Botrytis Resistance

Botrytis resistance refers to a cannabis plant's inherent ability to resist or tolerate Botrytis cinerea (gray mold), a common fungal pathogen in indoor and outdoor cultivation. This trait is primarily a plant structure and physiology characteristic rather than a traditional aroma, though breeders often track it alongside cannabinoid and terpene profiles. Lineage records frequently report botrytis resistance clustering in certain cultivar families, particularly those with dense bud structure ancestry or originating from higher-humidity growing regions. The trait involves factors like flower density, trichome production, and plant architecture that influence susceptibility to fungal colonization. Botrytis resistance has become increasingly relevant as indoor cultivation intensifies and climate control challenges persist in commercial operations.

Breeders working in commercial and outdoor contexts prioritize botrytis resistance as a stability marker, often combining it with other disease-resistance traits through intentional crossing programs. Selecting parent plants with demonstrated resistance helps establish more robust cultivar lines suitable for variable humidity environments.