Background: It is estimated that 20e30% of ginseng crops in Canada are lost to root rot each harvest. Thisdisease is commonly caused by fungal infection with Ilyonectria, previously known as Cylindrocarpon. Previous reports have linked the virulence of fungal disease to the production of siderophores, a class ofsmall-molecule iron chelators. However, these siderophores have not been identified in Ilyonectria. Methods: High-resolution LCeMS/MS was used to screen Ilyonectria and Cylindrocarpon strain extractsfor secondary metabolite production. These strains were also tested for their ability to cause root rot inAmerican ginseng and categorized as virulent or avirulent. The differences in detected metabolites betweenthe virulent and avirulent strains were compared with a focus on siderophores. Results: For the first time, a siderophore N,N0,N00-triacetylfusarinine C (TAFC) has been identified inIlyonectria, and it appears to be linked to disease virulence. Siderophore production was suppressed asthe concentration of iron increased, which is in agreement with previous reports. Conclusion: The identification of the siderophore produced by Ilyonectria gives us further insight into theroot rot disease that heavily affects ginseng crop yields. This research identifies a molecular pathwaypreviously unknown for ginseng root rot and could lead to new disease treatment options.