Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum Alert

Symptoms:

Dense, fuzzy, cottony-like, white mycelium will develop on infected tissues sometimes accompanied by the formation of sclerotia when humidity conditions permit.

Who Am I?

A common fungal disease that favors high moisture conditions and develops primarily during winter time. White mold favors relatively low temperatures between 8 and 20°C, can survive on dead tissues and remain in the soil for several years.

Control Measures

Monitoring: Scout your field, search plants for the presence of white mold on a weekly basis.

Sanitation: Plant debris must be removed during cultivation.

Proper soil drainage: The presence of standing water will promote the spread of white mold.

When long periods of high moisture are expected or when infected plant has been observed, consider an application of fungicides.

The following is a list of generic names for useful fungicides:

Pyrimethanil, cyprodinil+fludioxonil, benomyl, thiram, iprodione, procymidone, vinclozolin, and carbendazim

Products based on tea tree oil and Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate+copper sulfate

Bacillus subtilis

*Names marked in red are considered to be highly poisonous to beneficial insects.

*Names marked in green are considered to be organic and IPM (integrated pest management) compatible.

Caution and careful notice should be taken when using any plant protection products (insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides). It is the grower’s sole responsibility to keep track of the legal uses and permissions with respect to the laws in their country and destination markets. Always read the instructions written on labels, and in a case of contradiction, work in accordance to the product label. Keep in mind that information written on the label usually applies to local markets. Pest control products intended for organic farming are generally considered to be less effective in comparison to conventional products. When dealing with organic, biologic, and to some extent a small number of conventional chemical products, a complete eradication of a pest or disease will often require several iterations of a specific treatment or combination of treatments.

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