This document summarizes several diseases that affect lychee trees, including anthracnose, stem canker, pink limb blight, algal spot, parasitic lichen, brown blight, and tree decline. It describes the symptoms of each disease, such as brown spots on fruit for anthracnose, sunken lesions on branches for stem canker, and wilting branches for pink limb blight and tree decline. Management strategies mentioned include pruning infected branches and limbs. The document provides an overview of the most common diseases affecting lychee trees.

2. Lychee Diseases
A
Lecture To ToT trainees ( FFS)
By
Mr. Allah Dad Khan
Provincial Coordinator IPM KPK
MINFAL Pakistan

4. Symptoms
 Anthracnose attacks both leaves and
fruit of the lychee tree. However,
fruit of the lychee variety 'Mauritius'
is more susceptible to anthracnose
than is the fruit of the 'Brewster'
variety. The lychee fruit is susceptible
to anthracnose infection from
blossom until the fruit is half-grown.
Most of the decay on mature lychee
fruit is from latent infection when the
fruit is small. The small spots
coalesce into large brown spots as the
fruit ripens. A white mycelial mat
grows over the fruit during storage

5. Symptoms
 This fungus is normally
found attacking the
terminal branches of the
lychee tree. Signs of
infection include sunken,
shrinking, oval to
irregular lesions, which
may crack and expose
wood. The fungus is
managed by pruning out
infected branches and
limbs.
Stem Canker Caused by Botryosphaeria sp

6. Symptoms
 This pathogen attacks the
limbs and trunk of the
lychee tree. The fungus
grows above and below the
bark. The outer layer
appears light pink to white.
The fungus encircles the
plant part and girdles the
vascular tissue, causing
foliage wilt and death. This
fungus is also managed by
pruning exposed wood
Pink Limb Blight Caused by Erythricium
salmonicolor

7. Symptoms
 Algal spot has a wide host range
among tropical trees, including both
lychee and longan trees. Lesions on
leaves are roughly circular, raised,
and greenish-gray in color. The alga
will eventually produce rust-colored,
microscopic 'spores' on the surface of
the leaf spots, giving the spots a
reddish appearance. The alga may
also spread to branches. If branch
splitting occurs, the branches may
become girdled and die. Algal spot
seems to flourish in groves that are
treated with organic fungicides,
rather than with copper-based
compounds
Algal Spot Caused by Cephaleuros virescens

8. Sympodium
 Parasitic lichen may
parasitize leaves on the
longan. Symptoms include
white star-shaped spots on
leaf surfaces. This lichen
colonizes leaves reducing
their ability to
photosynthesize. Please
contact your local County
Cooperative Extension
 Service for current control
recommendations.
Parasitic lichen Strigula sp

9. Symptoms
 Brown blight, Peronophythora
litchii, is a major disease in both
lychee and longan in China and
Thailand, although more important
in the former. It is also reported to
affect lychee in India. It is well
described in Guangdong, and attacks
leaves and panicles, as well as fruit
that can be infected right up to
harvest. These infections all reduce
production and shelf life. Flower
panicles are particularly susceptible.
Immature fruit turn brown, while
those infected before harvest have a
white mildew growing on the skin.
Brown blight

10. Symptoms
 The symptoms include a
sudden branch wilt that is
followed by the decline of
new growth on the affected
branch over a period. In
other situations, the tips
die without wilting. The
tree or branch may recover
temporarily, but
subsequently dies. Parts of
the tree flush and grow,
while other sections die.
Tree Decline