Author(s):

Hilal A Bhat, Nisar A Khan, Sajad H Wani, Rayees A Ahanger, Khurshid Ahmad, Arif H Bhat, Nisar A Dar, Javid I Mir and Mudasir Iqbal

Abstract: Die-back and twig blight are the most important diseases of almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch.) plantation world wide. The pathogens associated with die-back and twig blight diseases were isolated and pathogenicity established on two year old potted almond saplings budded with cultivar “Waris”. Based on morphological characters, pathogenicity test and comparison with the authentic descriptions the pathogens were identified as Diplodia seriata De Not. associated with die-back and Cryptosporiopsis sp. associated with twig blight. The fungus isolated from die-back almond twigs on potato dextrose agar medium exhibited cottony and floccose growth. The white colour of the fungal colony finally changed to grayish or dark grayish. The pycnidia embedded in culture medium were globose and black in colour. Conidia mostly pigmented while as till within the pycnidium were, oval, ellipsoidal to cylindrical, aseptate, few developing one transverse median septa. The pathogen associated with twig blight of almond produce fluffy, lanose to loose colony with raised centre without any oppressed margins. The older colony appears compact with little cottony growth but showed oppressed margins. Acervuli were round to elongate with irregular opening and chocolate brown to dark black in colour. Conidiophores were absent, and conidia were one celled oval to ellipsoidal in shape with one end round and the other slightly tapered, hyaline to slightly greenish-brown in colour.

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