Diseases
Sclerotinia blight
Identify Sclerotinia blight: symptoms, possible causes, prevention, and practical actions for 2 affected plants. White mold at the stem base
Editorial diagnosis
Diagnosis overview
Sclerotinia rot produces watery rot, white cottony mycelium, and often black resting bodies.
In gardens, Sclerotinia blight can occur on plants including peanut, Radicchio. In the available profiles, it is linked mainly with Legumes, Salads.
Its importance depends on how quickly it spreads and whether seedlings, shoot tips, flowers, or fruit are affected. Conditions that favour it include Wet weather or prolonged leaf wetness, Dense planting and poor airflow, Susceptible cultivars. The persistence of sclerotia in soil makes it serious.
Compare upper and lower leaf surfaces, the boundary between healthy and damaged tissue, and spread after wet weather. Coatings, spores, or progressive rot support a disease diagnosis.
A common mistake is to identify a disease from one spot alone; weather, spread, and pathogen structures also need to fit.
At a glance
Plants
2
Category
Legumes, Salads
Typical signs
- Watery rot
- White mycelium
- Black sclerotia
- Plants collapse
Possible confusion
- Growing problem: Growing problems are usually linked to water, light, temperature, or soil and do not show pathogen growth, pustules, or progressive infection patterns.
- Nutrient deficiency: Deficiency patterns are often more regular and follow leaf age or veins. Diseases more often show spots, coatings, rot, wilting, or pathogen structures.
Immediate actions
- Remove affected plant parts
- Improve airflow
- Avoid overhead watering
- Keep tools clean
- Remove heavily infected plant residues
Prevention
- Use suitable spacing
- Follow crop rotation
- Choose robust cultivars
- Keep leaves dry
- Support soil structure and plant vigour