SMZ1500 Fluorescence Image Gallery
Black Rot of Grape
Black rot, caused by the fungus Guignardia bidwellii, is one of the most serious diseases of cultivated grapes in the eastern United States. Crop losses from black rot can be devastating, ranging from five to eighty percent, depending on factors such as weather conditions, variety of grape being grown, and the amount of disease in the vineyard.
Black rot can infect all green parts of the grapevine, but the most damaging effect is on the fruit, which shrivel up into dark-colored mummies.
This fungus reproduces with two types of spores: ascospores and conidia (pycniospores). Ascopores are produced in the grape mummy and forcibly discharged into the air, often traveling considerable distances. Conidia are vegetatively reproduced spores that the fungus uses to propagate, and they are spread through rain or irrigation water splashing on the plants.
