VIEW ARTICLE

Ecology and Epidemiology

Effect of Environmental Factors on Sclerotinia minor and Sclerotinia Blight of Peanut. R. L. Dow, Plant pathologist, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, P.O. Box HM 834, Hamilton HMCX, Bermuda; D. M. Porter(2), and N. L. Powell(3). (2)Supervisory research plant pathologist, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tidewater Agricultural Experiment Station, Suffolk, VA 23437; (3)Associate professor, Department of Agronomy, Tidewater Agricultural Experiment Station, Suffolk, VA 23437. Phytopathology 78:672-676. Accepted for publication 24 November 1987. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1988. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-78-672.

Myceliogenic sclerotial germination of Sclerotinia minor and growth as well as infection and colonization of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) tissue was optimum at 20–25 C. Ninety-five to 100% relative humidity (RH) for more than 12 hr was necessary for germination of sclerotia. Germination exceeding 80% was obtained when sclerotia were incubated at 100% RH for varying periods of time. Lateral branch and main branch tissues were colonized by S. minor similarly. The infection rate of young, juvenile tissues was significantly greater than that of maturing plant tissues.