Return to Diseases

Anthracnose fruit rot (Colletotrichum spp.) is a fungal disease that causes rot of a wide range of fruits. It is common on stone fruit in the Southeast, but is uncommon in Kentucky. Initially, small round sunken spots resemble brown rot symptoms; however, unlike brown rot, sunken spots of anthracnose remain firm to the touch as they expand. Salmon-colored spores arranged in concentric rings ooze from lesions during wet or humid conditions; this is distinctive for anthracnose. Infection occurs soon after bloom, but symptoms do not appear until fruit is ripe or nearly ripe. The fungus overwinters on diseased fruit and infected twigs.

Anthracnose fruit rot.

(Photo: John Hartman, University of Kentucky)

Close-up of Anthracnose fruit rot lesions with exuding spore masses.

(Photo: University of Georgia Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org)

Management:

• Use proper sanitation (remove infected fruit, remove diseased twigs; discard debris away from orchard).
• Increase air circulation to encourage drying of plant tissues (pruning, thinning, spacing).
• Use fungicides to suppress disease development; fungicides do not cure disease.

Return to Diseases