Identification symptoms

As the fungus causes necrosis of tender twigs from the tip backwards the disease is called die-back Infection usually begins when the crop is in flower. Flowers drop and dry up.

There is profuse shedding of flowers. The flower stalk shrivel and dry up. This drying up spreads from the flower stalks to the stem and subsequently causes die-back of the branches and stem and the branches wither. Partia1lly affected plants bear fruits which are few and of low quality.

On the surface of the soil the necrotic areas are found separated from the healthy area by a dark brown to black band.