Dr. Wayne Wilcox of Cornell University says Botrytis cinerea as a weak pathogen that prefers injured, senescent tissue, such as old blossom parts and ripening fruit. The more ripe the fruit, the more susceptible it becomes, an added consideration when rains delay harvest.Botrytis thrives where there’s low evaporative water loss and prefers high humidity and poor air circulation. Bunch rot (botrytis) overwinters on canes and vineyard debris, including cluster rachises and mummified berries, which is why vineyard sanitation is important. During humid periods in the growing season, especially in the spring, spores are produced from overwintering sources and dispersed by […]