Sclerotinia minor on canola petals in New South Wales - a possible airborne mode of infection by ascospores?

Sclerotinia stem rot occurs sporadically in Australian canola and is caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary. During the canola flowering pe riod of 1998, canola was surveyed throughout New South Wales for the incide nce of Sclerotinia species on petals. While scoring for S. sclerotiorum, se veral isolates were later identified as Sclerotinia minor Jagger, rather th an S. sclerotiorum. Although S. minor has been previously identified on can ola, there is only evidence that S. minor infects plants mycelogenically. I ts presence on canola petals and pathogenicity on canola suggests a possibl e airborne mode of infection by ascospores.