VIEW ARTICLE

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum: Viability and Separation of Sclerotia from Soil. J. A. Hoes, Agriculture Canada, Research Station, Morden, Manitoba, R0G 1J0; H. C. Huang, Agriculture Canada, Research Station, Morden, Manitoba, R0G 1J0. Phytopathology 65:1431. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-65-1431.

A combination of dry- and wet-sieving efficiently separates sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum from soil. Ten times as many sclerotia occurred in rhizosphere soil (12 sclerotia/500 g) from sunflower with root rot than in control soil. A bout 50% of the sclerotia were nonviable and contaminated, often by Coniothyrium minitans. Viability of sclerotia is best assessed on carrot disks, while contaminants are more easily recognized on potato-dextrose agar.