Black sooty mould and white scale on my sapota leaves and fruit (chiku)

Black sooty mould on sapota with white or brown crusty bumps on the leaves, twigs and fruit is a sucking pest problem, usually scale insects or mealybugs. They sit and suck sap, excrete sticky honeydew, and the black sooty mould grows on that honeydew, dirtying the fruit and reducing its market value. The mould itself is harmless but the pest weakens the tree. Confirm the pest with a photo to your KVK, since scale and mealybug need slightly different handling. Manage the pest, not just the mould. Prune to open the canopy for air and light, since shaded crowded trees harbour more scale, and remove heavily infested twigs. Control the ants that protect and spread these pests with a sticky band on the trunk, which lets natural enemies do their work. Conserve natural enemies such as ladybird beetles. If chemical control is needed, KVK-recommended options for scale and mealybug, with typical actives and sometimes a horticultural oil to smother them, are used, but follow the label, the pre-harvest interval, residue and MRL limits, and rotate modes of action. Once the pest is controlled the sooty mould weathers off. Get the pest identified before spraying.