Importance of different sources of inoculum and dispersal methods of conidia of Colletotrichum musae, the causal agent of banana anthracnose, for fruit contamination

Different populations of Colletotrichum were characterized and quantified on floral parts of banana plants from flowering until harvest. Isolates of Colletotrichum found to be pathogenic and attributed to the species C. musae (77% of isolates) were differentiated from other species by abundant sporulation, a short mycelium, and rapid growth. Colletotrichum musae was isolated from floral parts mainly during the month following bunch emergence. The respective involvement of different sources of inoculum (leaves, bunch bracts, floral parts) in the levels of fruit contamination was evaluated. When the floral parts and bunch bracts were removed at flowering, the severity of anthracnose disease was considerably reduced. The severity of the disease is strongly correlated with cumulative rainfall during the first 35 days after bunch emergence, and was considerably reduced when rainwater runoff over the bunches was limited by placing plastic sleeves over them. The disease was not observed on banana fruit grown under shelters, protected from rain. The results obtained from this study show clearly that contamination of fruit by conidia takes place largely due to the trickling of rainfall over the floral parts, which are the main source of inoculum. The application of these results for integrated control is discussed.