The control of Penicillium corymbiferum on crocus and its effect on corm production

Crocus corms with different amounts of infection by Penicillium corymbiferum were planted in field plots in October 1982 and harvested in the following July. Differences in infection at planting had no effect on the development of the disease on harvested stored corms. Corms with 40–60% surface area infected by P. corymbiferum at planting had a reduced mean weight of harvested corms and yield (kg corms harvested per kg corms planted) compared with corms with 4–10% surface area infected at planting. Dipping corms in benomyl, captafol, tnancozeb or thiram solutions after harvesting failed to control the disease. The severity of disease was increased by damage occurring before storage and was reduced by delaying harvesting.