Botrytis squamosa: The Pathogen of Market Disease of Garlic Sprouts

Abstract

SummaryGarlic sprouts in Shanghai markets frequently suffer from bract rot attached with white molds and brown rot in stem.Isolation and pathogenic identification of the pathogen were conducted according to the Koch's Rule, and the major pathogen named EXGL-19 was identified as Botrytis squamosa J.C. Walker via morphological characters and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of the ribosomal DNA. The young aerial mycelium of EXGL-19 was white, and then turned to grey after maturation. This fungus could grow on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at the temperatures that ranged from 0-30°C, with the optimum at 15-20°C. Microconidia could form after 16 days of culture at 20°C, while macroconidia only formed after 60 days of culture at 0°C. The pathogen can significantly promote the ethylene release of the garlic sprouts, which accelerated aging of garlic tissue.In summary, these findings provided basic clues for controlling the market disease of garlic sprouts and reducing the losses.