Storage Rots
Storage rots
Common name
Storage rots
Causal agent
Storage rot diseases are caused mainly by fungi belonging to the genus Rhizopus, Penicillin, and Aspergillus. The fungi can cause several diseases, including root rot, ring rot, fruit rot, and pole rot.
Scientific name
Rhizopus stolonifer
Rhizopus arrhizus
Penicillium spp.
Botrytis cinerea
Symptoms & Signs
Depending on the type of fungus and rot, the symptoms vary. In some fruits, the infection causes leaks; in others, it causes water-soaked, necrotic lesions, discoloration, and vascular wilt. Different fungi cause different colored mold growth on the plant, distinguishing them from each other.
Transmission
The fungi produce spores that travel through rain or irrigation water. When spores land on healthy plants, they restart their lifecycle and transmit the disease.
Time of concern
Summer and spring
Common hosts
Strawberries
Apples
Tomato
Pear
Corn
Onions