VIEW ARTICLE

The Occurrence and Biology of Botryotinia fuckeliana on Beans in New York. F. J. Polach, Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University, Geneva 14456; G. S. Abawi, Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University, Geneva 14456. Phytopathology 65:657-660. Accepted for publication 11 January 1975. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-65-657.

Apothecia of Botryotinia fuckeliana were found in bean fields and adjacent areas at four locations in the bean-growing region of central and western New York State. Ten single ascospores obtained from one apothecium produced typical Botrytis cinerea cultures and all were pathogenic to bean leaves and pods. However, two of the 10 isolates consistently induced smaller lesions. The optimum temperature for lesion formation was 20 to 25 C with continuous leaf wetness. The rate of colony growth on potato-dextrose agar was also optimum at 20 to 25 C. Crosses made by combining all 10 ascospore cultures resulted in the production of apothecia under laboratory conditions, indicating the presence of both mating types. The occurrence of apothecia of B. fuckeliana under field conditions suggests that ascospores may play a major role in the epidemiology of gray mold of beans in New York, and also may be a source of genetic variability in the fungus.