Informational table showing disease name, symptoms, pathogen/cause, and management of Pansy diseases. Disease Symptoms Pathogen/Cause Management Anthracnose Dead spots 1/8 to 1/4 inch with dark brown margins and gray centers form on leaves. Dark concentric lines form within the spots. Sunken brown to tan spots form on stems, girdle them and kill the plant. Colletotrichum violae-tricoloris Apply a fungicide registered for use on pansy. Cercospora Leaf Spot Small black, circular spots form on the lower leaves under moist conditions. Cercospora Apply a fungicide registered for use on pansy if the weather is wet. Fusarium Wilt Plants wilt and die quickly. Roots are rotted. Fusarium oxysporum Destroy infected plants. Pythium Root Rot Lower leave yellow as root rot. This is easily confused with Thielaviopsis root rot. Pythium Plant in pathogen-free potting mix. Avoid over-watering. Discard flats of infected plants. Apply a fungicide registered for use on pansy. However, note that fungicides effective for Pythium tend to stunt young pansies.
Scab Round spots up to 1/4 inch in diameter which are yellow or cream colored form on any part of the plant. Spots are slightly raised and appear scabby. Infected leaf tissue may fall out leaving holes in the leaf. Stems are girdled and plants die. Sphaceloma violae Apply a fungicide registered for use on pansy.

Anthracnose.

Cercospora leaf spot

Prepared by Gary W. Moorman, Professor of Plant Pathology