Botrytis Bunch rot/ Grey mould

Symptom

This is one of the most common post-harvest diseases of grapes. Prior to flowering, small reddish-brown necrotic spots may appear on the leaves. When the pathogen attacks the inflorescences, they wither and dry up. Infection of the fruit clusters causes rapid decay of the berries, often accompanied by the development of grayish fungal mycelia. In general, the disease remains latent in the berries until the sugar content begins to accumulate. Once symptoms appear, infected fruits crack and exude sugary juice, which facilitates rapid spread of the disease to adjacent berries. To prevent serious losses, protective fungicide sprays should be applied starting from the fruit-set stage.