Bacterial blight: Water soaked spots on fruit
Pathogen: Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae
Symptoms
On fruits spots of water soaked appearance or brownish black spots with cracks or split fruits. The bacterial ooze if it comes out after rain/spray feels sticky to hands and after drying gives white shiny encrustation on the surface of blight lesions.
Disease development
Infected fruit and twigs are potential sources of primary inoculum. The secondary spread of bacterium is mainly through rain and spray splashes, irrigation water, pruning tools, humans, and insect vectors. Entry is through wounds and natural openings. The first water-soaked lesions develop within 2–3 days and appear as dark red spots. Disease buildup is rapid from July to September. Severity increases during June and July and reaches a maximum in September and October and then declines.
Control
Select disease free planting material. Spray Bordeaux mixture (1.0%). Spray with Streptocycline (0.025%) in combination with Copper oxychloride (0.25%) or Carbendazim (0.15%) at 15 days interval for 5-6 times starting from leaf initiation stage. If possible, cut ends should be pasted with Bordeaux (10%) paste.