[2] This destruction of reproductive tissue prevents propagation of healthy fruit and ruins the growing crops.

Conidia are the infectious agent and require simple carbohydrates, which they obtain as metabolic products from the pineapple, a temperature between 16-21 °C, and a pH of 3.5 to develop.

[3] Pineapples are susceptible to pathogen entry in the time after the forcing procedure because the fruitlet forms from various parts of the plant joining together.

[3] P. funiculosum has been identified as the causal agent of IFC, LP, and FCR, and a pathogen that targets pineapple fruits in the early stages of their development.

Three strains of the pathogen, P1, P2, and P3, were tested by methods following Koch’s postulates to determine their role in the pathogenesis of these pineapple diseases.

[5] P1, a non-pigmented strain, has been identified as the main factor in the development of IFC, LP, and FCR due to its high occurrence of isolation from diseased pineapples.

The mutations also prevented successful production of conidial structures, which also lessens its ability to infect the host.

[7] Mite populations also favor similar environments to P. funiculosum, specifically from forcing to early stages of flower development.