Botrytis cinerea causes flower gray mold in Gastrodia elata in China

Gastrodia elata Blume is a valuable Chinese herbal medicine. G. elata flower tissue with symptoms of gray mold was collected in June 2021 at the G. elata breeding base in Dejiang County and Qixingguan County, Guizhou Province. Botrytis cinerea was isolated from the symptomatic flowers, and the fungus was identified based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of the ITS, HSP60, and RPB2 sequences. The pathogenicity test revealed B. cinerea as responsible for causing flower gray mold identified on G. elata. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. cinerea causing gray mold in G. elata flowers. These findings thus provide a basis for further research on the management of flower gray mold of G. elata.

Automated summary

This study collected Gastrodia elata flower tissue with symptoms of gray mold and isolated Botrytis cinerea as the causal agent for the flower gray mold. This is the first report of B. cinerea causing gray mold in G. elata flowers, providing a basis for further research on the management of flower gray mold in G. elata.