Abstract:
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a fungal
pathogen of many crop species
that needs no introduction
to anyone working in the
agricultural industry. In South
Africa, S. sclerotiorum causes disease on
many economically important crop species
including canola, soya bean and sunflower.
The persistent occurrence of this
fungus in the field is attributed to its
ability to form hardened, long-term
survival structures called sclerotia, a trait
it shares with other plant pathogens
(e.g. Claviceps purpurea that causes
ergot on cereal crops) and even some
mushroom species (e.g. the psychedelic
mushroom Psilocybe Mexicana). Sclerotia
of S. sclerotiorum form the basis for its
infection cycle, with severe outbreaks
leading to significant yield losses.
