Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. psidii as a Pathogen Causing Wilt of Guava in Varanasi District, India

A serious wilt disease of guava has been observed in the Varanasi district of eastern Uttar Pradesh of India. The causal organism has been identified as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. psidii. Pathogenicity tests were performed in pot experiments to confirm the causal agent of the disease. Infected plants developed chlorosis followed by wilting of entire seedlings and leaf abscission. Histopathological studies showed the presence of hyphae in xylem vessels of roots of the wilted seedlings and when sections of such roots were transferred to potato dextrose agar medium, this pathogen grew in culture.