A wilt disease of guava (Psidium guajava L.) first appeared in South Africa in the Malalane area (Mpumalanga province) in 1980 (Manicom, 1980). By 1985, it was present in 85% of the guava producing areas of this province and affected 12% of these areas (Grech, 1985). Within 10 years, the disease had spread through the guava producing areas of the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, as the guava industry in these areas at that stage relied solely on the highly susceptible cultivar, 'Fan Retief (FR) (Grech, 1990). It was estimated that approximately 80% of guava plantings in the Mpumalanga province were lost between 1982 and 1994 due to guava wilt disease (GWD). To date, quarantine measures implemented in 1985 have prevented spread of the disease to the Western Cape guava production area.
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