Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes basal drop and white mold diseases on a wide range of vegetable crops, resulting in significant economic loss (Purdy 1979). Diseased plants of various vegetables with black irregular to cylindrical sclerotia were observed in high tunnels of an organic farm near Knoxville, TN in February of 2016 and 2017. Leafy mustard (Brassica juncea ‘Purple Osaka’) had necrotic leaves and stems, with black sclerotia inside stems. Chinese broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra ‘Te You’) had water soaked lesions on stems and leaves with white mycelium and black sclerotia. Two kinds of lettuce (Lactuca sativa); butterhead ‘Mirlo’ and red leaf ‘Cherokee’, had symptoms of lettuce drop, i.e., water soaked leaves and crown with white mycelial mats and black sclerotia. Infected plants (1 to 3-cm pieces) and sclerotia, collected in both years, were surface sterilized in 10% commercial bleach for 1 min, followed by 1 min in 10% ethanol. Samples were plated on potato dextrose agar amended with ...

Insect pollinators are in population decline due to environmental and chemical stressors. Including native forbs in pastures could benefit grazers and pollinators; however, their forage and flowering characteristics are not fully documented. The objectives of our research were to evaluate 12 native forbs for persistence, forage mass, nutrient composition, and flowering patterns under repeated defoliation. Twelve species were planted in a small-plot experiment in 2018. Response variables were measured from 2020 to 2022. Annual (partridge pea, PPEA, Chamaecrista fasciculata) and biennial (black-eyed Susan, BESU, Rudbeckia hirta) species established high (p < 0.05) plant populations during the first season; however, the PPEA declined (p < 0.05) in forage mass during 2021. Tall species (Maximilian sunflower, MSUN, Helianthus maximiliani; cup plant, CUPP, Silphium perfoliatum) increased in forage mass, produced high-quality forage, and flowered during early fall. Lanceleaf coreopsis (LCOR, Coreopsis lanceolata) produced consistent (p > 0.05) forage mass and flowered in spring. The purple coneflower (PURC, Echinacea purpurea), Illinois bundleflower (ILBF, Desmanthus illinoensis), and oxeye sunflower (OSUN, Helopsis helianthoides) produced high-quality, consistent (p > 0.05) forage mass and flowered mid-season. Interseeding the BESU, ILBF, PPEA, LCOR, PURC, OSUN, and MSUN or CUPP would produce high-quality forage and floral resources throughout summer.