This common disease occurs in all peanut growing areas of Texas. A series of concentric rings often appears on limb lesions. Rhizoctonia rot is much more likely to be a problem where peanuts have been grown continuously. Fields in areas never before planted to peanuts may, however, experience significant losses to this organism. Pods affected by this fungus are initially light brown in color and turn dark brown with age.
Infected tissue is watery when squeezed.
Field symptoms may not always be reliable for accurate diagnosis since other organisms are almost always present in the diseased tissue. This fungal disease occurs predominantly in certain areas of West Texas. Symptoms of this disease closely resemble Sclerotinia blight. The fluffy mycelial growth has a slight gray tint, and the sclerotia are almost twice the size of those produce by the Sclerotinia blight fungus. Microscopic observation of fungal structures is often required to distinguish between the two diseases.