Anthracnose of Banana

Anthracnose is a widespread disease of banana fruits. The disease produces unsightly blemishes on the fruit peel, which make them unacceptable to consumers. Infection normally begins as small black circular specks during the pre-harvest stage. Affected fruits ripen prematurely, rot and eventually shrivel.
- Infection begins as small, black circular specks on the flowers and peel of the fruit at the distal end of the hands.
- Salmon pink coloured spore masses of the pathogen appears as the lesion increase in size and coalesce to form large sunken blackened areas mainly at the fruit ankles.
- Affected fruit ripens prematurely, rots and eventually shrivel.
- The disease may spread to crown and affects other fingers also.