Rind distortion of lemon caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers
R. A. Fullerton, F. M. Harris & I. C. Hallett
(1999) Rind distortion of lemon caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers, New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science.
The infection process by Botrytis cinerea Pers on lemon fruits (Citrus Union (L.) Burm.), and development of rind distortion are described. Infections occur on juvenile fruitlets soon after petal fall from hyphae growing over the surface of the fruit from adjacent colonised flower debris. The hyphae form compact infection cushions at their tips. There is a collapse of epidermal cells and several layers of underlying cells in the vicinity of the infection cushion, leading to the formation of small necrotic pits on the surface of the fruit. As the fruitlets grow, there is generalised hyperplasia in a zone up to 20 cell layers deep in the region of the necrotic pits, leading to conspicuous outgrowths on the fruit surface.