The Genus Botrytis and Botrytiscinerea species: Pathogenic, morphological and epidemiological characteristics

Abstract

Species of the genus Botrytis occur wherever their hosts are grown, ranging from cold areas of Alaska to warm and dry areas in Israel. They have a necrotrophic life style which is often associated with phenology of the host plant. The genus comprises 22 species, most of which have a narrow host range. Polifagous species Botritys cinerea, a causal agent of grey mould disease, is the most important and the most extensively studied representative of this genus. More than 350 papers related to all aspects of the research of this necrotrophic pathogen are published each year. In this paper up-to-date knowledge about pathogenic, morphological and epidemic characteristics of the genus Botrytis and, particularly, species B. cinerea are summarized. Symptoms caused by B. cinerea on various plant species and various plant parts are shown. Morphological and genetic variability of the species is described. The possible mechanisms of variability, as well as the attempts to divide the species into Group I (B. 'pseudocinerea') and Group II (B. cinerea 'sensu-stricto') are pointed out.

Vrste roda Botrytis rasprostranjene su svuda gde se gaje ili su prisutne njihove biljke-domaćini - od hladnih zona Aljaske do toplih i suvih područja u Izraelu. Imaju nekrotrofni životni ciklus koji je najčešće tesno povezan sa fenologijom domaćina. Rod obuhvata 22 vrste od kojih većina ima uzak krug domaćina - parazitira biljke jednog roda ili jedne familije. Polifagna vrsta Botrytis cinerea, prouzrokovač sive truleži, najznačajniji je i najproučavaniji predstavnik ovog roda. Godišnje se objavi više od 350 radova koji se odnose na sve aspekte istraživanja ovog nekrotrofnog patogena. U ovom radu je dat pregled dosadašnjih saznanja o patogenim, morfološkim i epidemiološkim karakteristikama vrsta roda Botrytis, a posebno vrste B. cinerea. Detaljno su obrađeni simptomi oboljenja koje prouzrokuje B. cinerea na različitim biljnim vrstama i različitim delovima biljaka, morfološka i genetička varijabilnost vrste. Takođe, ukazano je i na moguće izvore varijabilnosti, kao i na pokušaje podele vrste na dve grupe - Grupu I (B. 'pseudocinerea') i Grupu II (B. cinerea 'sensu-stricto').