To speed ripening at the same temperature and relative humidity, levels of O2 and CO2 should be high. Therefore, 'Abd E1 Razik' is better adapted to Upper Egypt where the climate should promote normal ripening. This has discouraged many from growing the sugar apple, though in the past it was a fairly common dooryard fruit tree. Similar damage is caused by B. maculicollis in Colombia, Venezuela and Surinam, by B. ruficollis in Panama, and B. paraguayensis in Paraguay. The soft scale, Philephedra sp., attacks leaves and twigs and deposits honeydew on which sooty mold develops.
Ambrosia beetles lay eggs on young stems and the larvae induce dieback during the winter.
The mealybug is the main pest in Queensland, Australia, but is easily controlled. The green tree ant is a nuisance because of the nests it makes in the tree. Bird and animal predators force Indian growers to cover the tree with netting or pick the fruits prematurely and ripen them in straw. A serious leaf blight in India is caused by the fungus Colletotrichum annonicola . In 1978 a new fruit rot of sugar apple was observed in India, beginning with discoloration at one end which turns brown or black in 4 or 5 days, and 2 or 3 days later the entire fruit starts to rot.