North America's strawberry industry under threat from new infection

Published Sep 2, 2024

Tridge summary

The garden strawberry industry in America is under threat from the pathogen Neopestalotiopsis spp., with various species causing diseases such as leaf spotting, shoot death, and berry rot in strawberries. The spread of the infection is attributed to the trade in strawberry seedlings and the cultivation of more susceptible strawberry varieties. The disease has led to significant economic losses, with some nurseries going bankrupt. In response, experts recommend changing growing regions, renewing soil microflora, and using fungicides. Another solution is growing strawberries from seeds, as presented by Limgroup with its new hybrid strawberry, Limone One F1. A pilot project in the Netherlands, England, and Poland is also exploring this solution in collaboration with various partners.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

There is some very bad news for the garden strawberry industry. The new pathogen Neopestolatiopsis spp. is making great strides across America, EastFruit reports. According to the European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), various species of the genus Neopestalotiopsis cause various diseases of garden strawberries. The rapid spread of these infections is associated with the trade in strawberry seedlings. The taxonomy of the genus Neopestalotiopsis is quite complex and has changed several times in recent years. Various species of this genus cause leaf spotting, shoot death, berry rot in the field and after harvest. In addition to garden strawberries, this pathogen has many other host plants. The first reports of strawberry damage by Pestalotia longisetula were in the 1970s in Israel and Florida (USA). Initially, damage to berries was reported, but later it became known that root and heart rot of the plant leads to the complete death of plants in the field. At least four closely ...

Source: Eastfruit