Pikovskyi M. White and Gray Mold of Plants, Intraspecific Differentiation of their Pathogens – Necrotrophic Fungi Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary and Botryotinia fuckeliana (de Bary) Whetzel and Biological Justification of Protective Measures.

The dissertation presents the results of researches of white and gray mold of plants, intraspecific differentiation of their pathogens – necrotrophic fungi Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary and Botryotinia fuckeliana (de Bary) Whetzel (Botrytis cinerea Pers.) and biologically substantiated disease control measures. Symptoms of white and gray mold in agrocenoses and phytocenoses of flower and ornamental crops have been established. The host plants of the fungi S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea were found. The influence of diseases on productivity and quality of agricultural crops and flower-ornamental plants is studied. Regularities of influence of meteorological conditions on dynamics of distribution and development of white and gray mold of plants are established. Populations of S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea in different soil and climatic conditions were studied and screened for their ability to produce sclerotia, mycelial compatibility groups, phytotoxicity were assessed, and pathogenic properties of fungal isolates extracted from different host plants were studied. The bioecological features of the fungi S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea have been studied. The resistance of varieties and hybrids of plants against white and gray mold was evaluated. The impact of agronomic measures on the infestation of plants with pathogens was determined. The technical efficiency of biological and chemical preparations against white and gray mold of plants is established. In the first time in the conditions of Ukraine in agrocenoses of agricultural and flower-ornamental crops for the parasitization of S. sclerotiorum on 66 species of plants belonging to 15 botanical families was revealed.It was found that the fungus B. cinerea affected 93 species of plants belonging to 30 botanical plants. The largest number of hosts of the fungus was among the families Fabaceae – 16 species, Brassicaceae – 12, Asteraceae – 9, Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae 7 species each. Among other families, the number of host plants of the fungus ranged from 12 to 4 species.