Abstract Maharashtra, with Purandar being the highest fig-cultivating region, has gained importance for its high-quality fig fruits. However, cultivation is hindered by a fungal disease, fig rust, caused by Cerotelium fici , which has been spreading aggressively over several years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first morphoanatomical report of C. fici on Ficus carica from the Purandar region with identification based on uredospore morphology, SEM characteristics and biotrophic infection evidence. The anatomical study reveals the infection pattern of C. fici at various stages in the leaves and stems of F. carica . The uredospores germinate and enter through stomata, primarily progressing through parenchymatous cells and then entering the vessels to reach the pith. In addition to the scanning electron micrograph of uredospores, to the best of our knowledge, the hyphae of C. fici are reported here for the first time with respect to the leaves and stems of the plant, based on a thorough review of available literature. There is a clear distinction between the damage that occurs to parenchymatous cells in the leaves and ray cells in the stem. The localized histochemical detection of phenolic compounds, increased occurrence of rhomboidal crystals, and the development of tyloses in proximity to infection sites are consistent with stress-related structural and biochemical responses to pathogen invasion. The study focuses on the host–pathogen interaction, infection strategies and structural aspects of host F. carica and pathogen C. fici through microanatomy and Scanning electron microscopy.
Kulkarni et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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