> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://badixth-dc85e378.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Diagnose and Respond to Fusariosis (Fusarium guttiforme) in Pineapple

> Identify pineapple fusariosis from pink-brown basal rot with resin exudate on wounded plants, and control with planting-material hygiene, wound-free handling, and resistant varieties.

Fusariosis, caused by **Fusarium guttiforme** (formerly F. subglutinans f. sp. ananas), is the major fungal killer of pineapple in Latin America and increasingly in Southeast Asia. It enters through wounds - mechanical injury, mealybug feeding sites, harvest tools - and causes basal rot, fruit rot, and sucker rot. Unlike Phytophthora, it does not need standing water; it needs a wound.

**Regional priority:** Very high in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and increasingly in Southeast Asia; moderate in Africa.

## When pineapple is most vulnerable

At all phases, but the highest incidence follows **mechanical wounding**: harvest, forcing chemical application, thinning, or mealybug outbreaks. Sucker rot appears in newly planted blocks.

## How fusariosis shows in satellite data

* **Scattered dead plants** rather than clusters - hard to see at Sentinel scale.
* **Edge and headland concentration** where machinery and harvest activity concentrate wounds.
* Confirm on the ground with basal-cut inspection (pink-brown stain, resin exudate).

## Field symptoms

* **Basal white-to-pink rot** with characteristic pink-brown stain when cut
* **Amber-colored resin exudate** on the outside of the base or stem
* **Curved, bent, or twisted fruit** with tissue collapse ("fruitlet core rot")
* **Sucker rot** on newly planted material
* **Scattered dead plants** along headlands and machinery tracks
* **Slow decline** over weeks, not sudden collapse

## Reduce the damage by

* **Use disease-free, resistant planting material** - MD2 has moderate resistance; Perola and Smooth Cayenne are highly susceptible.
* **Dip suckers and slips** in a fungicide bath (triazole or benzimidazole) before planting.
* **Avoid wounding** - handle plants with care during forcing, thinning, and harvest.
* **Control mealybugs and other wounding pests** - mealybug feeding sites are common Fusarium entry points.
* **Disinfect harvest tools** between plants on infected blocks.
* **Post-harvest fruit dip** in fungicide for export-quality fruit.
* **Destroy infected plants** promptly; do not leave rotten fruit on the block as inoculum.

## Set an alert for early warning

<Tip>
  Turn the diagnosis into a trigger. Fusariosis follows wounds, so build alerts around post-forcing and post-harvest inspections.
</Tip>

Recommended settings for fusariosis on pineapple:

* **Post-forcing inspection reminder** - schedule a walk-through 3 weeks after every forcing application.
* **Post-harvest inspection reminder** - schedule a headland walk 2 weeks after every harvest.
* **Mealybug follow-up alert** - trigger a fusariosis inspection 4 weeks after any block flagged for mealybug outbreak.

## Related

* [Pineapple Diagnosis](/guides/Crop/Pineapple/pineapple-diagnosis)
* [Mealybugs](/guides/Crop/Pineapple/biotic/insects/mealybugs) - feeding wounds are entry points.
* [Black rot](/guides/Crop/Pineapple/biotic/diseases/black-rot) - separate post-harvest fruit rot.
* [Set up automated crop alerts](/guides/alerts-notifications)