Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

species

“White Mold”, “Cottony Soft Rot”, “White Mould”, “Collar Rot”, “White Rot”, “Watery Pod Rot”, “Sclerotinia Wilt”, “Sclerotinia Twig Blight”, “Sclerotinia Stem Rot”, “Sclerotinia Stalk Rot”, “Sclerotinia Blossom Blight”, “Sclerotinia Canker”, “Sclerotinia Disease”, “Sclerotinia Drop”, “Sclerotinia Head Rot”, “Sclerotinia Pod Rot”, “Sclerotinia Soft Rot”

On the Web

On Wikipedia

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a plant pathogenic fungus and can cause a disease called white mold if conditions are conducive. S. sclerotiorum can also be known as cottony rot, watery soft rot, stem rot, drop, crown rot and blossom blight. A key characteristic of this pathogen is its ability to produce black resting structures known as sclerotia and white fuzzy growths of mycelium on the plant it infects. These sclerotia give rise to a fruiting body in the spring that produces spores in a sac which is why fungi in this class are called sac fungi (Ascomycetes). This pathogen can occur on many continents and has a wide host range of plants. When S. sclerotiorum is onset in the field by favorable environmental conditions, losses can be great and control measures should be considered.