POST HARVEST DISEASES OF CHILLI, TOMATO AND BRINJAL

Chilli Black ripe rot (C.O.-Alternaria alternate) Black ripe rot due to A. alternata is a field disease but causes appreciable additional loss during transit and storage. This disease occurs throughout the year but is most serious during the post rainy season. The lesions are well defined, first appear as small, circular, grayish green watersoaked, sometimes sunken spots anywhere on the fruit. The spots gradually enlarge, become tends to mouldy brown and are covered by a scanty mycelium or a velvety green sporulating mass. The seeds also become black but there is no skin crack. The infected fruit becomes less pungent. Brown rot (C.o. Ceratocystis paradoxa) This is an uncommon rot on ripe chilli resembling the black ripe rot. An infected fruit shows brown to deep brown and depressed discolouration with brown sporulating colony. It becomes soft, the sporulating area advances and may cover the entire fruit emitting characteristics smell. Infection spreads by contact. Anthracnose (c.o.Colletotrichum Glomerella cingulata) capsici state of

Anthracnose is a common disease of chilli causing damage both in field and storage. This disease is prevalent throughout the year and is common on semi ripe to ripe fruits appearing as small, watersoaked, circular and sunken spots. They enlarge gradually with dirty brown to black centre later turning into straw and blackish brown advancing margin and a straw coloured centre with black setae erupting the fruit skin. Under humid conditions, creamy pink spore masses can be noticed along with the sparse grey black mycelium. Soft rot (c.o.-Fusarium diversisporum) oxysporum, F. solani, F.

Soft rot is a common disease both in India and abroad. It is generally noticed all round the year on both green and ripe chillies

but green chillies suffer more. Infection starts mostly from the stylar end as small, watersoaked, brownish area with scanty mycelial growth on the surface. Rotten fruit becomes soft and leaks milky juice, emitting an offensive smell. Under high humid condition, fluffy mycelial cottony growth fully covers the fruit surface. Infection due to F. solani and F. diversisporum turns the whole fruit soft and yellow within two days. High humidity favours the disease. Tomato Black rot of tomato (c.o.- Alternaria alternata) Black rot of tomato is widespread in markets. Typical symptoms consist of brown to black spots measuring up to about 1.5-3 cm in diameter, which may be sunken and with or without any definite border. The neighbouring spots coalese becoming ivory black and the inner issues soft and dark brown to black with cylindrical dry core. Under humid conditions, dense velvety olive green or black spore mass within a dark grey superficial mouldy growth may also develop on the lesions or at the site of growth cracks. Infected fruits are devoid of any bad odour. Yellow mould rot (c.o. Aspergillus flavus) This is a minor disease occurring only on ripe, over matured or injured fruits during December to April and has been reported from Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The rot starts initially as small watersoaked pots. They rapidly increase in size, rupturing the skin and leaking out a juice emitting a fermentative smell. The fruit becomes insipid. On the surface as well as inside, greenish yellow fungal sporulation can be observed. Black mould rot (c.o. Aspergillus niger) Black mould rot of tomato is widerspraed in India and has been reported from Delhi, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. The disease has been found only on ripe and semi ripe but injured fruits. The infected fruits show brown to black, circular spots surrounded by a watersoaked zone. On the surface, black conidial heads appear on the open lesion, the tissues become soft emitting a bad smell. The disease is favoured by temperatures around 380C. Woolly black rot (c.o. Myrothecium roridum)

It is a minor disease long known in the USA. It has also been described in India from Uttar Pradesh. This disease appears as a small, irregular or circular, slightly depressed brown spots, turning black up to about 1-2 cm in diameter, over which copious woolly fungal growth with dark green to black zone of sporodochia with viscid spore mass appears as mucilaginous substance. Infected area becomes moderately soft and cracks develop from the centre. The rotting is deep but the infected tissues can be easily scraped out from within the healthy areas. Sunken black spot (c.o. Phoma destructiva) This is a serius disease in the USA. In India, it has been reported from Punjab Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal. The disease occurs during January February and is characterized by typical, small, slightly sunken, brownish spots at the edge of the stem scar, enlarging rapidly and becoming circular or elliptical, 0.5-1.5 cm in diameter and somewhat watersoaked, with light brown outer border. Later, the spots turn black or ashy grey, sunken, leathery, but firm with pycnidia can be noticed. The pulp becomes brown to black but remains firm unless invaded by secondary organisms. Soft rot (c.o. Rhizopus arrhizus, R. rhizopodiformis, R. stolonifer) This rot due to R. stolonifer may occur anywhere in the world except under extreme climatic situations. It is one of the worst postharvest diseases of ripe tomato. Infection appears at any place but more so at cracks or injured areas. The lesions are usually large, somewhat distended, with out discolouration, soft and watersoaked. The rot rapidly goes deep but the skin often remains intact. Later, however, the fruits tend to crack and leak juice with fermentative odour and is covered by stringy mycelial growth with abundant sporulation over and inside the fruit surface. In the case of R. rhizopodiformis, the infected area is initially firm but subsequently soft with darker mycelial mass and slower rotting. In the case of R. stolonifer the infected area is always soft, mycelial mass brown and rotting faster. Brinjal Brown spongy melongenae) rot (c.o. Alternaria alternata, A.

It is a common disease and has been reported from different parts of the country like Delhi, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, etc. affecting pre harvested fruits. This disease is minor and noticed during winter. It is characterized by small, circular spots of about 0.5-1 cm diameter, with definite margin. Some of the spots are sunken with or without skin breaks, rich brown, and they often coalesce. The flesh becomes spongy, turns grayish to dark tan, with deep brown to black, scanty, superficial mycelial mass which becomes velvety due to heavy sporulation. In nature, bruises possibly permit easy access for the pathogen. Rotting is favoured by high humidity. Black mould rot (c.o. Aspergillus foetidus var. acidus) Black mould rot is a major disease of brinjal and has been recorded both in the field and markets of Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, The whole fruits turns greenish and releases watery ooze with a bad odour. The skin remains intact and a whitish colony with black conidialheads covers the surface. Wet rot of brinjal (c.o. Choanephora cucurbitarum) This disease occurs from May to September and has been reported from fields in Uttar Pradesh. And markets of West Bengal. The disease may start from anywhere on the fruit surface but mostly from the distal end. The disease appears as a small yellowish area which progresses fast and tarnishes the normal aubergine colour into orange red to yellowish red. On white skinned eggplant cultivars the affected area becomes soil foulsmelling and pulpy. The skin gets loosened from the pulp with a white scanty fibrous superficial growth. Depressed rot (c.o. Phomopsis vexans) It is the most important field and market disease of brinjal fruits and reported from different regions of the world. The infection appears anywhere on the fruit surface but mostly from the pedicel end. The infected calyx and the skin are separated from the rest of the fruit. Infection starts as naples white to light brown to khaki, slightly depressed, small, more or less circular spots which are darker than their surroundings. The spots enlarge rapidly to about 4-6 cm in diameter. They often coalesce, with clear demarcated margins and extensive soft rotting of the pulp. Under dry conditions, the skin becomes wrinkled and shrunken with the pycnidia appearing in a circular manner. This disease is favoured by high humid conditions. Soft rot (c.o. Rhizopus nodosus, R. stolonifer) 4

R. stolonifer is one of the most troublesome pathogens of brinjal both in field and storage reported from different parts of India. Soft rotis common and occurs round the year particularly on the borer infested fruits. Small brownish watersoaked area appears around some injury. It quickly spreads in the directions but the stringy mycelial mass bearing brown to black sporangia appears only on the extremities. The entire fruit mass decays within two to three days except in dry weather. A characteristics smell can be perceived. Etiology Alternaia alternata (Fr.) Keissler (=Alternaria tenuis Nees ex Pers). Dematiaceae, Moniliales, Hyphomycetes, Deuteromycetes conidiophores arise singly or in small groups, simple or branched, straight or sometimes geniculate, pale to mid olivaceous or golden brown, smooth 30-90 m x 3-6 m with one to several conidia. Conidia borne in long chain, obclavate or obpyriform with short cylindrical beak, pale to mild golden brown, smooth or verruculose, with up to six transverse septa and up to five longitudinal or oblique septa, 35.2-58.7 m x 8.5 19.2 m at the broadest part; beak pale, concolorous, 3.2-4.5 m thick. Aspergilus flavus Link ex Fries Conidiophores 400-1000 m x 5-18 m and gradually enlarge into vesicles, 26-40 min diameter. Vesicles dome like to flask shaped, phialides borne directly on vesicle or on metulae thereon. Conidial heads columnar. Conidia pyriform to globose, yellowish green, echinulate, 3-4 m in diameter. Sclerotia, when formed, initially white, later become brown and hard. Aspergillus niger Van Tiegh Aerial hyphae scanty. Conidiophore arise mostly from substratum, hyaline or yellow, uneven, thick walled, smoot, 200 m1.5 mm x 7-10 m. Conidial head blackish brown, purple brown or black, varying from small, more commonly globose, radiating up to 300-400 m, but occasionally 1000 m diameter. Vesicle globose or subglobose. Phialides borne directly on vesicle of certain strains but usually on metulae. Young conidia globose, smooth, but with age become spinulose, measuring 2.5-4.8 m. Globose, superficial mustard like sclerotia produced by some strains. Ceratocystis paradoxa (Dade) C. Moreau (= Thielviopsis paradoxa (de Seynes) Hohnel, conidial state) 5

Conidiophore pale brown, slender, 20-50 m x 4-6 m. Microconidia catenate, dolliform, llipsoidal or obovoid; dark brown, smooth, rather thick walled, 10-25 m x 8-16 m. Phialoconidia at first cylindrical and colourless, becoming ellipsoidal and pale tomid golden brown, mostly 7-17 m x 3-6 m. Choanephora cucurbitarum (Berk. and Rav.) Thaxter Choanephoraceae, Mucorales, Zygomycetes Sporangiophore hyaline, unbranched, broader at the tip. Sporangia spherical to slightly flattend; initially white, later black, 80-140 m. Columella pyriform to globose with a smaller collar. Sporangiospore light brown with hyaline bristles, ovid to ellipsoid, 18-27 m x 9-12.6 m. Fusairum oxysporum Schlecht Microconidia borne on simple phialides arising laterally on hyphae or from short, sparsely branched conidiophores, Microconidia abundant, variable oval, ellipsoid, cylindrical, straight or curved, 5-12 m x 2.2-3.5 m. Macroconidia on conidiophores or sporodochia, generally 3-5 septate, occasionallyup to 7 septate, fusoid with both ends pointed, 27-60 m x 2.5-3.5 m. Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. Microconidia a bundant on lateral conidiophores; 0-1 septate, rather broad and more oval with somewhat thicker walls, 8-16 m x 2-4 m. Macroconidia on sporodochia, develop after 4-7 days of incubation, fusoid, curved towards the ends, smoothly rounded at tip, mostly 3-5 septate, hyaline, 35-100 m x 2.5-8 m. Myrothecium roridum Tode ex Fr. Tuberculariaceae, Moniliales, Hyphomycetes, Deuteromycetes Sporodochia sessile, discoi, circular or irregular, green at first, later turning black, typically white rimmed without setae. Sporodochial margin woolly, compoased of loosely intertwined unicellular hyphae. Conidiophore erect, once or twice branched, septate, hyaline with tapering main axis, 3-4 celled. Conidia borne on slender, clavate, straight. Phialides cylindrical or very slightly tapering with rounded ends; conidia one celled, hyaline, pale green, 5-9 m x 1-1.5 m. Spore mass at first green, later viscid, globular and jet black.

Phoma destructive Plowe Sphaeropsidaceae, Sphaeropsidales, Deuteromycetes Pycnidia sub cutaneous, later erumpent, dark sub globose, slightly papillate, one or two ostiolate, 50-180 m. Conidia hyaline, flesh coloured when in mass, continous sub cylindrical to sub globose, 3.5-8 m x 1.5-2.5 m. Phomapsis vexans (Sacc. And Syd.) harter Pycnidial wall dark, membranous. Pycnidia with well defined beak, erumpent, 60-350 m on host but in culture 229-458 m. Aconidia hyaline, single celled, 4.9-6.5 m x 1.6-2.5 m, contnous, subcylindrical. Rhizopus rhizopodiformis (Cohn) Zopf Vegetative hyphae sub hyaline, 3-7 m in diameter. Stolons reduced. Rhizoids branched, hyaline to light brown. Sporangiophore 100-800 m in diameter. Tolons reduced. Rhizoids branched, hyaline to light brown. Sporaniophore 100-800 m, smooth walled, aseptate, light brown, simple, arising up to 3 at a place from stolons, usually opposite to rhizoids. Sporangia globose, white at first, later turning deep brown, 25-88 m in diameter. Columella 20-64.5 m x 38.8 m, oblong to pyriform, somewhat angular to sub globose, rarely short, oval or elongate. Rhizopus stolonifer (Ehren. Ex Fr.) Lind Stolons creeping, recurving to substrate in the form of arachinoid hyphae. Internode extended up to 1-3 m. Sporangiophore united in groups of 3-5 or more, rarely single, 0.53 m in height. Apophyses broad, cuneiform. Sporangia hemispherical with depressed, broad columella, 100-350 m. spores in equal, light brown, irregular, round, oval or angular, striate, 9.12 m x 7-9 m. Table : Control of postharvest pathogens of tomato, brinjal and chilli Pathogen Phoma destructive Alternaria alternate Time or stage of treatment Pres harvest spray Treatment of naturally infected fruits Treatments Emulsions of mobil oil, cottonseed oil, paraffin oil, castor oil HWT1 at 500C and storage at 110C

A. alternate

Non inoculation treatment Pre inoculation treatment Post inoculation treatment Post inoculation treatment -do-

Fusarium oxysporum A. alternate A. alternate

Storage of green fruits at 50C or coverage with polythene film and storage at 250C Ethylene at CA2 storage Dipping in imazalil (0.010.1% a.i.) for 2 min Guazatine (5%), y radiation (150 Krad) HWT (550C for 6 min) and combinations Wrapping in butter paper, newspaper, butter paper impregnated with iodine + KI, DPA wrapper Dipping in benomyl and DCNA 2, 4-D, 2,4,5-T, -NAA, PABA, ascorbic acid, gibberllic acid (GA2) Dipping in 5 fungicides including benomyl, aureofunin, boric acid, thio-urea M&B 21914C(0.1%), thiophanate M (0.2%), iprodione (0.1%) 8 fungicides tested Agrimycin, allisan, aureofungin, bavistin, benodanil, benomyl, captan, difolatan griseofulvin, TBZ, HWT (500C for 5 min), agrimycin + bavistin, agrimycin + difolatan 2, 4-D, 2,4,5-T, -NAA, PABA, GA ascorbic acid TBZ (0.4%)

R. arrhizus

Myrothecium roridum Rhizopus stolonifer Aspergillus niger

Post inoculation treatment -doPre and /or post inoculation treatment Post inoculation treatment -do-

Choanephora cucurbitarum Colletotrichum state of Glomerella cingulata

Rhizopus stolonifer Ceratocystis fimbriata

Pre and post inoculation treatments Inoculated