Cercospora fruit spot (Pseudocercospora purpurea)
Credit: Biovision-Infonet
(c) A. A. Seif, icipe
The disease is primarily a problem to quality of fruits. The severity of infection varies from season to season and can cause losses of up to 60%. The lesions appear as small light-yellow spots on fruits and leaves. They later become reddish brown and eventually become hard and crack. Mature fruits are resistant. The disease development is favoured by humid conditions and high temperatures. The fungus is essentially spread by water splash and its spores are also wind-borne.What to do:
- Remove dead branches and twigs since they harbour the fungus.
- Remove fallen rotten fruits from the field.
- Apply copper-based fungicides pre-flowering, at fruit formation, and after harvest.