Guava Fruit Anthracnose and the Effects on its Nutritional and Market Values in Ibadan, Nigeria

The etiology of guava fruit anthracnose was investigated at Ibadan in the humid forest of Southern Nigeria. Result of the investigation revealed that Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was responsible for the anthracnose and the fruit rot diseases of guava fruit. Eighty percent of the guava plants were found infected with anthracnose disease and over 40% of the fruit produced on those trees were severely infected. The non-infected guava fruit was significantly higher than the anthracnose infected guava fruit in carbohydrates, crude fibre, ash, fat, protein, Ca, Fe and P. A significant reduction in the price of guava was found associated with anthracnose infected fruits in all the 3 major market surveyed.