M1 

: International Master of Agricultural

Module : fundamentals of plant health

Technical information about the white mold in

canola

Presented by :
Mordjane GUEMDJAL
Academic year: 2021/2022
01 Symptoms of the white
mold

02 White mold’s pathogen:

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

03 Diagnosis tools

04 Epidemiology and biology

05 Current control methods

and perspectives

06 Conclusion
 1. Symptoms of the white mold
white mould is easily identified by the characteristic white cottony mycelium of
the pathogen, which develops on the aerial surfaces of infected tissue

the hyphae produce enzymes and oxalic acid, which creates an invasion of the
tissue

secondary symptoms; wilting, bleaching and maceration can also be observed

on the aerial part

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in the later stages of the disease, the cottony hyphae aggregate into pea-sized clumps
of mycelium, which eventually mature into hard, dark sclerotia, usually found on the
outer surface of diseased tissue

https://image.app.goo.gl/ytk1FP82rpHtVTyE9
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https://image.app.goo.gl/EEA6CQv4pbyFFPX7
 2. White mold’s pathogen:
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
is a species of parasite fungi belonging to the genus Sclerotinia which causes a
disease known as white rot or sclerotinia affecting various plants including canola
( Brassica napus)

Reign: fungi
Division: ascomycota
Class: leotiomycetes
Order: helotiales
Family:sclerotiniaceae
Genus: sclerotinia
Species: sclerotinia
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sclerotiorum https://images.app.goo.gl/rfkasdcArCCp7pDi6
 3. Diagnosis tools
Conventional methods :

air sampling devices such as the use of the 7-day boukard trap or a rotating arm
sampler, where a wax is used to fix the spores and then passed under a microscope
to identify the particles of intere

airborne ascospores of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum are difficult to identify by microscopy

because they are similar to ascospores of related species of Botrysis

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Recent methods :
it is now possible to integrate the traditional air sampling formats with molecular
diagnostic technics based on PCR for example which is a quantitative and specific
method (DNA)

provide data on target abundance e.g. amount in a single species in an environmental

sample rather than just its presence

and also immunological detection methods to rapidly determine the presence of

Sclerotiona sclerotiorum

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 4. Epidemiology and biology

a). Penetration and invasion

this fungus easily penetrates senescent or dead tissues,
invades them rapidly and then progresses into healthy
tissues which they rot thanks to lytic enzymes

when the ambient humidity allows it, Sclerotinia

sclerotiorum produces white mycelium more or less
dense and about 63 sclerotia on the altered tissues

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b). Favorable conditions :

• able to develop at temperatures between 4 and 30°C with an optimum around

20°C
• they are favored by humid and rainy periods

• light soils rich in humus are more favorable to the development

of Sclerotonia sclerotiorum

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www.bayer-agri.fr

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Cycle of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
 5. Current control methods and perspectives
How to control sclerotinia in canola ?
it is the dominant and most damaging disease of canola, the losses can reach or
exceed 15 q/ha
During the crop :
• apply a fungicide as well as prophylactic measures complementary to
chemical control

• eliminate the plant debris (in particular the lantes touched by this fungus)
 
• nitrogenous fertilization (neither too much nor too little)
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At the end of the crop:

• application of an antagonistic fungus like Coniothyrium minitans (contans WG)

on the crop residues

Next crop :

• crop rotation
• solar disinfection of the soil
• preventive fungicide treatment
• good timing of irrigation

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Perspectives

• U.S. scientists are tackling the problem using integrated approaches

to white mold management on three fronts

• studying the cycle and spread of the disease

 
• developing disease-resistant germplasms
 
• testing chemical, cultural and biological agents to control the disease

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 Conclusion

The fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is

very polyphagous and represents a great
threat to various crops, including canola
where losses can reach very high levels.

To manage this resistance in the long

term, it is recommended to alternate the
modes of action in the canola plot or to use
a product combining different modes of
action with equivalent effectiveness.

https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/foreducators/Pages/Plant-Disease-Lesso
ns.aspx
http://ephytia.inra.fr/en/Home/index
https://scholar.google.fr/scholar
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thank you for your attention