Seasonal effect on infection with Colletotrichum horii causing anthracnose in persimmon twigs and the relation between its prevalence on twigs and occurrence in fruit

Abstract

We inoculated persimmon with Colletotrichum horii, causing anthracnose on the young twigs from the third week in April to the second week in June. The anthracnose lesions occurred in late April, and did not occur on lignified twigs. In addition, we inoculated the fruits with high and low levels of inoculation using twigs with lesions. In the high inoculation group, the occurrence of diseased fruits was as high as 41.6%. The results indicated that the application of fungicides should start after late April, and also that twigs with lesions should be removed and controlled using the application of fungicides.