Fungal Disease (Pre & Post Harvest): Pitting Disease

Fungal Disease (Pre & Post Harvest) – Pitting Disease:

Symptoms:

The disease is caused by Pyricularia grisea and this is characterized by round, sunken pits of approximately 4 – 6 mm in diameter on the fruits after harvest or as the fruit reaches maturity. The sunken centre is surrounded by a reddish brown zone with a greenish, narrow, water soaked halo. Smaller pits occur on the finger stalks and crown pads which can lead to finger drop. Although the pit centres sometimes split, the damage is confined to the peel and does not extend to the pulp.

Symptoms are identical with those of ‘Johnston fruit-spot’ disease and are rarely seen in the field until 70 days after bunch emergence. . The extent of pitting may increase considerably while fruit is in transit and during ripening causing serious losses in the quality of fruits.

The main sources of inoculam for pitting disease are conidia produced on hanging banana leaf trash. Conidia are most abundant during rainy season and are wind dispersed onto the fruits. The fruit on the side of the bunch facing away from the pseudostem is more severely affected than fruit facing towards the pseudostem.

Pitting disease in banana fruit

Control: 

•  Regularly remove dried and decaying leaves hanging around the pseudostem. 
• Using Polythene bunch cover is found to be effective. 
•  Spray affected unripe fruit bunches or dip harvested hands with  Bavistin @ 1 gm / 1 litre at 15 days interval.

Posted in: 52. Fungal Disease – Pitting Disease