Disease Note.

New Storage Disease of Guava Fruit Caused by Cylindrocladium scoparium. M. Sepiah, Central Research Laboratory, MARDI, P.O. Box 12301, 50774 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. . Plant Dis. 74:253. Accepted for publication 20 September 1989. Copyright 1990 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-74-0253A.

Cylindrocladium scoparium Morgan (IMI 324740) has been frequently identified as a cause of postharvest fruit damage of guava (Psidium guajava L.) in Malaysia since it was first detected on decayed fruit during storage in November 1986. Pathogenicity tests with the fungus were conducted on guava fruit, and Koch's postulates were completed. The initial symptoms are brown, dry, sl ightly sunken spots. During storage at 28 ± 2 C, the symptoms appear after 2 days on wounded and 3 days on nonwounded fruits. More often, numerous small spots are present around the original infected site. Although the infection generally occurs only on the fruit surface, in severe infection it might invade the flesh as deep as 0.5 cm. Whitish mycelium followed by yellowish orange masses of phialospores of the pathogen are commonly seen on affected fruit. Microscopically, the pathogen is characterited by hyaline conidiophores branching dichotomously or trichotomously, each with two or three phialides. typical sterile elongated branches terminating in globose or ellipsoid swellings, and hyaline, cylindrical. two-celled phialospores. This disease can spread easily to adjacent healthy fruits through physical contact. As far as is known, this is the first report of this disease on guava.