Southern Blight of Tomato
14 Aug 2022
Ink painting/drawing of southern blight of tomato, caused by the fungus Athelia rolfsii (Sclerotium rolfsii).
The photograph shows the base of a tomato stem where it meets the soil. The stem has been covered by white fungal mycelia, which in turn is covered by spherical sclerotia, like sprinkles on a cake, in varying shades from dark brown through tan to white.
I normally use these weekly pathogen sketches as an opportunity to practice composition. However, this photograph by @alabamaED was so wonderful that I’ve drawn it directly.
Top: scanned image
Bottom: photograph
This is one of the few plant pathogen paintings that is not a composition. It is a direct copy from a delightful photograph that was sent to me on twitter.
The photograph and painting are set side-by-side.
