
CROWN ROT
Symptoms:
It is the most serious post harvest problem, especially where dehandling and boxing of fruit is not carried out in modern and centralized air-conditioned plants.
A number of fungi are associated with crown disorder viz. Colletotrichum musae (C.musae), Fusarium spp, Vetricullium theobromae (V.theobromae) and Botryodipiodia theobromae (B.theobromae).
Blackening of the crown tissue occurs initially at the cut surfaces, but the rot may spread into the crown during transportation.
Rotting is most noticeable if transit time exceeds 7 days and high incidence of disease may cause premature ripening of the fruits.
Control:
Dip or spray the harvested hands with 0.05% B...