Do the leaves have any small circular or irregularly shaped dry spots that are gray to straw in color?
Are there any irregularly shaped dull yellow areas along leaf margins that expand to leaf midrib and create a characteristic "V-shaped" lesion?
Are there any yellow to orange pustules on the undersides of leaves that enlarge and coalesce causing the entire leaf to dry out?
Have the plants started to rot at the apical tip and stopped growing, roots are with brown lesions or completely dried out?
These symptoms indicate a fungal disease - Anthracnose. Keep plants dry when watering to prevent spread. Spray plants with copper when the first fruit develops if you have had problems in the past. Bordeaux mixture can also help to protect the plant from the disease.
These symptoms indicate a bacterial disease - Black rot. Prevent this disease by providing well-drained soil and by using a 2-year rotation. Plant resistant varieties. Control cruciferous weed species which may act as a reservoir for bacteria. Plant pathogen-free seed. Application of the appropriate fungicide can help to protect the plants from disease.
Likely cause for these symptoms is a fungal disease - Rust. Provide good air circulation around plants. Avoid making leaves wet when watering. All infected leaves should be removed. Spray leaves with sulfur early in the season to prevent rust or to treat mild infections.
These symptoms are caused by Root and Stem rot disease caused by Fusarium fungus. Excessive soil moisture, inadequate fertilization, overcrowding, and too much shade promote this disease. Plant vanilla in well-draining soils and avoid overcrowding the plants. Prune out infected plant parts. Plant vanilla varieties that have resistance to the disease.
If there are large, ragged holes in the leaves the culprits are slugs and snails. Slugs and snails feed on the plant leaves usually at night. To control slugs and snails use diatomaceous earth around your plants. You can also handpick them during the night or use shallow dishes filled with beer as a trap.
https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/vanilla/infos/diseases_and_pests_description_uses_propagation
https://www.growables.org/information/TropicalFruit/Vanilla.htm
Ellis, B. W., Bradley, F. M., & Atthowe, H. (1996). The Organic gardener's handbook of natural insect and disease control: a complete problem-solving guide to keeping your garden & yard healthy without chemicals. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press.
Sreten null
Hi! I’m Sreten Filipović. I graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade, with a master's degree in Environmental Protection in Agricultural Systems. I’ve worked as a researcher at Finland's Natural Resources Institute (LUKE) on a project aimed at adapting south-western Finland to drought episodes. I founded a consulting agency in the field of environment and agriculture to help farmers who want to implement the principles of sustainability on their farms. I’m also a founding member of the nonprofit organization Ecogenesis from Belgrade whose main goal is non-formal education on the environment and ecology. In my spare time, I like to write blog posts about sustainability, the environment, animal farming, horticulture, and plant protection. I’ve also published several science-fiction short stories.
You can find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreten-filipovi%C4%87-515aa5158/
