Pomegranate Bacterial Blight (Telya) Control

Symptoms

Caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae and called telya in Marathi. Small water soaked, dark, oily looking spots appear on leaves, stems and fruit. On fruit the spots turn brown to black, often crack in an L or Y shape, and the fruit splits. Stems develop dark cracked lesions and may girdle and break.

Damage

Bacterial blight is a serious threat to pomegranate growers in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and can cause very heavy crop loss. Fruit cracking and dark spotting make produce unsellable, and severe infection causes defoliation, twig dieback and orchard decline. Untreated orchards have shown disease incidence far higher than well managed ones.

Organic & cultural control

Use disease free planting material and give a rest period to break the disease cycle. After pruning, immediately spray one percent Bordeaux mixture, and paste stems and major branches with Bordeaux paste. Remove and destroy infected leaves, twigs and fruit, avoid working when foliage is wet, and provide windbreaks since wind driven rain spreads the bacteria.

Chemical control

A combination of streptocycline at about five hundred ppm with copper oxychloride around two grams per litre, sprayed repeatedly, has greatly reduced disease incidence and raised yield in trials; sprays are timed before and during the rainy season and rotated under guidance to manage resistance. Always read and follow the label, observe the pre-harvest interval, and consult your KVK or agronomist before spraying.

Always follow the product label, the recommended pre-harvest interval, and your local KVK or agronomist. Pesticide approvals change, so verify before use.

Prevention

Establish orchards with clean disease free saplings in well drained sites and adopt a planned bahar treatment that includes a rest period to break the cycle. Maintain strict sanitation by removing infected plant parts, disinfect pruning tools, use windbreaks, and follow an integrated schedule of copper, antibiotic and Bordeaux sprays timed to weather and crop stage.