Clove leaf rot
Dark spots at the leaf edge that spread and rot the leaf, worst on nursery seedlings and young clove plants.
- Cause
- Fungus (Cylindrocladium quinquiseptatum)
- First sign
- Dark spots at the leaf margin
- Worst on
- Nursery seedlings and young plants
- Favoured by
- Warm, wet, humid weather and crowded beds
Overview
Clove leaf rot is caused by the fungus Cylindrocladium quinquiseptatum. It attacks in the nursery and in the field, at several growth stages, but seedlings and young plants suffer most because they carry few leaves to lose.
The disease is worst in the warm, wet, humid conditions of the monsoon and in crowded, poorly-ventilated nursery beds. The same nursery, if it also has damping-off and seedling wilt, can lose a large share of its seedlings in one season.
How to identify it
- Dark spots appear at the margin of the leaf, often on several leaves of the same seedling.
- The spots spread inwards and the leaf rots, partly or completely.
- Rotted leaves drop, leaving bare, weak seedlings or young plants.
What causes it and when
- The fungus Cylindrocladium quinquiseptatum, active in warm, wet, humid weather.
- Spreads fastest in a crowded nursery where leaves stay wet and air does not move.
Prevention
- Keep nursery beds well drained and do not crowd seedlings; give them air.
- Remove and burn badly affected seedlings early so they do not infect the rest.
- Plant only healthy, dark-green seedlings in the field.
Chemical control
- TNAU recommends spraying seedlings and young plants with carbendazim at 0.1%, or a preventive spray of 1% Bordeaux mixture.
- Spray before the wet weather peaks, not after the seedlings are already bare.
- Confirm the current product and dose with your state horticulture department or KVK before you spray.
Crops most at risk
Where this problem is called out in our crop guides — open a crop for the full package of practices.
Varieties to consider
Named seed varieties whose resistance or susceptibility to this problem is documented on their own variety page.
Frequently asked questions
My clove seedlings have dark spots on the leaf edges and the leaves are falling. What is it?
This looks like clove leaf rot, caused by the fungus Cylindrocladium quinquiseptatum. Remove and burn badly affected seedlings, improve drainage and spacing in the bed, and spray the rest with carbendazim at 0.1% or a 1% Bordeaux mixture as TNAU advises. Check the current product and dose with your KVK.
Symptoms and control measures follow ICAR, KVK and state agricultural-university package-of-practices; any named chemical is a registered use. Always read the product label and confirm the dose for your crop and zone. editorial policy.