Botrytis cinerea Pers., (1794)

Gray mold

- classification : Fungi, Ascomycota, Leotiomycetes, Leotiomycetidae, Helotiales, Sclerotiniaceae
- téléomorphe : Botryotinia
- English name: gray mold


This fungus, ubiquitous and very polyphagous, is observed on Cucurbitaceae in practically all its production zones in the world , where it can be the source of occasional significant damage. If it is rife in the open as well as in shelters, it is particularly feared in the latter context, in particular on cucumber, and to a lesser extent on melon, zucchini . It is not normally a problem for crops squash .

The biological variability of B. cinerea is still poorly understood . It should be noted that strains resistant to several fungicides have been reported in many countries.

Recent molecular biology work has revealed great genetic variability within the species B. cinerea . This fungus is in fact a complex of species, in which a second, more confidential species has been demonstrated: Botrytis  pseudocinerea Walker et al. (2011).