Disease management :  Guava wilt

Symptoms start with the onset of monsoon. Light yellow foliage appearance with loss of turgidity and epinasty. At a later stage, plants show unthriftyness. Subsequently, premature shedding and defoliation. Some of the twigs become bare and fail to bring forth new leaves or flowers and eventually dry up. Fruits of all the affected branches remain underdeveloped, hard and stony. Later, the entire plant is defoliated and eventually dies. The roots also show rotting at the basal region and the bark is easily detachable from the cortex. Light brown discoloration is also noticed in vascular tissues. The pathogen attacks young as well as old fruit bearing trees but older trees are more prone to the disease.

Epidemology: Through movement of plants containing sick soil in virgin areas. Short distance spread is by water. Root injury predisposes wilt disease. Conditions favourable: High rainfall during August/ September. Stagnation of water in guava field for long duration. Maximum and minimum temperature ranges 23-32^oC with 76% RH are conducive. Lack of timely application of suitable control measures.