Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig 12.16 Tear-stain symptoms of mango anthracnose. The tear-stain
shows where the spores were washed on to the fruit in the orchard.
Fig 12.18 Anthracnose symptoms on ripe fruit.
ripens. Small, black spots enlarging to irregular, slightly
sunken, dark brown to black areas appear on ripening
fruit. In a moist atmosphere, orange-pink spore masses
may appear towards the centre of these areas. Symptoms
may also appear at the stem end of fruit (stem-end
anthracnose). Spores (from diseased twig or f flower stalks)
that are washed over the green fruit may cause surface
staining or russetting. Spots may appear in a tear-stain
pattern, and enlarge during fruit ripening. This tear-stain
symptom can also be caused by other fungi, including
those which cause stem-end rot.
Source of infection and spread
Spores of the fungus are produced on dead twigs, branches
and leaves and are spread by water splash. The fungus may
infect green fruit and remain quiescent in the outer layers
of the peel until ripening. The disease is most serious after
periods of wet weather. There is considerable variation in
susceptibility of mango cultivars to this disease.
Postharvest spread from fruit to fruit is unlikely.
Fig 12.17 As fruit ripen, tear-stain symptoms may develop into typical
anthracnose lesions.
