Gray Mold Botrytis Fruit Rot

Gray Mold Botrytis Fruit Rot

Botrytis cinerea

This fungus disease attacks the ripe fruit of strawberries, blackberries and other fruit, causing them to be enveloped and digested by a cloud of fuzzy gray mold. It is most prevalent in cool weather with high humidity. The danger of this disease is one of the reasons strawberry growers fear rainy weather.

The best way to prevent this disease is to keep your plants dry (use drip irrigation if necessary). Of course if it rains there isn’t much you can do, except to remove infected berries (to reduce source of infection) and give good air circulation.

Image: Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org