Causal Agent:
Fungus (Cercospora papayae)
| Characteristic Symptoms: | |
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Tiny black dots on fruit that eventually enlarge to about 3 mm in diameter. |
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Spots are superficial, slightly raised and do not develop into a fruit rot. |
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Actual damage to fruits is minor except its impact on their appearance and marketability. |
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Leaf spots are irregularly shaped, grayish-white in color and 1 to 5 mm in diameter. |
| Conditions for Disease Development: | |
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The disease is common in humid tropic and subtropical regions. |
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The pathogen survives between crops on crop debris and weeds of the cucurbit family. |
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Conidia/spores are air-borne and are disseminated by wind, rain splashes, tools/implements and field workers. |
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Infection requires free water and is favoured by temperatures between 26-32°C, in which the disease develops rapidly with new infections occurring every 7-10 days. |
| Management and Control: | |
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Maintain good field sanitation as the disease is most common in poorly maintained unsprayed papaya fields in wet area.
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Protective fungicide sprays of mancozeb (e.g. Attain M-80Ⓡ, Achem Mancozeb 80 WPⓇ, Micron 80 WOⓇ, VanzebⓇ)and copper-based fungicides (e.g. Cupravit®, Super BlueⓇ, Vitigran blueⓇ, FunguranⓇ, KocideⓇ, Hydroxide superⓇ) at 14-28 days, depending on rainfall have been shown to be effective in controlling this disease. |
| References: | |
| http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/crop/type/c_papa.htm | |
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