Disease management :

Fruit spot (Cephaleuros virescens Kuntze)

Symptoms: Alga infects immature guava leaves during early spring flush. Minute, shallow brown velvety lesions appear on leaves specialy on leaf tips, margins or areas near the mid vein and as the disease progresses, the lesions enlarge to 2-3 mm in diameter. On leaves the spots may vary form specks to big patches which may be crowded or scattered. On immature fruits the lesions are nearly black. As fruits enlarge, lesions get sunken and get cracked frequently on older blemishes as a result of enlargement of fruits, lesions are usually smaller than leaf spots. They are darkish green to brown or black to colour.

Epidemiology:  Pathogen survives on infected plant debris.Disease is air borne and spreads by air and rain splashes.

Favourable conditions : Wet, humid conditions promote spread of the disease; zoospores spread by splashing water.

 



Guava general information

Guava (Psidium guajava L) of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), is the fifth most widely grown fruit crop in India after banana, mango, citrus and papaya. The fruit has gained considerable prominence in India due to its high nutritive value, moderate prices, pleasant aroma and good flavour. Guava is a rich source of vitamin C and pectin and moderate source of B vitamins, calcium, iron and phosphorus. It is one of the commonest fresh fruits liked by the rich and the poor alike and is popularly known as the ‘apple of tropics’ or `poor man’s apple’. Only a small quantity of the production is utilized for processing in the form of jelly, canned cups, juice and nectar, cheese, toffee bar, powder, flakes and strained baby foods have also been prepared besides commercial pectin.

Contact us.

  • ICAR - IIHR.
  • Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake post, Bengaluru - 560 089.
  •   Phone +91-80 23686100. website : www.iihr.res.in