POMEGRANATE INSECT PESTS AND DISEASES author:- swaroopa.v

Post harvest diseases of brinjal

Anthracnose	Colletotrichum melongenae   fruit rot:
	Phomopsis vexans
	Alternaria solani
	Pythium aphanidermatum
	Phytophthora nicotianae var nicotianae Fruit rot - Phomopsis vexans —First phase - blight on young seedlings —Stem - girdled slightly above the soil line, plant topples and dies —Stem lesion - dark brown, becoming grey in the centre as pycnidia develops —Leaf - irregular brown spots —Fruits – soft, watery & decays —Finally black, mummified as pycnidia develop abundantly over the surface Fungus —Pycnidia - with or without beak, brown to black — —Conidiophores - hyaline, simple or branched, — —Conidia - hyaline, one celled and subcylindrical — — Stylophores - filiform, curved, hyaline, septate Mode of spread and survival —Seed borne — —Spread by rain splashes, implements and insects — —Survives in infected plant debris in soil Epidemiology —Temp - 29oC (fungal growth) — —Storage rot of fruits is maximum at 25oC Management —Seed treatment - hot water @ 50oC for 30 min — —Nursery - 0.2 % difolatan or captan 0.2% @ weekly interval — —Field - Zineb 0.2 %      Bordeaux mixture 0.8% Fruit rot - Phytophthora nicotianae var nicotianae —Fruits - Small, water soaked lesions —Skin - discoloration, turns greyish brown, and develop white cottony mycelium in humid weather —Rotten parts become depressed and develops wrinkles —Rotting spread deep into the pulp and turns brown, watery & soft —Rapidly spreads during rainy season Fungus —Hyphae - 5 to 6 μm in dia —Spherical hyphal swellings are common —Zoosporangia - sub hyaline, oviod, pyriform borne on short stalk Control —Removal and destruction of the affected fruits — —Spraying the crop with Difolatan (0.3%) thrice at an interval of 10 days effectively controls the disease — — — — —