![]() ![]() Licensed via CC BY-SA 3.0.) Gray mold is caused by Botrytis, a genus of fungus found worldwide. (Image credit: “ Botrytis riesling,” Tom Maack. Ultimately, badly infected grapes shrivel and may become coated in gray mold, as is the case with the grapes at the center and center-right of the image. Notice the blemishes on the grapes in the foreground, which resemble flecks, spots, or beauty marks, which are early symptoms of infection. Riesling grapes infected by Botrytis cinerea, a species of Botrytis notorious for infecting wine grapes (in viticultural contexts, gray mold disease is referred to as Botrytis bunch rot, while a desirable form of Botrytis cinerea infection is known as noble rot). Blossoms often fall victim to gray mold, resulting in reduced yields in fruiting plants. In severe cases, the entirety of a plant may become coated in fuzzy gray growth, and may also suffer from damping off and gummosis. Seedlings and young plant shoots are particularly vulnerable to the ravages of the disease, often withering and dying. Stems may develop cankers, and affected fruits develop flecked blemishes, and may succumb to rot. Over time, the disease symptoms will spread elsewhere on the plant. (Image credit: “ Gray mold of tomato,” Scot Nelson, public domain.) Note the irregular edges of the spots, which don’t follow the paths of leaf veins. Leaves from a tomato plant infected with gray mold. When badly infected leaves are touched or picked, they will produce a cloud of spores. These spots darken to brown or gray, and in humid conditions may produce the disease’s namesake gray fungal growth. These spots may or may not be white in color. The first symptoms of gray mold typically appear on leaves in the form of water-soaked spots. Gray mold produces water-soaked spots and gray fungal growth-these symptoms eventually spread to other parts of the plant. Plants infected with the disease feature symptoms including blotches, fungal growth, and rot on plant buds, flowers, fruits, leaves and stems. Hundreds of plant species are vulnerable to gray mold, including common fruit-bearing plants such as strawberries, grapes, and apples, staple vegetables like onions and lettuce, and a variety of popular ornamentals. Always read the label and observe withholding periods.Gray mold, also referred to as Botrytis blight, is a fungal disease caused by Botrytis, a genus of fungus. ![]()
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