Grey mould on leaf mustard caused by Botrytis cinerea, a new disease in China

Abstract

Leaf mustard (Brassica juncea) is a common vegetable widely distributed in China. From September to December, 2014, grey mould disease on leaf mustard was discovered and spread quickly with a high incidence of 35–70 % in Shunyi District, Beijing, China. The pathogen was identified based on detailed morphological, cultural characteristics and pathogenicity testing. In addition, the DNA sequence for four gene regions ITS, G3PDH, HSP60 and RPB2 of our isolate were compared with those of some previously reported Botrytis cinerea and other similar species of the genus Botrytis. The results showed that Botrytis cinerea is the first record causing gray mould disease on leaf mustard in China.