First report of white mold caused by Sclerotinia minor on safflower in Turkey

Abstract

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is cultivated for oil that can be derived from its seeds and natural dyes in the petals of its flower. In May 2019, wilting of plants with white cottony mycelia, water-soaked lesions and dark-irregular shaped sclerotia (0.7 to 3.8 mm) on stem bases were observed with a general incidence of 6% in two fields surveyed in Samsun province, Turkey. Collected sclerotia were surface disinfected in 5% NaOCl for 3 min and then placed on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). Petri plates were incubated at room temperature for five days, and white fluffy mycelia and small, black irregularly shaped sclerotia (diameter < 2.2 mm) were abundantly formed on PDA. Based on the morphological features, all isolates were tentatively identified as Sclerotinia minor Jagger.