1. Ber can be affected by several diseases including powdery mildew caused by Oidium erysiphoides f. sp. zizyphi, leaf spot caused by Alternaria chartarum, rust caused by Phakopsora zizyphi f. sp. ellipsoides, and soft rot caused by Phomopsis natsume. 2. Powdery mildew causes a white powdery growth on young leaves, fruits, and developing fruits that can cause leaves to defoliate and fruits to drop prematurely. 3. Management of diseases involves spraying fungicides like dinocap, wettable sulfur, or carbendazim. Proper disease management is important to

1. COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY
Affiliated to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore
Kullapuram, Via Vaigai dam, Theni-625 562
DISEASES OF BER
Course Teacher: Submitted by:
Dr. Parthasarathy. S S.Kaviya Sri,
Asst. Prof., (Plant Pathology). 2015021059.

2. BER
Other names : Indian Jujube, Jujube
Scientific Name : Ziziphus mauritiana
Family : Rhamnaceae
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3. Diseases of ber
•Powdery Mildew –
Oidium erysiphoides f. sp. zizyphi
•Leaf spot - Alternaria chartarum
•Rust - Phakopsora zizyphi f. sp. ellipsoides
•Soft rot - Phomopsis natsume

4. Ber Powdery Mildew
Oidium erysiphoides f. sp. zizyphi
Kingdom :Fungi
Division :Ascomycota
Class :Ascomycetes
Order :Erysiphales
Family :Erysiphaceae
Genus : Oidium
Species : Oidium erysiphoides f. sp. zizyphi

5. Symptoms:
A white powdery mass on developing young
leaves and later shrink and defoliate.
Small, white powdery growth appear on the
young fruits which later enlarge and coalesce and
finally turn brown to dark brown.

6. In severe cases, the whole fruit surface gets
covered with the powdery mass.
Affected young fruits drop off prematurely or
become corky, cracked, mis-shapen and
underdeveloped.
Matured fruits turn rusty. Sometimes the
whole crop is rendered unmarketable.

7. SYMPTOM:
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8. Pathogen:
• The fungal mycelium become external on the host
while conidiophore are oidium type, upright single,
measuring 75.8-139.4 × 12.6 mm.
• Conidia are cylindrical, hyaline, measuring about
25.2 - 37.8 × 16.8 - 21.0 mm with scars.
• Conidia of this fungus germinates and form
appressoria after 2-4 hours at 20 ± 2º C in most
saturated atmosphere, where sporulation starts 96
hours after inoculation on susceptible ber leaves.

9. •The disease appears by the end of October and
prevails up to April.
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10. Life cycle
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11. Favourable conditions:
Temperature: 10-30º C
Mode of spread:
Primary spread: Infected plant debris
Secondary spread: Air borne conidia

12. Management:
Spraying of Dinocap 0.05% or Wettable
Sulphur 0.25% or Carbendazim 0.1% should be
done during first and third weeks of November or
when the fruit attains pea size.
Triton-AE or Teepol or Sandovit may be added
for adhesion.

13. Alternaria leaf spot
Alternaria chartarum
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14. Symptoms:
The disease is characterised by the formation of
small irregular brown spot on the upper surface of
the leaves.
On the lower surface dark brown to black spots
are formed.
The spots coalesce to form big patches. The
diseased leaves later drop.

15. Conidia can range from obovoid to short
ellipsoidal, with colors of golden brown to
blackish brown
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16. Primary spread: Infected plant debris
Management:
• The disease can be controlled effectively by
spraying Mancozeb 0.25 per cent.

17. Rust
Phakopsora zizyphi f. sp. ellipsoides
Synonym: Uredo zizyphi
• Brown coloured telia is emerged from the
infected tissues and produces several
teliospores and uredospores.
• It survives through teliospores.

18. Symptoms:
Cinnamon brown colour raised rusty
pustules appears on the surface of leaves, stem
and fruits.

19. Mode of spread:
Primary spread: Uredospores
Favourable condition:
Light humid weather

20. Management:Mancozeb + Metalaxyl - 0.2%
Carbendazim - 0.1% can be used to control this
disease.

21. Soft rot
Phomopsis natsume
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Sordariomycetes
Order: Diaporthales
Family: Valsaceae
Genus: Phomopsis
Species: Phomopsis natsume

22. Symptoms:
The disease appears as a light russet vinaceous
coloured, irregular spot on the fruits.
It increases in size and make the whole fruit into
pulpy, brown to black in colour with soft and loose
outer skin.
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23. Management:
The disease can be-controlled by spraying
with Carbendazim 0.05 per cent.