Pests and diseases of breadfruit in Jamaica

Breadfruit is a tough tree, but a few problems recur. Most can be managed without chemicals if caught early.

Soft rot / fruit rot (Phytophthora)

The commonest problem in wet weather: brown, sunken, spreading patches on fruit, often with a white mould. Fruit drops.

pick and destroy affected fruit — do not leave it under the tree
prune to let air through the canopy
avoid overhead irrigation
copper sprays at the start of the wet season on trees with a history of rot

Pink disease and stem cankers

Pink or salmon crust on branches, dieback beyond it. Cut affected wood well back into healthy tissue; burn the prunings; seal cuts.

Mealybug, scale and whitefly

Clusters on leaf undersides and stems, sticky honeydew and black sooty mould. Usually kept down by ladybirds and wasps. If heavy: soap spray (1 tablespoon liquid soap per litre) every 5 days for three rounds, or a horticultural oil. Control ants, which farm them.

Fruit flies

Maggots in ripe fruit. Harvest mature-green rather than ripe; bury or bag fallen fruit; use baited traps in the season.

Termites

Attack dead wood and stressed trees. Remove dead branches; keep mulch off the trunk; treat nests found on the tree.

Root rot and dieback after flooding

Trees standing in water for more than two days can die months later. Plant on mounds in low ground and dig drains before the wet season.

Nutrient problems

yellowing between leaf veins: iron or manganese shortage, usually on limestone soils — foliar feed or add compost
small pale leaves and thin growth: nitrogen — mulch and manure

The golden rules

Walk the trees every week and look under leaves.
Deal with one sick tree before it is ten.
Sanitation (removing sick fruit and wood) prevents more than spraying cures.
Tell your field officer — an outbreak on one farm is information for all fifty in your group.