ous ▁( car rot ▁family ) ▁cro ps ▁are ▁particularly ▁vulner able ▁and ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁econom ically ▁important ▁of ▁the ▁hosts . ▁My c oc ent ro sp ora ▁ac er ina ▁causes ▁an ▁important ▁post - har vest ▁disease ▁named ▁" liqu or ice ▁rot " ▁in ▁car ro ts ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁most ▁studied ▁host . ▁During ▁the ▁growing ▁stage ▁of ▁car ro ts , ▁the ▁path ogen ▁can ▁cause ▁d amp ing - off ▁and ▁death ▁of ▁seed lings , ▁st un ting , ▁early ▁sen esc ence , ▁and ▁leaf ▁les ions ▁that ▁are ▁brown ▁ne c rot ic ▁fle cks . ▁Once ▁the ▁car ro ts ▁are ▁in ▁storage ▁the ▁liqu or ice ▁rot ▁occurs ▁where ▁root ▁les ions ▁appear ▁that ▁are ▁black ▁in ▁color . ▁ ▁D ise ase ▁cycle ▁ ▁My c oc ent ro sp ora ▁ac er ina ▁is ▁a ▁de uter om yc ete ▁( no ▁sexual ▁stage ) ▁soil - bourne ▁fung us ▁that ▁is ▁a ▁root ▁inhab it ant . ▁The ▁life ▁cycle ▁starts ▁and ▁ends ▁with ▁the ▁ch lam yd osp ore . ▁The ▁ch lam yd osp ore ▁is ▁a ▁thick ▁w alled , ▁dark ▁p ig ment ed ▁rest ing ▁sp ore ▁that ▁over w inter s ▁in ▁the ▁soil ▁or ▁plant ▁de br is ▁and ▁can ▁stay ▁d orm ant ▁for ▁several ▁years ▁without ▁losing ▁vi ability . ▁It ▁will ▁only ▁germ inate ▁in ▁the ▁soil ▁when ▁it ▁sens es ▁a ▁host ▁root ▁nearby ▁or