Evaluation of wounds as a factor to infection of cabbage by ascospores of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

A semi-selective medium was used to examine the aerobiology of ascospores of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in five commercial cabbage fields in eastern North Carolina. Ascospores were present in all five fields from 26 September to 30 November. However, numbers of ascospores varied greatly depending on location, sampling date, and time. In general, peak ascospore deposition occurred between 11:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M., with the number of colonies recovered ranging from 3 to 55/dish (9 cm in diameter). Peak ascospore numbers at all locations were found from mid- to late October, but a second, smaller peak was also evident at each location in late November. Information obtained was employed to evaluate the role of wounding in infection of cabbage by ascospores of S. sclerotiorum in controlled environmental chambers. A method for production and release of ascospores of S. sclerotiorum was employed in controlled-environment chambers for the inoculation of cabbage plants with one of three representative foliar wounds: a bruise, a cut, or a non-lethal freeze. Wounding treatments were applied to 7-week-old cabbage plants, misting was added to maintain continuous leaf wetness, and ascospores were released from apothecia twice daily for four consecutive days. Spore trapping with a semi-selective medium indicated that inoculum was evenly distributed within the chambers and deposition was similar to levels recorded in the field. At 31 days after inoculation, disease incidence ranged from 0% on the control to 96% on the freeze treatments. Freeze-treated plants showed the highest disease severity throughout the entire incubation period. Mean area under the disease progress curve of severity values were 0, 0.2, 34 and 60 for the control, cut, bruise, and freeze treatments, respectively. Results indicate that freeze and bruise injuries are important factors associated with infection of cabbage by S. sclerotiorum.