Die-back and Anthracnose (fruit rot)

As the fungus causes necrosis of tender twigs from the tip backwards the disease is called die-back Infection usually begins when the crop is in flower. Flowers drop and dry up.

Causal organism : Colletotrichum spp

Damage symptoms:

Dieback Symptoms:

• Disease is more in December - October in transplanted crop


• Small, circular to irregular, brownish black scattered spots appear on leaves


• Severely infected leaves defoliate


• Infection of growing tips leads to necrosis of branches from tip backwards


• Necrotic tissues appear grayish white with black dot like acervuli in the center


• Shedding of flowers due to the infection at pedicel and tips of branches


• Fruit symptoms


• Ripe fruits are more vulnerable to attack than green ones


• Small, circular, yellowish to pinkish sunken spots appear on fruits


• Spots increase along fruit length attaining elliptical shape


• Severe infection result in the shrivelling and drying of fruits.


• Tissues around lesions will be bleached and turn white or greyish in colour and lose their pungency


• On the surface of the lesions minute black dot like fruiting bodies called ‘acervuli’ develop in concentric rings and fruits appear straw coloured


• The affected fruits may fall off subsequently. The seeds produced in severely infected fruits are discoloured and covered with mycelial mat.

Survival and spread:

• Primary: Mycelium and conidia in acervuli in infected seeds and diseased crop debris


• Secondary: Conidia dispersed by rain splash and wind.

Favourable conditions:

Temp, 28 °C with RH more than 97%, humid weather with rainfall at frequent intervals, intercropping with turmeric which is another host of the fungus.