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Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

Capsicum (chilli) anthracnose (177)

Photo 1. Large spots on capsicum caused by Colletotrichum species. Note the rings inside the spot giving it a "target-like" appearance. The tiny whitish dots in the spot are the spore masses of the fungus.

Photo 2. Large lesion of anthracnose, Colletotrichum species distorting shape of fruit.

Photo 3. Multiple spots on capsicum caused by Colletotrichum species, typical of infection by this fungus.

Photo 4. Dark, merging spots on the surface of chillies caused by Colletotrichum sp. The fruit in the foreground (left) has completely shriveled due to infection.

Photo 5. Multiple infections of Colletotrichum species. on a chilli fruit.

Photo 6. Sunken spots on chillies caused by Colletotrichum sp. Note that on the fruit, second from left, the spot has turned black as the dark hairs of the fungus develop

Photo 7. Multiple infections of anthracnose, Colletotrichum species, showing light pink areas on the spots where spore masses have developed.

Photo 8. Spores masses of Colletotrichum acutatum on avocado.

Phot 9. Colletotrichum capsici rot on eggplant.

Photo 10. Large Colletotruchum capsici rot on eggplant showing fruiting bodies in concentric rings.

Photo 11. Dark spots, many enlarging and joining together, of mango anthracnose, Glomerella cingulata. The fungus infects the skins and later develops in storage. Orange-pink spore masses develop in the centres of these areas (see Fact Sheet no. 09).

Summary

Widespread distribution. On capsicum and chilli, and other kinds of vegetables (e.g., tomato), root crops (e.g. yam), and fruit trees (e.g., papaya, mango). There are three common species on capsicum with similar symptoms. An important disease.
Fungal spots mostly occur on fruits about to ripen. Sunken yellow spots, darkening in wet weather with pink spore masses in rings; later, turning black.
Spread is in wind-driven rain, and water splash; survival is in crop debris, weeds, “volunteers”, seed, other crops.
Cultural control: treat seed in hot water at 52ºC for 30 mins; remove seedlings in nursery with spots; weed; plough in or collect and burn plant debris after harvest; 3-year crop rotation, avoiding related crops; tolerant varieties.
Chemical control: use sprays of copper or mancozeb, from time of flowering.

Common Name

Capsicum anthracnose

Scientific Name

Colletotrichum species, most often Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum capsici (possibly the same as Colletotrichum dematium) and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (the sexual state is Glomerella cingulata).

AUTHORS Zhong-Ming Sheu, Jaw-Fen Wang & Grahame Jackson
Information from Diseases of fruit crops in Australia (2009). Editors, Tony Cooke, Denis Persley, Susan House. CSIRO Publishing. Photos 1&2 Mani Mua, SPC, Sigatoka Research Station, Fiji. Photos 3-5 AVRDC, The World Vegetable Centre. Photos 6 Than PP, Phoulivong S, Taylor PWJ, Hyde KD (2008) Chilli anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum species. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 9(10): 764Ð778. Photo 8 Colletotrichum acutatum, Photos 9&10 Colletotrichum capsici, and Photo 11 Colletotrichum colletotrichum (taken by Eric McKenzie), and used in this fact sheet, appeared previously in McKenzie E (2013) PaDIL - (https://www.padil.gov.au).

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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