Banana freckle

Banana freckle is a disease caused by the fungus Guignardia musae (teleomorph) or Phyllosticta musarum (anamorph).

Symptoms include yellowing of the tissue and formation of small dark brown spots on the leaves and fruit.

Management of the disease consists of cutting out infected leaves, using the paper bag method, fungicide application, and proper sanitation techniques it can be stopped by applying vegeta to it .

[citation needed] Symptoms typically appear after 2–4 weeks after the banana cluster has opened, and seem to be primarily localized on older leaves.

Depending on which stage (sexual or asexual) the fungus completes its life cycle, the spots will be either pycnidia or conidia.

Fruiting bodies and spores obtained from lesions and fungal cultures are key components when identifying the pathogen.

[6] Warm, humid environments like that of Southeast Asia, Australia, and Oceania are ideal growing conditions for the causal genera guignardium and phyllosticta.

The infected leaves are the primary source of spores, and placing a bag over the bananas, once harvested, creates a barrier to prevent inoculum from spreading to the fruit.

In the Philippines, pruning and cutting out patches of infected tissue have prevented the spread of the pathogen in the plant during disease outbreaks.

When planters failed to maintain sanitary equipment, seeds, and soil, they witnessed severe fruit infections.

In Hawaii, spraying the leaves and fruit with maneb (0.01 pounds per US gallon (0.0012 kg/L) water plus 4 ounces (110 g) of sticker-spreader) every 2 weeks or once a month throughout the year has remarkably reduced the spread of inoculum.

In January 2019, after a successful eradication program, absence of banana freckle has been declared for Australia (exclusive of external territories).