Penicillium expansum Link 1809
and other Penicillium spp. *

Blue rot, Penicillium rots

More than 200 species of Penicillium are known. Very ubiquitous, they are found on the most diverse substrates (dry food products, spices, cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables), in the soil, on decaying plants and compost, on wood.

On plants, they behave as saprophytes, sometimes as opportunistic parasites manifesting themselves, for example, on seeds, on mature fruits and / or during their conservation.

About fifty species of Penicillium have been isolated on the vine and in particular on the grape berries, whether they are healthy or affected by rots. The problems they cause depend on the species: they can be responsible for blue-green rots (leading to a loss of color in the musts and a reduction in the sugar content) on berries before and after harvest during storage, develop secondarily in the heart of botrytised clusters, be associated with the emergence of organoleptic defects (musty-earthy taste - GMT), produce mycotoxins (patulin, citrinin) found in wines and fruit juices, etc.