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Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

Pineapple black rot (190)

Photo 1. Internal symptoms of pineapple black rot, caused by Ceratocystis paradoxa.

Photo 2. Black rot of pineapple, Ceratocystis paradoxa.

Summary

Worldwide distribution. On pineapple, cocoa (pod rot), coconut (stem bleeding), banana and plantain (black end or fruit rot), maize, mango, potato, sugarcane (pineapple disease, see Fact Sheet no. 218), sweetpotato (see Fact Sheet no. 232) and taro. An important disease.
A fungus causing, (i) long, white papery spots on leaves which rub together; (ii) black, soft watery rots under brittle skin on fruit damaged at harvest when wet; (iii) soft grey rots at base of planting materials when detached wet, and stored in heaps.
Cultural control: (i) fruit - handle carefully; reject sunburnt fruit; keep packing shed clean; (ii) planting material – store in single layer, inverted with butts exposed to sun; (iii) planting - improve drainage and avoid planting when wet.
Chemical control: dip fruit in prochloraz, and planting material in propiconazole.

Common Name

Pineapple black rot, water blister of pineapple (soft rot), white leaf spot, butt rot

Scientific Name

Ceratocystis paradoxa; it is also known by its asexual name, Chalara paradoxa or Thielaviopsis paradoxa.

AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from Diseases of fruit crops in Australia (2009). Editors, Tony Cooke, Denis Persley, Susan House. CSIRO Publishing. Photo 1 Kohler F, Pellegrin F, Jackson G, McKenzie E (1997) Diseases of cultivated crops in Pacific Island countries. South Pacific Commission. Pirie Printers Pty Limited, Canberra, Australia. Photo 2 Anna L Snowdon. Pineapple: Disease and symptoms. Vikaspedia.

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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