• Ecophyto
  • Logo-Cirad
  • RITA
  • Logo-CA
  • FREDON
  • LPA-COCONI

Sunburn

 (sunscald)

 
 
  • Susceptible botanical family(s)
Especially those with fruit vegetables

  

  • Production areas affected :
Mayotte

  

  • Organs attacked :
Leaves Fruits

 

  • Symptoms :
    • rather extensive spots on the side of the fruits most exposed to direct sunlight, irregular, whitish in the center, and more or less surrounded by a yellow halo. They are slightly depressed, and their surface is more or less wrinkled and takes on a dry texture reminiscent of paper.
    • elongated and extensive necrotic lesions on the leaves
 
  • Cause(s) : the fruits of certain vegetable species (figures 1 to 8), the young leaves (figures 9 to 11) are rather delicate organs whose tender and waterlogged tissues sometimes dehydrate locally and superficially when they are exposed to solar radiation, especially on their most exposed face. Such effects can occur more locally at the level of water droplets producing a magnifying effect burning the limbus, for example (FIGS. 10 and 11).
 
  • Diagnostic clues :
    • the phenomenon occurs during very sunny and hot climatic periods;
    • the plants affected are often distributed over the whole of the plot, in a dispersed way;
    • burns preferentially affect growing plants with tender leaf tissue, green fruits;
    • only the parts of the fruits and leaves most exposed to solar radiation are affected;
    • damaged fruits are mainly observed in the open field, the burnt leaves more under shelter;
    • too much leaf stripping, attacks by pests affecting the leaves may have preceded sunburn on the fruits;
 
  • Possible confusion :

 

 

  • Note : note that these superficial lesions, particularly on fruits, can be invaded by various secondary saprophytic fungi, sometimes causing rot.
Last change : 07/07/22
sun-scale-fruit-concombre
Figure 1
Coup-soleil-Concombre1
Figure 2
Coup-soleil-Concombre2
Figure 3
Brulure-solaire-melon
Figure 4
Brulure-solaire-poivron1
Figure 5
Brulure-solaire-poivron2
Figure 6
Brulure-solaire-poivron3
Figure 7
Brulure-solaire-tomate2
Figure 8
Brulure-solaire-tomate1
Figure 9
Brulure-solaire-baselle
Figure 10
brulure-baselle
Figure 11