Influence of temperature, relative humidity, ascospore concentration, and length of drying of colonized dry bean flowers on white mold development

Growth chamber studies were conducted using rehydrated dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) flowers (RDBF) to assess the influence of temperature (18 and 22 degrees C), relative humidity (RH; 25 and 90%), and ascospore concentrations (10(2), 10(3), and 10(4) ascospores/ml) on white mold incidence in dry bean. Additional studies were carried out to determine the influence of inoculum type (ascospore and mycelium) and to estimate the effect of duration of drying of colonized RDBF on viability of Sclerotinia sclerotiorium and white mold incidence. There was a linear increase in white mold incidence with increase in ascospore concentration but neither temperature nor RH levels significantly affected disease development. In the inoculum type study, both temperature and RH levels significantly affected white mold incidence; however, neither ascospore nor mycelial inocula had a significant effect on white mold incidence. Drying colonized RDBF for up to 96 h did not affect S. sclerotiorum viability; but the amount of white mold incidence depended more on post-inoculation RH and drying duration than on the temperatures tested. Colonized RDBF dried for 96 h took approximately three times longer to achieve 100% white mold incidence compared with colonized RDBF dried for 24 h. These results suggest the potential for greater white mold development with higher ascospore availability and the potential of dry S. sclerotiorum-colonized dry bean flowers as a viable inoculum source.