Pineapple black rot, also known as butt rot, base rot, or white blister, is a disease caused by Ceratocystis paradoxa (Dade) Moreau (Anamorph: Thielaviopsis paradoxa (De Seyenes) Höhnel) is the most common and well-known post-harvest disease of the pineapple fruit which is responsible for serious losses in the fresh pineapple fruit world industry.
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The disease is widespread and one of the common and destructive pineapple diseases in the world. It occurs in the field and normally remains quiescent or especially appears during harvest and marketing. The disease is a universal fresh-fruit problem but normally not a problem with processed fruit, because times from harvest to processing are too short for infection although it occurs in the field when fruit is injured or over-ripped in a poor-drained soil.
Disease symptoms
The disease is characterized by a soft watery rot that starts at the point of detachment of the fruit. Tissues affected by the fungus' mycelium and calamydospores darken during the course of the disease. The pathogen can cause white, yellow to brown leaf spot or blister in the field with several centimeters length. Later, they dry to become papery and straw coloured.
Disease management
Presently, synthetic fungicides are the primary means of controlling field and postharvest diseases of fruits and vegetables. Normally, the main way to prevent or manage pineapple black rot disease development is using systemic fungicides treatments on propagation material in the field or at least within six hours of harvest, in the case of post-harvest occurrence. The disease can also be avoided by the careful handling of fruits so as to avoid bruises and fungicide dips.