Symptomatology and Morpho-Cultural Characterization of Colletotrichum musae, a Causal Agent of Anthracnose Disease in Banana

The study focused on the identification and characterization of Colletotrichum musae as a significant post-harvest fungal pathogen causing anthracnose disease in bananas. Symptoms included sunken, water-soaked spots on infected tissues, leading to soft, red-brown to black-coloured spots with irregular shapes. The pathogen was isolated and cultured on Potato dextrose agar medium, and its pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculating healthy banana fruits, resulting in typical anthracnose-like spots. Cultural characteristics of C. musae on PDA revealed whitish to black colonies, and microscopic examination showed oblong to cylindrical, single-celled conidia. Acervuli, which were salmon-coloured initially and later turned dark brown to black, were observed on the lesions. The fungus exhibited maximum growth and sporulation on PDA, followed by oat meal agar and Richard’s agar. Additionally, the study highlighted the morphological features of C. musae, including septate, irregularly branched, and vacuolated mycelium. The findings contribute to understanding the pathology and characteristics of C. musae, providing valuable information for managing post-harvest anthracnose in bananas.