Sapota Diseases

Leaf spot

Disease symptom:

Numerous, small, circular, pinkish to reddish brown, conspicuous spots are seen with whitish center on mature leaves. Spots coalesce and leaves drop prematurely.

Sooty mould

• It is a fungal disease developed on honeydew-like excretion secreted by aphids and scale insects.
• The fungus slowly covers the entire leaf area severely affecting the process of photosynthesis.
• This results in reduced translocation of food to the fruits, which leads to reduction in their size.

Fasiation

• Branches of affected trees become flat and twisted
• Leaves become thin, small and yellow
• Cluster of leaves and flowers on affected twigs
• Flowers remain infertile
• If fruits are set, they are undersized, hard and fail to ripen

Postharvest Diseases

Soft rot  Pestalotiopsis mangiferae

• The diseases appear as water-soaked spots covering the entire fruit within 3 to 4 days.
• Rotted fruits become soft and dark brown and later numerous acervuli are seen in rotted zones.
• The fungal colonies are yellowish white.
• Mycelium is branched & septate.
• Acervuli are black, globose to sub-globose
• Conidiophores are short and simple
• Conidia are fusiform, 4-septata.
• Middle three cells are dark brown.
• End cells are hyaline and pointed.
• Apical cell is with 1 to 3 hyaline setulae.

Fruit rots

• Diseased fruits exhibited water-soaked lesions which become brown within 2 to 3 days. Subsequently the whole fruit is covered with tufts of mycelium

IPM for Sapota

To know the IPM practices for Sapota, click here.

Source: NIPHM; Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage