Opuntia Microdasys: Lesions & White Patches

[gtanido]

Hi all,

I have a bunny ear cactus that has recently developed white patches and reddish-brown lesions.

No sign of mush or droopiness, the whole cactus feels sturdy and strong. Unaffected pads are still a nice green and appear healthy.

What could be causing this?

Thanks

[Aeonium2003]

Looks like some kind of rust fungus. It happened to me this winter with all our rain and humidity. I'm still working out how to treat it.

[ohugal]

If it is rust fungus, treat it with a sulphur based fungicide. Downside is it makes your cactus looks dusty and you often are stuck with a batch of fungicide you rarely use. The stuff is not enviromentally friendly. So maybe ask a friend or so… I have read things about using garlic concentrate, but havent used it in case of fungi.

[Download]

I used mancozeb to kill rust. Works pretty much all the time, except on a very glossy Ferocactus.