Susceptibility of Cut Rose Flower Cultivars to Infections by Different Isolates of Botrytis cinerea

A method was developed for the inoculation of flowers of cut roses with conidia of Botrytis cinerea. Flower buds were inoculated by spraying of conidial supensions that were ultrasonicated for 10 s. The differences in susceptibility between 8 rose cvs to infections of isolate Bc-33 and the differences in pathogenicity between 14 5. cinerea isolates to cv. ‘Sonia’ were evaluated. Isolates obtained from rose flowers caused higher infection rates than those obtamed from various other hosts. The CVS ‘Madelon’, ‘Melody’ and ‘Sonia’ were found to be highly susceptible, whereas the cvs ‘Caramboie’, ‘Gabriella’, ‘Pasadena’ and ‘Rubinette’ were only slightly susceptible. The lower disease severity in the less susceptible cvs was based on a retardation of the growth of mfection hyphae in the petals, which may have been due to partial resistance. The formation of symptoms is effectuated already by the initial stages in the infection process. Thus, the apparent existing partial resistance to infections of B. cinerea cannot prevent the loss of ornamental value.