• 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.

Capsicum anthracnose

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