My chilli pods are getting sunken dark rotten spots and the branches are drying back from the tips. How do I stop this?
How to control fruit rot and dieback (anthracnose) in chilli (mirchi)?
SShankarappa6mo ago · 265 views
4 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓6mo ago
Sunken, dark, rotting spots on the pods with branch dieback from the tips is anthracnose, also called fruit rot and dieback, caused by Colletotrichum, and it gets worse in wet, humid weather and on ripe pods. It can spoil a big share of your harvest and downgrade dry chilli, so manage it early. Use clean, treated seed and disease free seedlings, follow crop rotation, give proper spacing for air flow, and avoid overhead and evening irrigation. Pick and destroy infected pods and prunings so the fungus does not spread, and do not leave ripe pods on the plant too long in wet weather. Start protective fungicide sprays as the disease appears and during rainy spells, switching to a recommended systemic under high pressure and rotating groups to avoid resistance. Follow the label dose and waiting period and confirm the spray schedule with your KVK.
BBasavaraj Naik6mo ago
Not leaving ripe pods on the plant too long in wet weather cut my fruit rot a lot. The fully ripe red pods sitting through rainy spells were the first to rot. Picking them promptly when ripe meant the fungus had less to feed on.
HHanumantappa5mo ago
Removing and destroying the infected pods, do not just drop them in the field, helped me. When I left the rotten pods on the ground they kept spreading spores to the healthy ones. Taking them right out of the field along with proper spacing for airflow slowed it.
MMallikarjuna Gowda5mo ago
Starting protective sprays ahead of the rainy spells, not after the rot shows, is what worked here. Once the wet weather sets in and the pods are spotting, it is very hard to pull back. Clean treated seed to start with also meant less disease coming up in the first place.