mildew

1. Any of various fungi that form a superficial, usually whitish growth on plants and various organic materials.
2. A superficial coating or discoloration of organic materials, such as cloth, paper, or leather, caused by fungi, especially under damp conditions.
3. A plant disease caused by such fungi.

[Middle English, from Old English mildēaw, honeydew, nectar.]

For more information on mildew, visit Britannica.com.

A fungus that grows and feeds on paint, cotton and linen fabric, etc., which are exposed to moisture; causes discoloration and decomposition of the surface.

Various fungi that can cause severe damage to vineyards if not treated for prevention. There are two main types-powdery mildew and downy mildew, both of which are partial to vitis vinifera vines (native american grapes are resistant). Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), also called peronospera, is a major disease in wet, humid grape-growing areas. Native to North America, this fungal disease was first detailed in the early 1800s. By the middle of that century, France (and other European winegrowing regions) were besieged by downy mildew, which caused widespread vineyard damage almost as serious as the phylloxera epidimic that followed shortly thereafter. The symptoms of this fungus first appear as yellow-green spots on a grape leaf's upper surface, followed by a fuzzy white growth on the underside. Infected shoots, petioles, or cluster stems become distorted or curled and, under warm, humid conditions, may be covered with a downy growth. Eventually the affected segments wither and brown. Berries are vulnerable until they are pea-size; mature berries are resistant to infection. Powdery mildew (Uncinula necator), also known as oidium, isn't dependent on moisture like other fungi. It's found in dryer climates, like California, where most fungi don't do well, and spreads most rapidly at temperatures between 70 to 86°F. Powdery mildew favors dense canopies (see canopy) and attacks all portions of the grapevine, causing young leaves to curl and wither and mature leaves to develop a dark surface stain; the berries can discolor, split, or drop off the vine. When the gray powdery growth is rubbed off of canes it reveals dark brown, weblike markings. Most mildews can be controlled by using copper sulfate sprays (see bordeaux mixture) or ground or powdered sulfur. See also diseases, vineyard.

Any of several fungi that form a superficial growth on plants. Mildew growth is stimulated by high humidity and poor air circulation.

Mildew refers to certain kinds of mold or fungus. In Old English, it meant honeydew (a substance secreted by aphids on leaves, formerly thought to distill from the air like dew), and later came to mean mildew in the modern sense.^[1]

Powdery mildew growing on a leaf. The ladybird is an Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata) which feeds on the mildew.

• The term mildew is often used generically to refer to mold growth, usually with a flat growth habit. Molds can thrive on many organic materials, including clothing, leather, paper, and the ceilings, walls and floors of homes with moisture management problems. Mildew often lives on shower walls, windowsills, and other places where moisture levels are high. There are many species of molds. In unaired places, such as basements, they can produce a strong musty odor.

• What horticulturalists and gardeners often refer to as mildew is more precisely called powdery mildew. It is caused by many different species of fungi in the order Erysiphales. Most species are specific to a narrow range of hosts, and all are obligate parasites of flowering plants. The species that affects roses is Sphaerotheca pannosa var. rosa.

• Another plant-associated type of mildew is downy mildew. Downy mildews are caused by fungus-like organisms in the family Peronosporaceae (Oomycota). They are obligate plant pathogens, and the many species are each parasitic on a narrow range of hosts. In agriculture, downy mildews are a particular problem for growers of potatoes, grapes, tobacco and cucurbits.

The English word was exported into French as mildiou and as mildiu in Spanish.

See also

Fungi portal

• Phase I Environmental Site Assessment

References

1. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1969, entry "melit-" in Appendix

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article mildew.

• SAFECROP - Proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Grapevine Downy and Powdery Mildew

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - meldug, mug, skimmel
v. tr. - gøre/blive meldugget
v. intr. - gøre/blive meldugget, mugne

Nederlands (Dutch)
schimmel, beschimmelen

Français (French)
n. - (Hort) mildiou, moisissure, moisi
v. tr. - laisser moisir
v. intr. - se moisir

Deutsch (German)
n. - Schimmel, Mehltau
v. - verschimmeln, von Mehltau befallen sein/werden

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - μούχλα, σείρηκας
v. - μουχλιάζω

Italiano (Italian)
ammuffire, muffa

Português (Portuguese)
n. - mofo (m)
v. - mofar, embolorar

Русский (Russian)
милдью, плесень, поражать милдью, пораженный милдью

Español (Spanish)
n. - moho, añublo, mildiu
v. tr. - enmohecerse, cubrirse de moho
v. intr. - enmohecerse, cubrirse de moho

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - mjöldagg, mögel
v. - fläcka genom mjöldagg (mögel), mögla

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
霉, 露菌病菌, 面粉病菌, 使发霉, 发霉, 生霉

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 黴, 露菌病菌, 麵粉病菌
v. tr. - 使發黴
v. intr. - 發黴, 生黴

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 곰팡이
v. tr. - 곰팡이 피게 하다
v. intr. - 곰팡이 피다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ウドンコ病, ウドンコ病菌, うどん粉病
v. - カビを生やす, ウドンコ病になる, カビが生える, うどん粉病にかかる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تعفن (فعل) يتعفن‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עובש, טחב, קימחון‬
v. tr. - ‮נפגע בקימחון, העביש‬
v. intr. - ‮נפגע בקימחון, העביש‬

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