White mold of crucifers

This disease occurs commonly but sporadically, and typically not to a degree to have a significant impact on yield on Long Island, reflecting environmental conditions not being highly favorable.  It has been seen affecting cabbage.  White mold is an important disease in western New York where there are large plantings of susceptible crops (beans and cabbage) for processing.  The pathogen has a very large host range and infects a large diversity of plants including many other crops and also ornamental plants and broadleaf weeds.  White mold has also been seen on LI affecting beanslettucepeppertomato, and winter squash.

More information:

Below: The white mold pathogen has produced numerous of its diagnostic mostly round, black sclerotia on the surface of these two infected cabbage heads.  Sclerotia enable the pathogen to survive in soil for years. The white mycelial growth of the pathogen is visible in the first image.

white mold on cabbage

white mold on cabbage

Below: There is a single oblong sclerotium visible on the surface of affected tissue of the Chinese (Napa) cabbage in these two images taken on 12 July 1994.  Soft rot bacteria were able to gain entrance through plant tissue infected by the while mold pathogen and caused the brown rotting odiferous tissue.

white mold on napa cabbage

white mold on napa cabbage