Cercospora melongenae

Fungal Disease

Cercospora melongenae

Fungal Disease

Cercospora melongenae

Fungal Disease

Cercospora melongenae

Fungal Disease

Cercospora melongenae

Fungal Disease

Cercospora melongenae enters through breaks in the plant surface on the young leaf host of eggplants, typically through lesions caused by the fungi. Fruiting bodies of the fungus are overall larger when the fungus is able to proliferate during a heavy rain period versus a dry season. The fungus favors wet or moist leaves and high relative humidity for optimal infection. A conducive environment for this fungus is one that is moist and wet, with a fair amount of wind and rain splash for optimal dispersal. This fungi produces larger fruiting structures during a rainy season than during a dry season, indicating the need for a moist or wet environment. Essentially, the amount of moisture in the air is correlated with the sizes of the fruiting structures. In almost all cases and especially in severe cases, signs and symptoms of Cercospora melongenae have already appeared by the beginning of the dry season (or the end of the wet or rainy season). Because Cercospora melongenae is a polycyclic disease and heavily dependent on a moist or wet environment, an extremely heavy rainy season is conducive for larger and greater conidia production and dispersal. What is interesting to note is that in less susceptible eggplant varieties, such as the Siamese variety, signs and symptoms of Cercospora melongenae can be unseen and not appear until at least four weeks after the start of the dry season.

Source- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercospora_melongenae