Phyllody
Phyllody describes leaf-life structures developing in the place of fruit or flower parts. There are infectious and non-infectious causes of phyllody. Affected fruit are not marketable but fruit production rate is not reduced.
Non-infectious phyllody can be caused by excess chilling of transplants. Symptoms develop early in the season but resolve themselves later in the season. Removing deformed fruit early can help conserve root carbon reserves for the next flush of marketable fruit.
Infectious phyllody is caused by mycoplasma infection. Leafhoppers can spread various mycoplasmas throughout a planting during feeding. Aster yellows and green petal MLO are two mycoplasma-induced diseases that also cause phyllody.