Symptoms
 Vein clearing, puckering and chlorophyll leaf tissues lobbing in.

 Margin and distal parts of leaves roll downward and inwards, mosaic mottling,

dark green blisters, leaf distortion which result in shoe string system and

stunting of plants.

 The stem, petiole and fruits develop elongated water soaked areas showing

concentric or circular rings.

 Fruit size is severely reduced with deformed shape.

 If affected earlier, no fruit formation.

 Pathogen
 These viruses typically have long flexuous, rod-shaped particles about 800-
900 nm long.
 The virus belongs to potyvirus (potyviridae) group.
 The genome of the virus is ssRNA, unipartite and 12 kb in size.
Survival & Spread

 The virus is transmitted by aphid vectors, Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii
in a non-persistent manner.
 Papaya ring spot virus is not spread by other insects and it does not
survive in soil or dead plant material.
 The virus can also be spread by the movement of infected papaya plants.
 Once infected, plants cannot be cured by spraying pesticides or removing
affected plant parts.
 Epidemiolog
y
Infection of disease spreads rapidly and an orchard can become totally
infected in three to four months.
This situation occurs in young orchards located close to infected plants and
when the populations of winged aphid flights are high.
Management
Raise papaya seedlings under insect-proof conditions.
Use of disease free seedlings.
Raise sorghum/ maize as barrier crop before planting papaya.
Rogue out affected plants immediately on noticing symptoms.
Application of Carbofuran (1 kg a.i./ha) in the nursery bed or Phosphamidon
(0.05%) after 15-20 days of sowing.
 Papaya root knot nematodes
Causal organism: Meloidogyne spp. and Reniform nematode: Rotylenchulus reniformis
Biology:

1. Most species of plant parasitic nematodes have a relatively simple life cycle consisting of
the egg, four larval stages and the adult male and female.
2. Development of the first stage larvae occurs within the egg where the first molt occurs.
Second stage larvae hatch from eggs to find and infect plant roots or in some cases foliar
tissues.
3. Under suitable environmental conditions, the eggs hatch and new larvae emerge to
complete the life cycle within 4 to 8 weeks depending on temperature.
4. Nematode development is generally most rapid within an optimal soil temperature range
of 70 to 80°F.
Symptoms
 Infected plants in patches in the field.

 Formation of galls on host root system is the primary symptom.

 Roots branch profusely starting from the gall tissue causing a 'beard root' symptom.

 In severely infected plants the root system is reduced and the rootlets are almost
completely absent.

 The roots are seriously hampered in their function of uptake and transport of water and
nutrients.

 Plants, wilt during the hot part of day, especially under dry conditions and are often
stunted.
Causal organism: Meloidogyne icognita

Kingdo Animalia
m
Phylum Nematoda
Class Secernentea
Order Tylenchida
Family Meloidogynidae
Genus Meloidogyne
Species M. incognita
 Survival and spread

 Primary: Egg masses in infected plant

debris and soil or collateral and other
hosts like Solonaceous, Malvaceous and
Leguminaceous plants act as sources of
inoculums.

 Secondary: Autonomous second stage

juveniles that may also be water
dispersed.

 Favourable conditions: Loamy light

soils.
 Management

 Intercropping with sunnhemp or marigold or daincha.

 Planting stocks certified free of infestation.

 Application of Carbofuran 3G @ 60g/vine.

 Application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 50g/vine.

Diseases of Pomegranate
(Punica granatum)
 Cercospora leaf/ fruit spot: Cercospora punicae

Symptoms

Light brown zonate spots appear on leaves and fruits.

Black and elliptic spots appear on the twigs.

The infected areas in the twigs become flattened and depressed with raised
edges.

Such infected twigs become dry and in severe cases, the whole plant dies.
 Etiology
 Conidiophores are olivaceous brown, short, fasciculate, sparingly septate.
 Conidia are hyaline to pale olivalceous cylinderic and septate.

Survival and spread Favorable conditions

 P.I: Diseased plant debris  Optimum temperature: 77-95˚F
 S.I: Wind borne conidia  R.H.: 90-95%
Management
 Use disease free plantings.
Pruning and destruction of destruction of diseased twigs.
The diseased fruits should be collected and destroyed.
Two to three spray with Mancozeb @0.25% or thiophanate- methyl 0.1% or
chlorothalonil 0.2% at 15 days interval.
 Anthracnose leaf spot: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Symptoms

It is most serious during the period July-October.

The disease appears as small, regular to irregular black spots on leaves,

calyx region and fruits which turn later on as dark brown depressed spots.

Narcotic spot on leaves and fruits.

On leaf- narcotic spots.

On fruits- circular, slightly sunken spots.

Affected leaves fall off.

 Management

 Use diseases frees seeds for planting.

 Dispose infected plants and rotten fruits properly.
 Spraying Mancozeb 0.25 %, chlorothalonil 0.25% carbendazim 0.2%
at 15 days interval gives good control of the disease.
 To prevent post-harvest losses, coat the fruits with phenolols or
benzimidazoles.
 Bacterial blight Pomegranate

Causal organism: Xanthomonas axonopodis pv.

punicae
 Symptoms

 Small, irregular and water soaked spots appear on the leaves with
necrotic center of pin-head size.
 Spots are translucent which turn light brown to dark brown later.
 Spots coalesce to form large patches.
 The bacterium attacks stems, branches and fruits also.
 On stem, the disease starts as brown to black spots around the
nodes.
 It further causes girdling and cracking of nodes.
 Brown to black spots formed on fruits which are raised and oily in
Xanthomonas is a gram-negative bacterium. It is rod shaped. It is motile having single
polar flagella. Growth at 280C not at 370C.
 Survival and Spread

 The bacterium survives on the tree.

 The pathogen survives for 120 days on fallen leaves during
the season.
 The bacteria infect through wounds and stomatal openings.
 The primary infection occurs through infected cuttings.
 The disease spreads through wind and splashed rains.
Favourable conditions

Severe during August-November

Intermittent rains
High humidity and temp ranging from 20 to
 Management

 Use diseases free planting materials.

 Clean cultivation and strict sanitation in orchard.
 Select cuttings from healthy field.

 Bleaching powder spray on the fallen leaves reduces the

inoculum.
 Spray of Bordeaux mixture (1.0%).
 Spray of streptocycline (0.05%) or copper oxychloride (0.3%).
 Use of resistant variety like Ganesh.