The fungus also enters the fruit via wounds caused by other agents such as insects and other pathogens. In time, these spots enlarge, often covering most of the fruit, and become covered with the pink spores of the anthracnose fungus. When the fruit is cut in half through one of the spots, rot extending into the flesh in a hemispherical pattern can be seen. During these periods, the disease can cause severe loss of foliage and fruit infections that can be extensive but do not become apparent until fruit begins to ripen after harvest. When anthracnose occurs, the development of fruit infections usually persists until the end of the harvest season because the fungus can infect fruit at all stages of development and remain dormant until the fruit ripens.
Temperature is critical to anthracnose development.
As far as the foliage infections are concerned, anthracnose is not as disastrous as fruit infections because after a period of dry weather the trees recover. If another wet period occurs, however, foliage symptoms may develop again. There are no chemical controls available, and postharvest handling controls are of limited use. This is of increasing importance as the season progresses because fruit ripens faster as it increases in maturity. The Regents of the University of California.