Infection of plum and nectarine flowers by Botrytis cinerea

Abstract

The ability of Botrytis cinerea to infect plum and nectarine flowers was studied in moist chambers and in the orchard. Within 36 h of inoculation, the pathogen penetrated and colonized the stamens, styles and petals on shoots placed in moist chambers, causing blossom blight. Similar lesion development was observed following inoculation with dry and wet conidia, Hyphae were usually distorted in stylar tissue, but grew normally in petals and filaments. Growth of the fungus through filaments into the sepals or floral tubes, or through the transmitting tissue of the style into the ovary, was never observed. Symptoms of blossom blight were not observed on inoculated shoots in the orchard. The floral tube, bearing the sepals and stamens, dehisced within 14 days of fruit set and infected floral parts did not remain attached to young developing fruit. No relation was found between post‐harvest decay and flower infection. Losses following post‐harvest decay might have been caused by direct penetration of ripening fruit and not by flower infection. The importance of infected floral parts as a source of secondary inoculum on ripening fruit is discussed.