A black necrosis spread from the perianth into the tip of immature fingers. The rotted portion of the banana finger is dry and tends to adhere to fruits (appears similar to the ash of a cigar).
Pathogen
Conidiophores are usually solitary or in small groups. Conidia are hyaline, oblong to cylindrical. They are borne at the end of tapering phialides, aggregated into rounded, mucilaginous translucent heads.
Control
Removal of pistil and perianth by hand 8-10 days after bunch formation and spraying the bunch with Dithane M -45 (0.1%) or Topsin M (0.1%) controls the disease effectively. Minimising bruising; prompt cooling to 14°C; proper sanitation of handling facilities reduce the incidence in the cold storage.