THE BROWN ROT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 154, 12 September 1941, Page 5

THE BROWN ROT

HOW'S YOUR LEMON TREE?

HOW TO COMBAT DISEASE

Pythiascystis citrophthora is not the name of a Welsh railway station but merely the botanical title of the disease to lemon trees known as 'brown rot.* This disease is so prevalent in the Whakatane district that we take pleiasure in printing all we know of it and the method! of successfully combating it.

Fungoid in origin it was first listed in New Zealand in 1912 and becomes firslt noticeable in clumps of dead brown leaves. On the fruit a greyish brown, slightly sunken spot is produced! which spread's rapidly until the whole fruit assumes the same pallid hue. Affected fruit become soft and l somewhat spongy to the touch and emit a slightly pungent odour. Infection commences alt the ground level and advances upward* andl sidewisie. It originates in the damp ground and is produced by rotting vegetation in excessive rainy weather. The spores arise with the vapour and contaminate the fruit. Remedy:' Remove all branches contacting the ground l , endeavour to cultivate a fine dry layer of soil, remove decaying grass or vegetaltion; keep stirring soil in wet or winter months in order to correct any chance of decay, or else cultivate healthy cover crop. (Cunningham).