Symptoms

• Darkening of the hand and the adjacent peduncle. The discoloured area covers almost one fourth of the fruit if the conditions are favourable. Loss of ability of hand to support fruit.
• The conidia are usually 3 to 5 septate. The conidia are spread by air.
• Occurrence of black tip – fruit piercing moth. Infection – direct penetration – fungus.Temp.23.90 oC
• Wind blown bunches – develop severe spotting on the fingers- rainy weather.

Initial Symptom	Darkening of peduncle	Fungus

Management

• Control of crown rot starts in the field with the regular removal of leaf trash.
• Proper field sanitation can greatly reduce the number of crown rot fungi spores present.
• Do not keep rotting fruits or plant waste materials near the packing station. 
• Maintain clean washing water in the delatexing baths and change the water frequently to stop it becoming heavily contaminated with spores. 
• Dehanding should be done carefully with a sharp knife so as to avoid leaving a ragged cut. Finally, post-harvest treatment of fruits with an effective fungicide is essential.