Sclerotinia - Brassicas
Sclerotinia symptoms & Sclerotinia on cabbage head (Photo D. Pop)
Sclerotinia symptoms & Sclerotinia on cabbage head (Photo D. Pop)
Fungus
Field brassicas, oilseed rape, peas, potatoes, carrots, lettuce and beans
Sclerotinia of field brassicas can affect the plants at all stages from seedlings to flowering plants to rots in storage.
Given suitable soil condition sclerotia germinate to form apothecia (small trumpet-like structures) which release air-borne ascospores which invade host plants. The fungus penetrates through wounds or areas of plant tissue damaged by insect, disease or mechanical injury and spreads internally by mycelial growth. The fungus completes its lifecycle by forming irregular black resting bodies known as Sclerotia in the stem cavity and in the roots when lesions are at stem bases. Sclerotia can also form on the outside of the lesion following suitably humid weather.
Not a disease of serious economic importance in the UK, however damage to young plant stems can lead to wilting and a check to growth whereas early infection to cauliflowers and cabbages can lead to heads with water soaked tissue covered with white mycelium and embedded with black sclerotia which render the produce unmarketable.
Find out more information on the key disease threats to your field brassica crop. For each disease you will find out the importance of the disease in terms of potential yield penalty, how to identify the disease in its early stages and our advice on the best control strategies.