Abstract
Problem statement: The increasing of dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) plantations in Malaysia enhances the researches on this crop, particularly focusing on its physico-chemical characteristics, great potential health benefits and nutritional value. However, its scientific report of disease is still lacking, primarily on anthracnose disease. This study was then conducted to investigate the distribution of anthracnose disease on dragon fruit and to correlate its occurrence with weather and cultural data. Approach: Survey and sampling were conducted on dragon fruit-growing areas in Peninsular Malaysia since December 2007 until August 2008 to measure the Disease Incidence (DI) and Disease Severity (DS). The diseased stem and fruit were sampled and brought to laboratory for isolation and identification. DI data were plotted with DS and then correlated using Pearson correlation with weather and cultural data. Results: Of the 43 surveyed-farms in 11 states, DI and DS were successfully recorded on three dragon fruit species from 36 farms (83.72%). The infected stem and fruit had reddish-brown lesions with chlorotic haloes symptoms. The lesion had brown centers and coalesced to rot. Based on its whitish-orange colony, septated hypae and capsule-like conidia and the pathogenicity test, the pathogen was identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. One way ANOVA with DMRT test highlighted that the most disease occurrence was found in Malacca (mean of DI and DS, 57.30 and 21.20%), whereas the lowest in Kelantan state (mean of DI and DS, 6.70 and 4.30%). Pearson coefficient correlations were around 0.107-0.261 for relationships between disease occurrence and age of crops and acreage of farm, from-0.049 to-0.237 for disease prevalence with relative humidity and rainfall and around-0.012-0.173 for disease occurrence with monthly temperature, wind velocity and altitude. Conclusion: The occurrence of anthracnose on dragon fruit in Peninsular Malaysia was more influenced by environmental conditions and agricultural practices rather than climatic factors.
Highlights
The dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) is a tropical climbing cactus which is known as pitaya or pitahaya (Latin America), strawberry pear and night blooming cereus (English)[1,2,3] and mata naga (Malaysia)
Assessment of disease occurrence: During the surveys, the present study found that the red-fleshed species (H. polyrhizus) was planted nationwide in Peninsular Malaysia, i.e., 90.7% of the surveyed farms (Table 1)
The occurrence of anthracnose disease was successfully recorded from 36 farms (83.72%) of the 43 farms surveyed from 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia
Summary
The dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) is a tropical climbing cactus which is known as pitaya or pitahaya (Latin America), strawberry pear and night blooming cereus (English)[1,2,3] and mata naga (Malaysia). This plant has been commercially cultivating in Australia[4], Brazil[5], Colombia[6], Costa Rica[7], Egypt[8], Israel[9], Japan[10], Mauritius[11], Mexico[12], Nicaragua[13], Taiwan[14], the USA[15] and Vietnam[16]. Applied Sci., 6 (5): 902-912, 2009 injury and water loss[3]; the cultivation of dragon fruit is influenced by the infestation of pests and diseases
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