Gray Mold of Tomato
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Gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) is characterized by a distinctive gray to light-brown, fuzzy, moldy growth that appears on diseased leaves, stems, and blossoms. Occasionally, infections to green fruit may result in “ghost spots” that make fruit unmarketable. Gray mold more commonly occurs on tomatoes produced in greenhouses and high tunnels. Cool temperatures and high humidity favor disease.
Gray mold Botrytis stem.
(Photo: Gerald Holmes, Strawberry Center, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bugwood.org)
Gray mold on fruit.
(Photo: Paul Bachi, University of Kentucky)
Ghost spot on tomato fruit.
(Photo: Gerald Holmes, Strawberry Center, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bugwood.org)
Management:
- Provide adequate ventilation and plant spacing
- Promptly remove and destroy diseased plant material
- Apply protectant fungicides during cooler conditions
