Pineapple disease

The causal agent of this plant disease is the fungus Thielaviopsis ethacetica (often referred to as Ceratocystis paradoxa in modern classifications). It is a soil-borne pathogen that primarily infects plants by colonizing the internal vascular and parenchyma tissues, leading to rapid decay and necrosis.

The primary economic host for this fungus is sugarcane, where it causes significant damage to seed cane. However, it also affects a wide range of tropical fruits, including pineapples, coconuts, and plantains, particularly after harvest or through wounds caused during handling or processing.

Clinical signs of infection are easily identifiable by the distinct dark-brown to black discoloration of internal tissues. As the fungus consumes the sugars within the plant, it releases a strong, distinctive odor resembling ethyl acetate or pineapple, which is a classic diagnostic symptom for field agronomists.

Development is favored by warm, humid conditions and moist soil, which facilitate the production and dissemination of spores. The pathogen survives in the soil and on crop debris, making it a persistent threat in monoculture systems where the same host is planted repeatedly without proper field sanitation.

Effective management and prevention of the disease involve several key agricultural practices:

• Selection of healthy, high-quality, disease-free planting material.
• Treatment of seed pieces with systemic fungicides prior to planting.
• Ensuring proper soil drainage to avoid waterlogged conditions.
• Strict sanitation protocols for harvesting tools to prevent cross-contamination.
• Avoiding deep planting or excessive moisture during the germination stage.