Damage symptoms
Black sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) first causes small, light yellow spots or streaks on leaves of about one month old. The symptoms run parallel to the veins. Within a few days, the spots become a few centimetres in size and turn brown with light grey centres. These spots enlarge further and the tissue around the lesions turns yellow and dies. Lesions merge and the whole leaf turns brown and ultimately dies. In cases of severe infection leaves may die within a few weeks. Because of the lack of leaf tissues, fruit maturity is hampered.
