Diseases

White mold — red clover

Trifolium pratense L.

A fungal disease of red clover caused by the pathogen Sclerotinia trifoliorum Erikss., characterized by rotting of the root collar and plant death during the autumn-spring period.

In the reference 33 varieties crop Red clover, where this is mentioned in the description.

The causative agent of the disease is the specialized pathogen Sclerotinia trifoliorum Erikss. Primary symptoms appear in autumn as small black necrotic lesions and white mycelial growth on the aerial parts of the plants. Subsequently, the root collar is affected, with its tissues softening and rotting, leading to wilting and death of the crop. In dense stands, the disease spreads in patches, causing plant loss.

A diagnostic feature of the pathogen is the formation of sclerotia in late winter and early spring — hard dormant fungal bodies that develop on affected organs or in the surrounding soil. Initially white, the sclerotia turn black over time. There is no clear classification of intraspecific races of the fungus; in breeding, local aggressive isolates and provocative infection fields are used to evaluate resistance.

General information about the subject — on the page White mold.

Sources7

Varieties of Red clover mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.