Pomegranate diseases

Major Pomegranate diseases are:-

1.Pomegranate Cercospora Fruit Spot: Cercospora sp.

      

Symptom:

• The affected fruits showed small irregular black spots, which later on coalesce, into big spots.

Management:

• The diseased fruits should be collected and destroyed.
• Two to three spray at 15 days interval with Mancozeb 0.25%.

 

2.Pomegranate Leaf Spot or Blight: Colletotrichum gloesporioides; Pseudocercospora punicae; Curvularia lunata and Cercospora punicae)

Symptom:

• The disease is characterised by the appearance of small, irregular and water-soaked spots on leaves.Affected leaves fall off.

Management:

• Spraying Mancozeb 0.25 % at 15 days interval gives good control of the disease.

 

3.Pomegranate Alternaria fruit spot: Alternaria alternata

Symptom:

• Small reddish brown circular spots appear on the fruits.
• As the disease advances these spots, coalesce to form larger patches and the fruits start rotting.
• The rails get affected which become pale and become unfit for consumption.

Management:

• All the affected fruits should be collected and destroyed. Spraying Mancozeb 0.25 % effectively controls the disease.

 

4. Bacterial blight: Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae

Symptoms:

• The appearance of one to several small water soaked, dark coloured irregular spots on leaves resulting in premature defoliation under severe cases.
• The pathogen also infects stem and branches causing girdling and cracking symptoms.
• Spots on fruits were dark brown irregular slightly raised with an oily appearance, which split open with L-shaped cracks under severe cases.

The primary source of inoculum is infected cuttings. A secondary source of inoculum has Wind splashed rains.

Continuous/intermittent rainfall for a longer period, congenial maximum (29.4 to 35.6⁰C) and minimum temperature (19.5 to 27.3⁰C) and relative humidity (63 to 87 %) were found favourable for the development and spread of the disease.

Management:

Cultural:

• Wide row spacing
•  Selection of disease free seedlings for fresh planting
• Pruning affected branches, fruits regularly and burning
• Bahar should be done in Hasta or Ambe Bahar
• Give minimum four-month rest after harvesting the fruits

Chemical:

Spray:

• Before pruning it should be sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture
• After Ethrel spraying or defoliation, Paste or smear with 0.5g Streptomycin Sulphate + 2.5g Copper oxy chloride  + 200g red oxide per lit of water.
• Spray 0.5 g Streptomycin Sulphate or Bacterinashak +2.5 g Copper oxy chloride per litre of water.

Next day or another day spray with 1 g ZnSo₄ +1 g MgSo₄ +1 g Boron +1g CaSo₄ per lit of water.

 

Source-

• TamilNadu Agritech Portal
• Krishisewa.com