Pathogenicity tests on detached twigs and clusters
Detached twigs (15–20 cm long) each bearing one
healthy fruit cluster (approximately at half fruit size)
were surface sterilized with 70% ethanol for 2–3 min
followed by three washes with sterile distilled water
and kept in 50-ml Falcon tubes filled with tap water.
Approximately 10–15 ml conidial suspension (1 · 106
per ml) prepared in sterile distilled water using 10-dayold
fungal culture was sprayed onto each fruit cluster.
Controls were sprayed with sterile distilled water.
Detached twigs and clusters kept in Falcon tubes were
placed inside the containers covered with transparent
plastic bags and incubated in the greenhouse at
20–25C. Bags were removed after 48 h, and symptoms
were monitored daily for a week. Reisolations
were performed.