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SAC Produce New Factsheet for Horticultural Industry

A new factsheet on a fungal disease of carrots has been produced by an SAC team led by Dr Mark McQuilken, Senior Lecturer in Crop Sciences & Adviser of Studies at SAC’s Ayr Campus.

Sclerotinia, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, remains one of the most damaging diseases affecting carrots grown in intensive vegetable production. The factsheet describes the symptoms and conditions which encourage the disease, and offers guidelines on integrated control to minimise losses.

The project was funded by HDC (the Horticultural Development Company), a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. The field work and fungicide trials were conducted on growers’ holdings with facilities and sites provided by Kettle Produce Ltd of Cupar. All the sites were within a high sclerotina risk growing region with a past history of the disease in carrots. The field and laboratory work involved Robert Redpath and Brian Pool (Research & Development Division, SAC Edinburgh).

Sclerotinia disease affects more than 400 plant species including important crops such as oilseed rape, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, vegetable Brassicas, peas and beans. In carrots it results in plant and root death.

The new Factsheet gives more background on the disease with its impact on yield/financial losses highlighted on the first page. The section on ‘Action Points’ summarises the recommendations to growers.

It is available to HDC members and can be consulted on the HDC website.

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