What are these white structures over a small lemon and a flower petal??
Link to the images:
Link to the images:
Whats attacking my lemon tree
- Thread starter ACrater
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Interesting. It looks like a fungus covered in stalked spore bodies but it would be good to see more photos. It's best to view them on the Forum page.
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Looks like the fruiting spores of powdery mildew
The fruiting body also reminds me somewhat of Botrytis and several other molds I've seen, but there are so many types of fungi... This might be a variety that is more common in India, where the OP lives.
What I find unusual is the size of those stalked sporidia (or similar structure). Judging from the leaf behind it, they may be 2 or 3 mm long.
What I find unusual is the size of those stalked sporidia (or similar structure). Judging from the leaf behind it, they may be 2 or 3 mm long.
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It looks like powdery mildew except pm has multiple fruiting heads on each stalk. So does gray mold. I think you are correct in that this is a fungus endemic to India.
I've recently noticed increased fruit drop on this tree. Pea-sized lemons drop after turning black. Do you think this could be the culprit behind it?
Possibly, though those could be two separate issues.
The white fungus in the picture reminds me of a Grey Mold (Botrytis spp.), though this looks somewhat different to what I usually see in California. It may be a different species or genus, but still behave similarly. Botrytis infections can consume both living and dead plant matter. They often develop in warm humid conditions with poor air circulation.
Immature Citrus fruit turning black and falling off could be due to a cultural deficiency such as irregular watering, or perhaps a disease such as Citrus Rot (Alternaria citri). Often, poor cultural conditions are what allows such a disease to take hold.
First do what you can to improve the tree's growing conditions. Assess the plants water and fertilizing regime. Do what you can to give the tree more sunlight and air circulation.Clean up and dispse of dead leaves, and fruit.
Application of fungicides is another option, but this should be done with much care and prior research. Fungicides don't not always kill the target organism, and their use may cause damage to the environment and human health.
The white fungus in the picture reminds me of a Grey Mold (Botrytis spp.), though this looks somewhat different to what I usually see in California. It may be a different species or genus, but still behave similarly. Botrytis infections can consume both living and dead plant matter. They often develop in warm humid conditions with poor air circulation.
Immature Citrus fruit turning black and falling off could be due to a cultural deficiency such as irregular watering, or perhaps a disease such as Citrus Rot (Alternaria citri). Often, poor cultural conditions are what allows such a disease to take hold.
First do what you can to improve the tree's growing conditions. Assess the plants water and fertilizing regime. Do what you can to give the tree more sunlight and air circulation.Clean up and dispse of dead leaves, and fruit.
Application of fungicides is another option, but this should be done with much care and prior research. Fungicides don't not always kill the target organism, and their use may cause damage to the environment and human health.
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