Gray Mold
Gray Mold  Botrytis blight, or gray mold, as it is commonly known, has an exceptionally wide host range with well over 200 reported hosts. The fungus can occur as both a parasite and a saprophyte on the same wide range of hosts. This fungus disease is intriguing in that it can cause a variety of plant diseases including damping-off and blights of flowers, fruits, stems, and foliage of many vegetables and ornamentals. It is a major cause of post harvest rot of perishable plant produce, including tomatoes at harvest and in storage. The disease can occur both in the greenhouse and in the field. Susceptible Plants-gray mold is of concern many vegetables including snap and lima beans, cabbage, lettuce and endive, muskmelon, pea, pepper, potato and tomato. However gray mold can affect most living or dead plant material including fruits, flowers, and stems. Symptoms- fluffy grayish white mold grows on infected area, where stems are infected growth above the infected area will yellow and wilt. Flowers for example strawberries, maybe infected but no symptoms may show until the fruits stars to open.. Prevention and Control- of gray mold is with good general hygiene. Remove all dead and dying plants as soon as infection is noticed. Ensure good ventilation around plants. If there is one practice that will go a long way toward the management of gray mold, it is controlling the environment.
Maintaining an environment within the greenhouse or indoor environment that will not permit the fungus to grow and sporulate is essential to control. By keeping the relative humidity below 85%, as well as maintaining good air circulation and adequate plant spacing, excellent control can be achieved. Whenever possible, plants packed closely together should be spread apart to allow better air circulation and to reduce relative humidity within the plant canopy. Fans should be used to provide good air movement above the canopy.
Fungicidal Control- Plants with wounds should be either protected with a fungicide or removed from the greenhouse, as the wound is the perfect environment for the fungus to initiate the infection process. BI-CARB Old Fashioned Fungicide can be used as a preventative measure against gray mold.
Cease™ works two ways. First, the bacterial spores occupy space on the plant surface and compete with the pathogens; then active compounds called lipopeptides produced by each bacterium disrupt the germination and growth of invading pathogens. Due to this, resistance is not likely to develop. Cease™ can be used in combination and/or rotation with other products and as part of an effective resistance management program. Oxidate
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