Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is responsible for many diseases, also referred to as “anthracnose,” on many tropical fruits including banana, avocado, papaya, coffee, passion fruit, and others. On mango, anthracnose symptoms occur on leaves, twigs, petioles, flower clusters (panicles), and fruits.
Characteristic symptoms appear as oval or irregular vinaceous brown to deep brown spots of various sizes scattered all over the leaf surface, later forming elongated brown necrotic areas measuring 20-25 mm in diameter. The lesions start as small, angular, brown to black spots that can enlarge to form extensive dead areas.
The appearance of anthracnose spot is rounded brown to black lesions with an indefinite border on the fruit surface. The lesion size extends to 2 cm is common. Different sized lesions are coalesced together to cover the extensive areas of the fruit, which develops from the basal toward the distal end of the fruit. Lesions are generally confined to the peel.
Under moist conditions, the blackened areas are covered with minute pinkish reproductive bodies of the fungus.
Ripe fruits affected by anthracnose develop sunken, prominent, dark brown to black decay spots before or after picking. Fruits may drop from trees prematurely.
Mango anthracnose
