Avocado Diseases

Abstract

The activities of diagnosis and inspection to commer-cial avocado (Persea americana Mill.) groves, realized by the  Corporación  Colombiana  de  Investigación  Agrope-cuaria, CORPOICA, allowed to obtain an inventary of the main  diseases  of  this  fruit  tree  in  Colombia.  The  disea-ses of major importance, for the frequency and severity in  avocado  groves,  they  are  outlined:  The  rotting  root caused by the fungi Phytophthora cinnamomi var. cinna-momi and the wilting for Verticillium sp., which normally deserve  decisions  of  managing.  Are  very  frequent  and important,  for  the  difficult  managing,  the  affections  for Armillaria mellea and Rosellinia sp. in avocado groves in zones  of  warm  and  moderate  cold  climate.  The  causal fungi of the scab (Sphaceloma perseae), the anthracno-se of the fruit (Glomerella cingulata) and the angular leaf spot  and  black  spot  of  the  fruit  for  (Pseudocercospora purpurea), cause important losses in the field and in the postharvest,  damaging  the  quality  of  the  fruit.  Others pathogens that affect fruits in postharvest, are Rhizopus stolonifer, Lasiodiplodia  theobromae  (= Botryodiplodia theobromae) and Dothiorella sp., wich are of recent ap-pearance  and  importance  in  avocado  groves  in  Colom-bia.  Other  diseases,  as  the  descending  death  of  bran-ches, tips and rotting graft caused for C. gloeosporioides and L. theobromae, acquire every time major importance in nurseries. The dying of branches and leaf spot for Pes-talotia sp. and the algal spot for Cephaleuros virescens, are not important in field conditions. On the other hand, the sooty mold (Capnodium sp.) generally it is associated with insects sucking and is of easy managing.