Jackfruit is our national fruit. Fruit rot, or fruitlet drop disease, often hampers jackfruit production to a large extent at an early stage. Some steps are therefore essential for a good jackfruit yield.

The disease is caused by the fungus Rhizopus artocarpi, which attacks young fruit (the female inflorescence). This fungal rot of the jackfruit fruitlet is the main cause of fruitlet drop. Male inflorescences naturally turn black and drop after pollination.

• Affected fruitlets first turn grey.
• Later, thin, long white fungal growth appears on them.
• Finally, the affected fruitlets fall to the ground while still small.

• Collect male and female inflorescences that have fallen under the tree and burn or bury them.
• Keep the ground under the tree clean.
• Before and after the fruitlets appear, spray 2-3 times at 10-day intervals with Bordeaux mixture, or Dithane M-45 of the mancozeb group, or Ridomil Gold of the mancozeb (64%) and metalaxyl (8%) group, mixed at 2.5 grams per litre of water.
• From flowering onwards, spray the tebuconazole-group fungicide Folicur 3 times at 15-day intervals, mixed at 5 grams per 10 litres of water.

Caution: do not eat or sell the fruit within 15 days of spraying.

After harvest, remove the fruit stalks, dead branches and diseased or pest-hit leaves and branches from each tree, and spray an approved fungicide and an approved insecticide.

Information: Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and Krishi Batayan.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.