What is Fruit Rot Disease?

About Fruit Rot Disease:

• It is a plant disease that can cause significant losses for farmers, as it can reduce the quality of the crop and make it unmarketable.
• In some cases, fruit rot can also lead to the death of the plant.
• It is caused by a number of different fungi, bacteria, and viruses, and it can be difficult to prevent and treat.
• Continuous heavy rainfall coupled with low temperature (20 to 23 °C), high relative humidity (>90%), and intermittent rain and sunshine hours favour the occurrence of fruit rot.
• Symptoms:
  • Brown or black spots on the fruit
  • Softening of the fruit
  • Shrivelling of the fruit
  • Mould growth on the fruit
• There are many different types of fungi that can cause fruit rot, but the most common type is Botrytis cinerea.
• This fungus affects a wide range of fruits, including grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, and peppers.
• The fungus enters the plant through wounds in the leavesor fruit lesions, and it proliferates in humid conditions.
• Once established, the fruit infections can spread rapidly through the crop, causing rot.
• The fungi that cause fruit rot can also produce toxins that are harmful to humans and animals.

Q1: What are Fungi?

Fungi (singular-Fungus) are eukaryotic organisms that include moulds, yeasts, and related organisms like mushrooms within the kingdom Fungi. Fungi come in both unicellular and multicellular forms, with yeast representing the simplest unicellular type and moulds like Rhizopus, Mucor, and Penicillium are examples of multicellular fungi. They exhibit greater complexity and size compared to bacteria and can function as either saprophytes or parasites.

Source: CPCRI issues advisory to control koleroga disease in arecanut plantations