Identification of the Postharvest Pink Mold Rot Fungus (Trichothecium roseum) on Grapes in China

Grape is an important crop due to its consumption as fresh fruit as well as the secondary products developed from the berries such as wines, jams, juice, jellies, and vinegar. Postharvest losses in grapes can adversely affect their market value and the quality of the secondary products developed from grapes. These losses can be due to pathogenic infections and other damage due to improper handling and storage practices. During a brief survey of the cold storage facilities of the Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, grape berries showing postharvest rot symptoms were collected. Further onsite observations suggested that the disease was postharvest pink mold rot caused by Trichothecium roseum. Trichothecium roseum is an asexually reproducing soil-borne fungus with an unknown sexual morph. This fungus is known to cause postharvest diseases in many fruits and vegetables around the world. Our objective in this study was to report the first occurrence of pink rot on grapes caused by T. roseum with molecular phylogeny, morphological studies, and pathogenicity tests. Also, this is the first report of T. roseum from grapes in China.