Botrytis is identified by which symptom?

• A. White powdery growth
• B. Brown rot with fuzzy gray spores
• C. Pear-shaped body
• D. Root dieback

Answer: (B)

Recognizing Botrytis centers on the gray mold it creates on decaying plant tissue. Botrytis cinerea causes a brown rot that, as it colonizes, is overgrown by a dense, fuzzy gray mold composed of fungal spores. That gray fuzzy layer is the telltale sign you’re dealing with Botrytis, especially on fruit, flowers, and other soft plant parts in damp, poorly ventilated conditions. This combination—brown rot plus a characteristic gray fuzzy mold—sets Botrytis apart.

The other options don’t fit this signature. White powdery growth points to powdery mildew, which appears as a white powdery film on leaves and stems rather than a brown rot with a gray mold. Root dieback suggests issues starting in the roots from different pathogens or stress, not the above-ground gray mold typical of Botrytis. The mention of a pear-shaped body isn’t a standard identifying feature for Botrytis under field conditions, whereas the gray mold covering the rot is.