Gray mold can also be referred to as which of the following?

Gray mold is commonly associated with the pathogen Botrytis cinerea, which causes this particular disease on a variety of crops, especially fruits and vegetables. The term "fruit rot" accurately reflects one of the key symptoms of gray mold, where the fungus leads to the decay of fruits, often after the fruit has become damaged or stressed, making it more susceptible to infection. This characteristic aligns with the impact of gray mold in agricultural contexts, where it can severely affect post-harvest quality and marketability.

In contrast, early blight, mildew, and root rot represent different plant diseases or symptoms caused by various pathogens. Early blight typically affects foliage, mildew primarily refers to powdery and downy mildews that are distinct from the symptoms of gray mold, and root rot involves the decay of root systems, which is not associated with the gray mold pathogen. Thus, "fruit rot" is the term that closely describes the impact of gray mold on crops.