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The aim of the study is to observe harmful mites and insect species and their natural enemies being in strawberry areas in Halkapınar District of Konya Province of Türkiye in 2011. Different methods were used to detect pests and useful insect species; picking up insects by using aerial net, examine of leaves, flowers, fruits and offshoots by inspection and lupe, in counting leaf determining of amount of insects and mites for per leaflet and pitfall trap methods. As a result, one mite species, 19 pest species from 5 orders belonging to 16 families and 8 beneficial insect species from 4 orders belonging to 6 families were determined. According to intensity and extensity, the important, harmful insects were Tetranychus urticae Koch, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, Brachycaudus helichrysi Kaltenbach and Chaetosiphon fragaefolii Cockerell; and beneficial insects were Coccinella septempunctata L Scymnus pallipediformis Günther, Scymnus rubromaculatus Goeze and Scolothrips longicornis Prisner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) is a member of the family Rosaceae and one of the most important vegetable crops in Egypt for local fresh consumption and exportation. Suspected symptoms of Strawberry mild yellow edge virus (SMYEV) on naturally infected strawberry plants were observed in Al Qaluobia Governorate. The main goal of this study was to develop a novel eco-friendly biogenic silver nanoparticle using clove (Syzygium aromaticum) (Sz-AgNPs) aqueous extract to control viral infection. Methodology and results: Mechanically inoculated sixteen plant species representing seven families, Apocynaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Moraceae, Rosaceae and Solanaceae, were used as hosts for SMYEV. Systemic mosaic, chlorotic local lesions, vein clearing, marginal chlorosis, marginal necrosis, yellowing and vein banding were observed 7 to 20 days post-inoculation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of diseased tissues revealed severe degeneration of the chloroplasts and nucleus structures and the formation of cell wall protrusions. Sz-AgNPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Foliar application of Sz-AgNPs (200 µg/mL) 24 h post and/or concurrently with SMYEV inoculation dropped the infection rate by 90% and 55%, respectively, whereas it was only reduced by 35% when applied 24 h prior to viral inoculation compared to control groups. DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR verified SMYEV inhibition (75-90%) in all plants treated with 200, 150 and 100 µg/mL Sz-AgNPs 24 h post-viral inoculation. Complete viral eradication was attained by applying Sz-AgNPs at a concentration of 200 µg/mL 24 h post-virus inoculation. Moreover, the total phenols, indoles, Vitamin C, total flavonoids and citric acid contents were not significantly affected by Sz-AgNPs treatment compared to healthy control groups. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: In conclusion, Sz-AgNPs suppressed SMYEV by 75-90% when applied 24 h post-virus inoculation. Eco-friendly Sz-AgNPs could be used for controlling viral infections and avoiding the rejection of exportable strawberries due to the use of harmful pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry diseases, occurring in Central Anatolia region of Turkey was studied in the years 2013-2016 in the strawberry growing areas of Bartın, Kayseri, Konya, and Zonguldak provinces. Totally 515.5 da strawberry fields in the above mentioned provinces were visited and plants showing disease symptoms were counted and their percentages were determined. Foliage and root diseases were determined by using 383 samples collected from various fields. Seventeen fungal pathogens: namely Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler, Boeremia exigua (Desmazières) Aveskamp, Gruyter & Verkley, Mycosphaerella fragariae (Tul.) Lindau., Colletotrichum acutatum J.H. Simmonds, Colletotrichum gleosporoides (Penz.) Penz., Botrytis cinerea (de Bary) Whetzel, Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon & Maubl., Diaporthe actinidae N.F. Sommer & Beraha., Diaporthe eres Nitschke, Didymella americana Saccardo ex Saccardo, Didymella pomorum (Thümen) Aveskamp, Gruyter & Verkley, Diplodia seriata de Notaris, Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goidanich, Peyronellae prosopidis, Phytophthora cactorum (Lebert & Cohn) J.Schröter, Phytophthora plurivora Jung & Burgess., Phytophthora kelmania were identified. A. alternata, was the most frequently isolated fungus and was obtained from 41.94% of the plant samples while root rot diseases caused by various fungi occurred on 38.13% of the fields. Reactions of twelve strawberry cultivars; (Festival, Kabarla, Sweetann, Alison, Osmanlı, Kara çilek, Tüylü, Sabrina, Rubigem, San Andreas, Albion, Festival, Monterey) were tested against the three most widespread pathogen; A. alternata, M. phaseolina and L. theobromae. With the 86% disease severity, Kabarla was found the most susceptible cv. against A. alternata while Tüylü was the most susceptible cv. against M. phaseolina and L. theobromae. Only one variety, Osmanlı, showed low disease intensity against three of the pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the spoilage fungi from four Australian grown commercial strawberry cultivars, namely Fortuna, Festival, Ruby Gem, and Red Rhapsody, and to investigate their correlation with the studied physicochemical properties in all four cultivars. To further understand the differences in postharvest resistance behavior of strawberries, the correlation between chemical composition, in particular pelargonidin-3-glucoside (the major anthocyanin in strawberry), and fungal decay was studied. Results showed significant differences in (poly)phenolic content between the four investigated cultivars, in particular total phenolics and pelargonidin-3-glucoside. Moreover, the studied strawberries significantly varied (p < 0.05) in other evaluated parameters such as pH, sugars, and ascorbic acid. The Red Rhapsody cultivar with higher contents of total phenolics and pelargonidin-3-glucoside exhibited higher resistance to fungal growth, which was further confirmed by the results of principal component analysis. Findings from this study could benefit the food industry through lessening postharvest spoilage by breeding strawberries with higher polyphenolic content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is a major pest of strawberry. It was necessary to control this mite pest that can reducing the quality and quantity of the fruits. In this regard, the effect of ZORO acaricide, Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot for suppressing the naturally occurring T. urticae populations on three strawberry cultivars were investigated. Results: The two predatory mites and ZORO treatments significantly suppressed the populations of T. urticae below the control in all tested cultivars. In most cases of the current study, significantly lower numbers of T. urticae were generally observed in ZORO and N. californicus treatments compared to A. swirskii treatment. In all cultivars, the overall mean of reduction percentages of T. urticae populations in N. californicus and ZORO treatments were not statistically different, and all were significantly higher than that in A. swirskii treatment. Conclusion: The present results suggested that the release of N. californicus and the application of ZORO acaricide could be promising strategies for controlling T. urticae on strawberry, although the release of N. californicus appears to be more competent tactic than ZORO acaricide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goosegrass is a problematic weed species in Florida vegetable plasticulture production. To reduce costs associated with goosegrass control, a post-emergence precision applicator is under development for use atop the planting beds. To facilitate in situ goosegrass detection and spraying, tiny- You Only Look Once 3 (YOLOv3-tiny) was evaluated as a potential detector. Two annotation techniques were evaluated: (1) annotation of the entire plant (EP) and (2) annotation of partial sections of the leaf blade (LB). For goosegrass detection in strawberry, the F-score was 0.75 and 0.85 for the EP and LB derived networks, respectively. For goosegrass detection in tomato, the F-score was 0.56 and 0.65 for the EP and LB derived networks, respectively. The LB derived networks increased recall at the cost of precision, compared to the EP derived networks. The LB annotation method demonstrated superior results within the context of production and precision spraying, ensuring more targets were sprayed with some over-spraying on false targets. The developed network provides online, real-time, and in situ detection capability for weed management field applications such as precision spraying and autonomous scouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colletotrichum nymphaeae is the causal agent of strawberry anthracnose, which is one of the most important disease affecting strawberry plant in Iran. This research aimed to apply the selected plant essential oils (EOs) such as Achillea millefolium, Mentha longifolia, and Ferula kuma to the management of strawberry anthracnose disease under in vitro, in vivo, and greenhouse conditions. In vitro tests indicated that all the EOs and fungicide were able to inhibit mycelial growth and conidial germination of the pathogen. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that EOs significantly suppressed the mycelia growth and caused a change in morphology of fungal mycelia. The severity of strawberry anthracnose disease was significantly (p = 0.05) reduced by all EOs under in vivo and greenhouse conditions. Results of all experiments showed that M. longifolia EO was the best EO to control C. nymphaeae. Also, EOs almost reduced weight loss and preserved firmness, ascorbic acid, total phenol, antioxidant activity (DPPH), and enzyme peroxidase activity in treated fruit. Moreover, EOs preserved the sensory quality of strawberry fruit during the storage period so that there were no significant differences between treatments (EOs) in their appearance, flavor, odor attributes, and overall evaluation compared to the control. Our results indicate that EOs are excellent bio-fungicides for the management of strawberry anthracnose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stelidota geminata (Say) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), also known as strawberry sap beetle is considered to be serious pest of strawberry worldwide. All stages of this pest feed on ripe fruitswhich makes its control with chemical insecticides extremely difficult. This work was testing susceptibility of last instar larvae of S. geminata to three, among commercially the most commonly used species of entomopathogenic nematodes Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae), including two native strains. The present work was carried out through two types of the experiments. First experiment was in plastic Petri dishes with the nematodes applied on filter paper. Second one, in attempt to approach to more natural conditions, effect of the entomopathogenic nematodes on insect's mortality was tested in containers filled with sand. Mortality of S. geminata larvae in Petri dishes in highest nematode concentrations of about 100 infective juveniles per cm2 was 90%, 82% and 70% for commercial strains of S. carpocapsae, H. bacteriophora and S. feltiae and 76% and 64% for H. bacteriophora and S. feltiae native populations. In containers with sand mortality was higher than in Petri dishes and the highest recorded insect mortality with about 50 nematodes per cm² was 99.5%, 89%, 75.5%, 69% and 66% with commercial strains S. feltiae, S. carpocapsae and H. bacteriophora, and native strains H. bacteriophora and S. feltiae, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article discusses a 2021 report on the infection of strawberry plants in Quebec by a new subgroup of Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris (16Srl) linked to strawberry green petal disease (SbGP). It states that infected plants had the symptoms of reddened leaves and sepals, flower greening and phyllody linked to strawberry green petal disease phytoplasma. Also noted is the first occurrence of a new 16Srl subgroup linked to SbGP in Quebec in the report.

The spotted wing Drosophila has significant economy relevance due to attacking thin epicarp fruits, which have high commercial value, mainly for "in natura" consumption. The Brazilian pest reports to date are distributed in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Goiás, and Minas Gerais. Our study aimed to record the enlargement of occurrence area of this species in the Serrana region of Santa Catarina. For this, traps PET type baited with apple cider vinegar in an organic strawberry crop in a semi-hydroponic system in the municipality Frei Rogério. Traps monitored 8.600 plants for ten days, and the collected material was evaluated with a stereoscopic microscope. Several insects of Drosophilidae family were collected, of which ninety-eight females and four males of Drosophila suzukii, thus revealing the enlargement of pest presence in the Serrana region of Santa Catarina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Strawberry has a limiting postharvest shelf life, especially because of soft rot. The antifungal activity of the essential oils (EOs) of Eucalyptus staigeriana , Lippia sidoides and Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus was tested in vitro against plant pathogen Rhizopus stolonifer. The chemical composition of the EO with the highest activity and its effects on pathogen morphology were verified. The in vivo antifungal activity of this EO associated with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) coating, in preventive and curative applications, was also evaluated. L. sidoides EO presented the highest in vitro antifungal activity. The analysis of the chemical composition of this EO showed a prevalence of the compound thymol and the scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed that L. sidoides EO was able to cause damage to the cell wall and the intracellular components of the pathogen. Strawberries treated with L. sidoides EO associated with CMC presented a reduction in disease severity, especially when treated in a curative way. Highlights • L. sidoides EO, in vitro , was effective in the control of R. stolonifer , being more efficient by direct contact. • L. sidoides has a predominance of thymol and was capable of causing morphological alterations in the pathogen. • L. sidoides EO associated with CMC coatings was capable of reducing disease severity in strawberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. is considered one of the most serious and destructive disease of strawberry worldwide. Weeds, as possible hosts of the pathogen, could have a role as potential inoculum reservoir. To prove this hypothesis, symptomless weeds were collected in strawberry fields showing anthracnose symptoms in Iran. Ten isolates with Colletotrichum -like colonies were recovered from symptomless Amaranthus viridis L., Convolvulus arvensis L., Fumaria officinalis L., Lactuca serriola L., and Sonchus oleraceus L. plants. The isolates were identified as C. nymphaeae , based on a combination of morphological and sequence data of TUB and GADPH genes. This identification was further validated using Rep-PCR fingerprinting analysis, which produces species-specific DNA fingerprints and unveils inter and intra variation of the species examined in this study. Moreover, rep-PCR marker was used to reveal accurate taxonomic position of Colletorichum spp. causing strawberry anthracnose belonging to the C. acutatum complex, including C. acutatum sensu stricto, C. fiorinae, C. godetiae, C. nymphaeae, C. salicis , and C. simmondsii. The C. nymphaeae isolates originating from symptomless weeds confirmed their pathogenicity on detached strawberry, proving that weeds in strawberry field may have a role as reservoir of inoculum. However, further studies are necessary to quantify their actual contribution to anthracnose epidemics in strawberry fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of generalist insect predators to the control of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), an herbivorous pest of many crops, is poorly understood. One of the common insect predators in strawberries is the generalist predatory bug Anthocoris nemorum L. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), which has the potential to contribute to the control of pest populations. The feeding of adult A. nemorum on T. urticae was assessed by sampling individuals from an organic strawberry field in Denmark, and using PCR gut content analysis to detect remains of T. urticae within their gut. In the lab, we assessed that the DNA half-life detectability was 21.5 h. Significant numbers of field-collected A. nemorum tested positive for T. urticae prey DNA, with very high numbers in June (62.8%) and August (38.8%). This study presents conclusive evidence that the generalist predator A. nemorum can contribute to the decrease of T. urticae densities in strawberry fields, although the actual contribution in the present study is probably limited because predator populations were relatively low compared to T. urticae. The abundance of T. urticae did not increase significantly during the period of sampling, suggesting that a complex of natural enemies can achieve biological control of T. urticae in protected strawberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides has recently become a major problem in Taiwan, in concurrence with herbicide use by growers. In evaluations of the effects of paraquat, glyphosate and glufosinate on C. gloeosporioides, anthracnose severity and soil microbial communities, paraquat and glyphosate promoted hyphal growth, conidial production and germination, and soil survival of C. gloeosporioides; glufosinate had inhibitory effects. Soil drench with glyphosate, but not paraquat or glufosinate, increased populations of fungi and yeast-like microorganisms. Anthracnose was more severe on leaves after either foliar sprays or drenches with paraquat or glyphosate than on controls without herbicide. Thus, a sudden outbreak of strawberry anthracnose is likely attributable to the stimulatory effects of herbicides on the causal pathogen. To minimize the inoculum potential of C. gloeosporioides and anthracnose severity, strawberry growers should eliminate any plant debris after herbicide treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Botrytis cinerea , the causal agent of gray mold disease, is regarded as the most impactful postharvest fungal pathogen, as it causes serious losses in fresh fruits, ornamentals, and vegetables worldwide. To understand the molecular defense mechanisms of the affected plants, we analyzed transcriptome using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of mature strawberry fruit that were infected by B. cinerea at 12, 24, and 48 h. Overall, 18 cDNA libraries were produced generating 923,482,642,150 base pair reads. A total of 1459 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (≥2.0-fold change and FDR ≤ 0.05), among which only 26 were down-regulated. The majority of changes in gene expression occurred 24 h after inoculation, before significant lesion development, suggesting that this is an important stage during B. cinerea infection. Further analysis revealed that the DEGs were predominately involved in pathogen recognition (pattern recognition receptors), signaling transduction (MAPK cascades, CDPKs), defense response (transcription factors, secondary metabolism biosynthesis, pathogenis-related), as well as different sorts of transporter encoding genes. These data provided a global insight into mature strawberry fruit- B. cinerea interaction and might be used for fruit postharvest pathogens and diseases management. Highlights • Transcriptome of mature strawberry infected by B. cinerea was analyzed by RNA-seq. • A total of 1459 DEGs were detected but only 26 of them were down-regulated. • Gene expression changes happened mainly before significant lesion development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is an important pest of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) grown in greenhouses and outdoors. In this study, we evaluated the resistance status of five common strawberry cultivars ('Aromas', 'Kurdistan', 'Missionary', 'Paros', and 'Queen Elisa') under laboratory conditions. The developmental times of the preadult and adult stages, total longevity, reproduction, and life table parameters were analyzed according to the age-stage, two-sex life table theory, which provides the most comprehensive description on the survival, stage differentiation, and reproduction of a population. Preadult development was the shortest on Kurdistan and longest on Aromas (17.70 d vs. 21.00 d). The greatest number of oviposition days occurred on Missionary (28.65 d), whereas the fewest were on Queen Elisa (21.58 d). The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) varied among the cultivars. The highest values were found on Kurdistan (r = 0.1436d−1, λ=1.1544d−1), while the lowest values were on the Aromas cultivar (r = 0.1081d−1, λ=1.1141d−1). The longest mean generation time (T) of T. urticae occurred on Aromas. Based on the results of the present study, the cultivar Aromas was considered the most resistant to T. urticae and least favored strawberry cultivar for the development and reproduction of the mite. Demographic data of twospotted spider mite on these five strawberry cultivars can be used to improve our understanding of the population dynamics of the pest and thereby develop effective pest management strategies against T. urticae in both integrated and organic strawberry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strawberry mite, Phytonemus pallidus fragariae (Banks) (Acari: Tarsonemidae), is one of the most important pests of greenhouse grown strawberry plants. Field grown strawberries may also be infested by the pest in high humid conditions. Life tables give the most comprehensive description of the development, survival, stage differentiation, reproduction and consequently population growth of a population, and thus it is an important base of population ecology and pest management. In this study, to provide a comprehensive evaluation of an ecology-based and cost-effective control program, life history and demographic parameters of the strawberry mite were studied. The experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions providing 20 ± 1 °C, 80 ± 10% RH and L16:D8 photoperiod. The data were analyzed based on the age-stage, two-sex life table theory. The population parameters net reproduction rate (R0 = 6.14 offspring), intrinsic rate of increase (r = 0.1317 day−1), and finite rate of increase (λ = 1.1407 day−1) on cv. Aromas were lower than those on the other cultivars tested. Based on the population characteristics, Aromas is a less favorable cultivar for the population growth of strawberry mite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracnose is a destructive disease of strawberry caused by several Colletotrichum species including C. acutatum, C. fragariae, and C. gloeosporioides. Identification of anthracnose resistant strawberry germplasm has commonly relied on inoculation of whole plants with isolates of these pathogens. In this study, whole plants and detached leaves from 81 germplasm lines were inoculated with a conidial suspension of isolates of C. acutatum, C. fragariae, and C. gloeosporioides, incubated in the dark at 30°C, 100% relative humidity, for 48 h, and assessed for disease severity based on symptoms on inoculated petioles and leaves. The correlation between the disease severity ratings of the whole plants rated 30 days after inoculation and detached leaves rated 5 days after inoculation was determined. Based on leaf symptoms and petiole lesions, the association between the whole plant leaf disease severity rating (DSR) and detached leaf DSR was positive (rp = 0.70), and the association between the whole plant DSR and the detached leaf DSR was also positive (rp = 0.66). Whole plant and detached leaf DSRs were used to assign each germplasm line to a resistance category, and a posthoc Tukey's test showed that the whole plant DSR means and the detached leaf DSR means for each resistance category differed significantly at p < 0.05. This research was used to develop a strawberry detached leaf assay which can reliably and quickly determine the degree of resistance of strawberry germplasm to anthracnose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lygus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an important pest of strawberry in the central coast of California. Both adults and nymphs of L. hesperus feed on developing strawberry fruits causing cat-faced fruits (unmarketable). Although multiple tactics, such as vacuuming with tractor-mounted vacuum machine or the application of an insecticide, are used to manage L. hesperus , the combined effects of these tactics have not been thoroughly examined. Furthermore, the use of an electrostatic sprayer for L. hesperus management has not been tested. The objectives of the present study were to determine 1) the individual and combined effects of sulfoxaflor insecticide and vacuuming on L. hesperus and their feeding damage, and 2) the efficacy of sulfoxaflor when sprayed using an electrostatic sprayer at various rates of water volume against L. hesperus . The results showed that the vacuum alone did not reduce L. hesperus populations to untreated control (UTC). The treatments that involved sulfoxaflor, both individually and when combined with the vacuum reduced the number of L. hesperus and percentage cat-faced fruits compared to UTC. Neither the “bug vac” nor the sulfoxaflor had any impact on the capture of predaceous heteropterans and spiders compared to UTC. In various water volume treatments applied using electrostatic sprayer, the number of L. hesperus nymphs and percentage of cat-face fruits was significantly lower than in UTC treatment and was comparable to conventional sprayer. The numbers of predaceous heteropteran and spider captures were not significantly different between the treatments applied using electrostatic versus conventional sprayers. These results implies that effective insecticide will continue to the best tactic to reduce L. hesperus and damage. Use of electrostatic sprayer has a potential whereas, vacuum method will need further refinement for L. hesperus control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oomycete pathogen Phytophthora cactorum causes crown rot, a major disease of cultivated strawberry. We report the draft genome of P. cactorum isolate 10300, isolated from symptomatic Fragaria x ananassa tissue. Our analysis revealed that there are a large number of genes encoding putative secreted effectors in the genome, including nearly 200 RxLR domain containing effectors, 77 Crinklers (CRN) grouped into 38 families, and numerous apoplastic effectors, such as phytotoxins (PcF proteins) and necrosis inducing proteins. As in other Phytophthora species, the genomic environment of many RxLR and CRN genes differed from core eukaryotic genes, a hallmark of the two-speed genome. We found genes homologous to known Phytophthora infestans avirulence genes including Avr1, Avr3b, Avr4, Avrblb1 and AvrSmira2 indicating effector sequence conservation between Phytophthora species of clade 1a and clade 1c. The reported P. cactorum genome sequence and associated annotations represent a comprehensive resource for avirulence gene discovery in other Phytophthora species from clade 1 and, will facilitate effector informed breeding strategies in other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolation and identification of fungal pathogens were purified and identified as: Colletotrichum acutatum, Alternaria tenius and others. C. acutatum and A. tenius were the most frequent fungi that isolated from samples of strawberry plant materials which collected from the different locations in both seasons 20131 2014 and 20141 2015. Susceptible strawberry cultivar Florida was highly susceptible one where infection reached to 100% infection by Colletotrichum acutatum isolate. 2. Also, Alternaria tenius was pathogenic to c .. v Florida, but came in the second rank in pathogen/city tests. The most effective bioagent was T. viride. Also, treating strawberry plants with different concentrations of organic acids affected greatly C. acutatum and A.tenius Ascorbic acid at 200 ppm concentration is the best effective concentration in controlling both pathogens in vitro .. Gall extr11ct affected greatly the growth of. both pathogens in all daily records from 1-6 days, followed by both plant extracts Mustard and Clove .. Two fungicides (recommended for up ground diseases of strawberry plants); i.e., Bellis 38% WG (with three doses; 0.4 g/L., 0.8 g!L. and 1.6 g/L.) and Amistar 25% SC (with three doses; 2.5 ml!/., 5 ml/I. and 10 ml/I.) were used in this experiments . . Complete inhibition of fungal growth was noticed in both high concentration of the tested fungicides and little growth was happened in the low concentration of Bellis and Amistar. A. tenius was revealed as less tolerant to fungicides than C. acutatum. All tested treatments against both pathogens in vitro under laboratory conditions were applied in vivo under field conditions on strawberry plants cv. Florida to investigate their effects on plants under natural infection in field. All growth characteristics of different parts of strawberry cv. Florida like leaves number, lateral branches, flower number, green fruits, colored fruits, TSS% and fruits Wfilight were affected as a result of infection with pathogens and treated with different chemical, biological and agricultural treatments, there were great variations among all applied treatments in this respect, The best treatments were fungicides, followed by gall extract and un-mulched control treatment comparing with other treatment and control treatment (un-treated), All disease symptomson strawberry cv. Florida were calculated on plant leaves, flower parts, vegetative fruit characteristics. Black spot, irregular spot, black margin, petiole lesions and dead leaf were calculated during the period ranged between 3-15 days at 15th - 30th March, 2015. Both chemical fungicides (Bellis 38% WG and Amistar 25% SC) controlled completely the leaf infection symptoms, followed by Galls 10%. Treating plants with Kocide 2000, Ascorbic acid 5% and T viride protected plants with various degrees of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Key MessagePowdery mildew resistance in two strawberry mapping populations is controlled by both stable and transient novel QTL of moderate effect. Some low transferability of QTL across wider germplasm was observed.Abstract: The obligate biotrophic fungus Podosphaera aphanis is the causative agent of powdery mildew on cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa). Genotypes from two bi-parental mapping populations ‘Emily’ × ‘Fenella’ and ‘Redgauntlet’ × ‘Hapil’ were phenotyped for powdery mildew disease severity in a series of field trials. Here, we report multiple QTL associated with resistance to powdery mildew, identified in ten phenotyping events conducted across different years and locations. Six QTL show a level of stable resistance across multiple phenotyping events; however, many other QTL were represented in a single phenotyping event and therefore must be considered transient. Subsequent screening of identified QTL across a validation set determined whether identified QTL remained closely linked to the associated resistance gene in the wider germplasm. Furthermore, a preliminary association analysis identified a novel conserved locus for further investigation. Our data suggest that resistance is highly complex and that multiple, primarily additive, sources of quantitative resistance to powdery mildew exist across strawberry germplasm. Utilisation of the reported markers in marker-assisted breeding or genomic selection would lead to improved powdery mildew-resistant strawberry cultivars, particularly where the studied parents, progeny and close pedigree material are included in breeding germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry crinkle disease is one of the major diseases that threatens strawberry production. Although the biological properties of the agent, strawberry crinkle virus (SCV), have been thoroughly investigated, its complete genome sequence has never been published. Existing RT-PCR-based detection relies on a partial sequence of the L protein gene, presumably the least expressed viral gene. Here, we present complete sequences of two divergent SCV isolates co-infecting a single plant, Fragaria x ananassa cv. Čačanská raná. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracnose crown rot of strawberry, caused by Colletotrichum acutatum, is an important disease affecting California nursery and fruit production. Preplant dip treatments of transplants with fludioxonil-cyprodinil or azoxystrobin are industry standards for managing the disease and have been used extensively. Following reports of reduced efficacy of azoxystrobin in the field, high levels of quinone outside inhibitor (Qol) resistance were detected in California isolates of the pathogen. Resistance was associated with the G143A mutation in the cytochrome b gene, similar to a previous report from Florida, and there were no detected fitness penalties in pathogenicity or virulence. Therefore, several alternative fungicides were investigated in laboratory and field studies. Subsequently, the new biofungicide natamycin was identified. Baseline sensitivities of 74 isolates of C. acutatum to natamycin were determined to be unimodal, with a range from 0.526 to 1.996 pg/ml (mean 0.973 ¿g/ml). Although this toxicity was considerably lower than that of azoxystrobin (using sensitive isolates), fludioxonil, or cyprodinil, dip treatments of transplants with natamycin (at 500 or 1000 mg/liter) were highly effective. Disease severity and plant mortality in field studies with inoculated transplants were reduced to similarly low levels as treatments containing fludioxonil, whereas azoxystrobin failed in inoculations with Qol-resistant isolates of C. acutatum. Fruit yield was also significantly increased by natamycin as compared with the inoculated control. Differences in disease susceptibility were observed among cultivars evaluated, with Monterey and Portola more susceptible than Fronteras. Natamycin has a unique mode of action that is different from other fungicides registered on strawberry and, based on this research, was registered in the United States as a preplant, biofungicide dip treatment o f strawberry transplants for management of anthracnose crown rot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytonemus pallidus was found in organic strawberry crops in 2 municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais. The sparse information about this pest in the country indicated that P. pallidus had been observed previously only on grapes in southern Brazil. The presence of this pest in the country is relatively new, although in the USA and in some European countries it is already well known due to the economic losses it causes. The report of the occurrence of this herbivore, as well as the affected crops, is essential for the official institutions to take appropriate measures to prevent dispersion to other states. Future studies should be directed to the search for effective alternatives for the management of this pest, because currently there are no insecticides registered for control in Brazil. An alternative that could be considered is biological control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The incidence and prevalence of strawberry viruses were determined in surveys of randomly selected strawberry plants grown in different regions of Argentina. In 2009 and 2010, 1034 plants from 28 fields and 1060 plants from 33 fields, respectively, were collected from Lules and Coronda. The samples were analysed by double‐antibody sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay to detect Strawberry mild yellow edge virus (SMYEV). In 2014, 606 plants from 43 fields in Lules, Coronda and Mar del Plata were analysed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with primers specific for SMYEV, Strawberry crinkle virus (SCV), Strawberry mottle virus (SMoV) and Strawberry polerovirus 1 (SPV1). The SMYEV incidence was 4–35%, while prevalence was 60–100%, depending on the year and region sampled. Meanwhile, SMoV and SPV1 incidences were 8–17%, and prevalences were 46–62%, depending on the virus and region sampled. SCV was observed relatively low (incidence was 0.5–8% and prevalence was 8–50%), although it was more abundant in Mar del Plata than in the other analysed regions. Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that SCV and SMYEV were correlated with disease symptoms (P < 0.005). A principal component analysis revealed a close relationship between SMYEV and SCV in Mar del Plata, in which the lowest temperatures were recorded. Interactions among viruses, regions and climatic conditions will need to be studied in greater detail. Accurately determining the incidence and prevalence of viruses in different regions will improve estimations of possible damages or yield decreases caused by viral infections during strawberry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA silencing is a common mechanism that plays a key role in antiviral defense. To overcome host defense responses, plant viruses encode silencing-suppressor proteins to target one or several key steps in the silencing machinery. Here, we report that the P6 protein encoded by Strawberry vein banding virus (SVBV) is an RNA silencing suppressor through Agrobacterium -mediated co-infiltration assays. SVBV P6 protein can suppress green fluorescent protein ( GFP ) gene silencing induced by single-stranded RNA but not by double-stranded RNA. The P6 protein can also inhibit systemic silencing of GFP through interfering the systemic spread of GFP silencing signal. Subcellular localization study indicated that P6 protein formed irregular bodies and distributed in both cytoplasm and nucleus of Nicotiana benthamiana cells. Furthermore, deletion analysis indicated that a nuclear localization signal (NLS, aa 402–426) in the P6 protein is responsible for the silencing suppression efficiency. In addition, expression of the P6 protein via a Potato virus X (PVX)-based vectors induced more severe mosaic symptoms in N. benthamiana leaves, and transgenic N. benthamiana plants expressing P6 showed obvious vein yellowing as well as severe mosaic symptoms in leaves. Taken together, our results demonstrates that SVBV P6 is a suppressor of RNA silencing, possibly acting at a upstream step for dsRNA generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae is a fungal pathogen, transmitted by soil in crops of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.), which causes wilt disease that, kill the strawberry cultivars. The disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp., fragariae is hard to detect as the of the symptoms are similar with other soil-borne diseases. In spite of detection methods targeted F. oxysporum using molecular criteria have been developed, they have not been shown to successfully identity the unique identity of F. oxysporum strain that causes this disease. In Ecuador, the cultivation of strawberry has acquired great importance for the consumption, promoting the increase of its production. However, the process of importing plant material from producing countries for the purpose of improving production has contributed to the spread of the fungus. The objective of this study was to identify the presence of the Fusarium oxysporum f. sp fragariae by means of morphometric identification and the application of biochemical methods (BIOLOG) in the province of Pichincha. Fifty-two diseased strawberry plants and 52 asymptomatic plants were analyzed. Of these, 13 isolates were identified by morphometry as F. oxysporum. However, through BIOLOG four strains were identified as F. oxysporum, 5 as Fusarium sp., 2 F. lateritium, 1 F. udum and 1 strain as F. sacchari. The results obtained through the identification and evaluation confirmed the presence of F. oxysporum f. sp., fragariae in evaluated strawberry cultivars, thus determining the high risk to exist if the pathogen spreads in new plantations in Ecuador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr is an important strawberry disease-causing pathogen with a broad host range. Classical B. cinerea identification is complicated due to the lack of morphological polymorphism between species. The use of molecular tools helps to identify pathogens fast and accurately. This study aimed to determine Botrytis spp. isolates and evaluate the genetic diversity of grey mould population in Lithuania. During June-August of 2012-2014, 273 isolates were sampled from 12 different areas of Lithuania. All samples were isolated from infected fruits, and single-spore isolates were extracted. B. cinerea isolates were identified using B. cinerea species-specific primers Bc108+ / Bc563−. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed two bands characteristic of two specific DNA fragments of B. cinerea - upper and lower band of 360 and 480 bp, respectively. These two bands reflect pathogen genotype differentiation and could be used for cryptic species detection. The cryptic species analysis revealed that resistant group I accounted for 16.95% and sensitive group II for 83.05% of the Lithuanian collection of B. cinerea isolates. The precise identification of the B. cinerea cryptic species is important for the species-specific fungicide resistance and aggressiveness. Four microsatellite markers used in this study revealed genetic diversity of B. cinerea. The 158 isolates were identified as B. cinerea. The most polymorphic microsatellite marker was BC6 (0.88) and the least polymorphic - BC7 (0.79). The isolates clustered into three genetic groups. The first group consisted of 45 strains, the second group of 15 and the third group of 4 isolates. Our data show genetic diversity within the Lithuanian population of B. cinerea. One of the management tools is recognition and identification of the pathogen which leads to optimal and efficient disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The invasive alien fruit pest Drosophila suzukii, (Matsumura 1931) causes economic loss in soft‐skinned fruit production across Europe. After its first detection in 2008, the species has successfully expanded to a wide geographic area and invaded new host plants in a relatively short period of time. The aim of the present study was to analyze the connection between food preferences as host specialization and the morphology of D. suzukii. Population morphological variation in wings was investigated in two different host fruits (grape and strawberry) in which economic damage has been recorded. The geometric morphometric results revealed two noticeable wing shape morphotypes in D. suzukii (i.e. vein configuration) between the grape and strawberry fruits. Flies reared in grapes had wider wings, whereas flies grown in strawberries had more narrow wings. These differences in morphotype could be explained by the effects of wing aerodynamics, which affect the strength of the wings in flight. This, in turn, can lead to better dispersion within the associated fruit host. These results confirm that this extremely invasive species, found worldwide, is successful at spreading in part because of its potential to adapt rapidly under different rearing conditions. Therefore, adaptive variations in the wing shape of D. suzukii can be used to differentiate populations based on food preference (e.g. soft fruits) and can serve as an additional tool for detecting different bioecological types of D. suzukii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthomonas fragariae causes angular leaf spot of strawberry, an important disease in strawberry growing regions worldwide. To better understand how X. fragariae multiplies and moves in strawberry plants, a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled strain was constructed and used to monitor the pathogen's presence in leaf, petiole, and crown tissue with fluorescence microscopy following natural and wound inoculation in three strawberry cultivars. Taqman PCR was used to quantify bacterial densities in these same tissues regardless of the presence of GFP signal. Results showed X. fragariae colonized leaf mesophyll, the top 1 cm portion of the petiole adjacent to the leaf blade, and was occasionally found colonizing xylem vessels down to the middle of the petioles. The colonization of vascular bundles and the limited systemic movement that was observed appeared to be a passive process, of which the frequency increased with wounding and direct infiltration of bacteria into leaf veins. X. fragariae was able to directly enter petioles and colonize the space under the epidermis. Systemic movement of the bacteria into crown and other uninoculated tissues was not detected visually by GFP. However, X. fragariae was occasionally detected in these tissues by qPCR, but at quantities very near the qPCR detection limit. Petiole tissue harboring bacteria introduced either by direct entry through natural openings or wounds, or by systemic movement from infected foliar tissue, likely serves as a main source of initial inoculum in field plantings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to develop green strawberry varieties, control soil-borne diseases from facility strawberry continuous cropping, improve the safety and quality of strawberries and promote the healthy and stable development of the strawberry industry. Based on the production practices in recent years, we summarized the physical-biological collaborative prevention and control technology for the disease of facility strawberry continuous cropping facilities, established the technical goals, the main types of soil-borne diseases, and the physical-biological collaborative control prevention and control technologies, mainly including the specific methods and technical points of solar high temperature disinfection technology and biological bacterial fertilizer (agent) treatment technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early stages of fungal infections in strawberry fruit are difficult to detect by the majority of commonly used manual and automatic sorting methods In this study, hyperspectral imaging was applied for detection of fungal infections causing fruit spoilage. Fruit of two cultivars: ‘Senga Sengana’ and ‘Honeoye’, were individually inoculated with pathogenic fungi of Botrytis cinerea and Collatotrichum acutatum , while non-inoculated fruit were used as a control. The reflectance spectra of fruit were acquired during four days after inoculation. Based on the second derivative of the original spectra, 19 wavelengths were selected as the most appropriate for discrimination of infections in strawberries and were used to construct supervised classification models. Among all the studied classifiers, the best prediction accuracies for discriminating fungi species were obtained by using the backpropagation neural network (BNN) model. The accuracy of distinguishing between inoculated and control fruit was higher than 97%. The method presented in this study also allowed early detection of fungal infection, starting 24 h from inoculation when the symptoms of fungal infection are invisible. Multiple linear regression was used to create total anthocyanin content (AC), soluble solid content (SSC) and total phenolic content (TPC) models. Two wavelengths (681 and 1292 nm) were selected to create the AC model and four wavelengths (705, 842, 1162 and 2239 nm) were indicated as the most suitable for the SSC model. The coefficients of determination of the created models were R 2  = 0.65 and R 2  = 0.85 for AC and SSC, respectively. The results demonstrated that hyperspectral imaging technique has potential for rapid and non-invasive detection of fungal infection and for predicting and visualizing AC and SSC in strawberry fruit during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthworms can reduce soil-borne diseases via diverse mechanisms. The differential effects of different earthworm species on soil-borne diseases, and the mechanisms that account for the differences, however, have been largely ignored. To assess the effects of different earthworm species on Fusarium wilt in replanted strawberry and the underlying mechanisms involves, a greenhouse experiment in which plants were placed in soil with earthworms (either Metaphire guillemi (M) or Eisenia fetida (E)) or without earthworms (CK) was carried out. The disease index and biomass of each strawberry plant, along with soil microbial biomass, soil basal respiration, and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index ( H′ ) for soil bacteria based on T-RFLP profiles and residual phenolic acids were determined. Both M. guillemi and E. fetida reduced the disease index, from 50.9 to 11.8 and 27.7 (or from 72.2 to 16.0 and 31.3 in repeated experiment) respectively, at harvest. In addition, both earthworm species increased soil microbial biomass, altered the structure of bacterial community and decreased the content of p -coumaric acid (PA), which may result in reducing the disease index. Earthworm E. fetida reduced PA from 53.22 to 30.98 (μg g −1 ), and M. guillemi reduced PA even more than E. fetida (from 53.22 to 13.15 (μg g −1 )). Different earthworm species showed different capacities in reducing PA, a potential promoter to the growth of Fusarium oxysporum , which may lead to the different effects of the two earthworm species on the disease index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium wilt, a soil-borne disease caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, threatens strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) production worldwide. The spread of the pathogen, coupled with disruptive changes in soil fumigation practices, have greatly increased disease pressure and the importance of developing resistant cultivars. While resistant and susceptible cultivars have been reported, a limited number of germplasm accessions have been analyzed, and contradictory conclusions have been reached in earlier studies to elucidate the underlying genetic basis of resistance. Here, we report the discovery of Fw1, a dominant gene conferring resistance to Fusarium wilt in strawberry. The Fw1 locus was uncovered in a genome-wide association study of 565 historically and commercially important strawberry accessions genotyped with 14,408 SNP markers. Fourteen SNPs in linkage disequilibrium with Fw1 physically mapped to a 2.3 Mb segment on chromosome 2 in a diploid F. vesca reference genome. Fw1 and 11 tightly linked GWAS-significant SNPs mapped to linkage group 2C in octoploid segregating populations. The most significant SNP explained 85% of the phenotypic variability and predicted resistance in 97% of the accessions tested-broad-sense heritability was 0.96. Several disease resistance and defense-related gene homologs, including a small cluster of genes encoding nucleotide-binding leucine-rich-repeat proteins, were identified in the 0.7 Mb genomic segment predicted to harbor Fw1. DNA variants and candidate genes identified in the present study should facilitate the development of high-throughput genotyping assays for accurately predicting Fusarium wilt phenotypes and applying marker-assisted selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of the Study: Recurrent formation of polyploid taxa is a common observation in many plant groups. Haploid, cytoplasmic genomes like the plastid genome can be used to overcome the problem of homeologous genes and recombination in polyploid taxa. Fragaria (Rosaceae) contains several octo‐ and decaploid species. We use plastome sequences to infer the plastid ancestry of these taxa with special focus on the decaploid Fragaria cascadensis. Methods: We used genome skimming of 96 polyploid Fragaria samples on a single Illumina HiSeq 3000 lane to obtain whole plastome sequences. These sequences were used for phylogenetic reconstructions and dating analyses. Ploidy of all samples was inferred with flow cytometry, and plastid inheritance was examined in a controlled cross of F. cascadensis. Key Results: The plastid genome phylogeny shows that only the octoploid F. chiloensis is monophyletic, all other polyploid taxa were supported to be para‐ or polyphyletic. The decaploid Fragaria cascadensis has biparental plastid inheritance and four different plastid donors. Diversification of the F. cascadensis clades occurred in the last 230,000 years. The southern part of its distribution range harbors considerably higher genetic diversity, suggestive of a potential refugium. Conclusions: Fragaria cascadensis had at least four independent origins from parents with different plastomes. In contrast, para‐ and polyphyletic taxa of the octoploid Fragaria species are best explained by incomplete lineage sorting and/or hybridization. Biogeographic patterns in F. cascadensis are probably a result of range shift during the last glacial maximum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colletotrichum fructicola, which is part of the C. gloeosporioides species complex, can cause anthracnose diseases in strawberries worldwide. However, the molecular interactions between C. fructicola and strawberry are largely unknown. A deep RNA-sequencing approach was applied to gain insights into the pathogenicity mechanisms of C. fructicola and the defense response of strawberry plants at different stages of infection. The transcriptome data showed stage-specific transcription accompanied by a step-by-step strawberry defense response and the evasion of this defense system by fungus. Fungal genes involved in plant cell wall degradation, secondary metabolism, and detoxification were up-regulated at different stage of infection. Most importantly, C. fructicola infection was accompanied by a large number of highly expressed effectors. Four new identified effectors function in the suppression of Bax-mediated programmed cell death. Strawberry utilizes pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP)-triggered immunity and effector-triggered immunity to prevent C. fructicola invasion, followed by the initiation of downstream innate immunity. The up-regulation of genes related to salicylic acid provided evidence that salicylic acid signaling may serve as the core defense signaling mechanism, while jasmonic acid and ethylene pathways were largely inhibited by C. fructicola. The necrotrophic stage displayed a significant up-regulation of genes involved in reactive oxygen species activation. Collectively, the transcriptomic data of both C. fructicola and strawberry shows that even though plants build a multilayered defense against infection, C. fructicola employs a series of escape or antagonizing mechanisms to successfully infect host cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinone-outside inhibitor (Qol) fungicides are used to manage anthracnose of strawberry, caused by Colletotrichum acutatum. However, selection for resistance to Qol fungicides was first reported in 2013 in Florida and, subsequently, in strawberry nurseries and production areas across the United States and Canada. C. acutatum resistance to Qols is associated with the G143A point mutation in the cytochrome h gene. This mutation is known to be associated with field resistance even at high rates of Qol. In this study, we investigated the relative fitness and competitive ability of Qol-resistant and -sensitive C. acutatum isolates. A fitness comparison did not indicate any difference between resistant and sensitive isolates in aggressiveness, spore production, and mycelial growth at different temperatures. Additionally, in the absence of selection pressure, resistant and sensitive isolates were equally competitive. Cultivation of Qol-resistant and Qol-sensitive isolates for four culture cycles in vitro in the absence of azoxystrobin showed that Qol resistance was stable. The observed lack of fitness penalties and stability of the G143A mutation in Qol-resistant C. acutatum populations suggest that the interruption and further reintroduction of Qol fungicides might not be an option for strawberry nurseries and fruit production areas. Further investigation of alternative chemical and nonchemical C. acutatum control practices, in addition to the integration of multisite fungicides, is needed to reduce the occurrence and distribution of Qol-resistant populations in strawberry fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new disease of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) was discovered in the Lianqiao strawberry planting base in Shaodong County, in Hunan Province, China. In the early disease stage, leaves showed small black spots surrounded by yellow halos, while in the late stage, a white fluffy layer of mold appeared. Fruits were covered with a white layer of mold. The symptoms were observed using in vitro inoculation experiments. After the spray-inoculation of stabbed leaves, small black spots surrounded by yellow halos occurred on leaves, with no clear boundary between diseased and healthy areas. In the late stage, disease spots gradually expanded and a white fluffy layer of mold formed under humid conditions. Unstabbed leaves had almost no disease occurrence after spray-inoculation. After the sprayinoculation of stabbed fruits, by the late stage, a dense white layer of mold formed. According to Koch's postulates, the isolated strain was verified as a pathogen. The pathogenic strain, designated SDLQ16, was isolated from diseased fruit by dilution method and tentatively identified as G. candidum based on the culture characteristics, morphologies, physio-biochemical analysis, and phylogenetic analysis of the rDNA -ITS sequence. The fungus was able to grow on different culture mediums, with a broad range of nutrition. The colonies on PDA medium were raised and pale white, with a neat edge and visible hyphae. The hyphae were friable but the spores were developing. Basal hyphae rapidly grew close to the medium to 3.2-4.2 µm in diameter, with septa and forked branches at acute angles. The solitary or beaded spores with smooth surfaces were 3.5-7.5 µm in length and 3.5-4.5 µm in width. This strain was able to gelatin liquefaction, proteolysis, grease, peptonised milk, urea, and so on. The pathogenicity on strawberry from strong to weak was: fruit > leaf > stem. A BLAST algorithm was used to query SDLQ16's rDNA -ITS sequence (cloned and deposited as GenBank number KU373122) against the NCBI database, and it was located in the Acinetobacter sp. branch of a phylogenetic tree. SDLQ16 was most closely related to Geotrichum candidum ATCC34614 (GQ4580314.1), with a sequence similarity of 99%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower thrips (mainly Frankliniella spp.) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) are common in Florida strawberries, causing bronzed fruit and reduced yields. As control relies on just a few insecticides, there is a need to evaluate novel management options and insecticides. The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) has been shown to be effective on flower thrips larvae in other plants, and the new insecticide sulfoxaflor has been effective on thrips in other crops. In winter 2016, S. feltiae was evaluated at 2 foliar application rates (2.47 and 4.94 billion infective juveniles per ha) in combination with and without the insecticide spinetoram by counting thrips in strawberry flowers and assessing numbers of damaged fruits. A second experiment was conducted to compare sulfoxaflor, spinetoram, and S. feltiae applications based on flower thrips thresholds. High and low S. feltiae rates did not reduce or suppress thrips and did not reduce fruit damage. Sulfoxaflor reduced thrips by 60 to 70% compared to the reduction caused by spinetoram. Hot, dry conditions likely limited the survival and effectiveness of S. feltiae. Sulfoxaflor appears to be a promising insecticide for flower thrips, and may reduce reliance on spinetoram by strawberry producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peat based growing media are not ecologically sustainable and often fail to support biological control. Miscanthus straw was (1) tested to partially replace peat; and (2) pre-colonized with a Trichoderma strain to increase the biological control capacity of the growing media. In two strawberry pot trials (denoted as experiment I & II), extruded and non-extruded miscanthus straw, with or without pre-colonization with T. harzianum T22, was used to partially (20% v/v) replace peat. We tested the performance of each mixture by monitoring strawberry plant development, nutrient content in the leaves and growing media, sensitivity of the fruit to the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea, rhizosphere community and strawberry defense responses. N immobilization by miscanthus straw reduced strawberry growth and yield in experiment II but not in I. The pre-colonization of the straw with Trichoderma increased the post-harvest disease suppressiveness against B. cinerea and changed the rhizosphere fungal microbiome in both experiments. In addition, defense-related genes were induced in experiment II. The use of miscanthus straw in growing media will reduce the demand for peat and close resource loops. Successful pre-colonization of this straw with biological control fungi will optimize crop cultivation, requiring fewer pesticide applications, which will benefit the environment and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verticillium dahliae infection of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) is a major cause of disease-induced wilting in soil-grown strawberries across the world. To understand what components of the pathogen are affecting disease expression, the presence of the known effector VdAve1 was screened in a sample of Verticillium dahliae isolates. Isolates from strawberry were found to contain VdAve1 and were divided into two major clades, based upon their vegetative compatibility groups (VCG); no UK strawberry isolates contained VdAve1. VC clade was strongly related to their virulence levels. VdAve1-containing isolates pathogenic on strawberry were found in both clades, in contrast to some recently published findings. On strawberry, VdAve1-containing isolates had significantly higher virulence during early infection, which diminished in significance as the infection progressed. Transformation of a virulent non-VdAve1 containing isolate, with VdAve1 was found neither to increase nor decrease virulence when inoculated on a susceptible strawberry cultivar. There are therefore virulence factors that are epistatic to VdAve1 and potentially multiple independent routes to high virulence on strawberry in V. dahliae lineages. Genome sequencing a subset of isolates across the two VCGs revealed that isolates were differentiated at the whole genome level and contained multiple changes in putative effector content, indicating that different clonal VCGs may have evolved different strategies for infecting strawberry, leading to different virulence levels in pathogenicity tests. It is therefore important to consider both clonal lineage and effector complement as the adaptive potential of each lineage will differ, even if they contain the same race determining effector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation to control spider mites is challenging as a key technology for integrated pest management (IPM) in greenhouse strawberries in Japan. To address this, concurrent use of phytoseiid mites and reduced UVB irradiance is desirable to ensure control effects in areas shaded from UVB radiation and to minimize the sunscald in winter, respectively. We designed experiments reproducing the UVB dose on the lower leaf surfaces in strawberry and evaluated the effects of intermittent UVB irradiation at midnight for practical application in the greenhouse and low temperature on the survival of the spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) and damage to the phytoseiid mite Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae). The midnight intermittent UVB irradiation effectively suppressed egg hatching and development of larvae of T. urticae, and the control effect was reinforced at 20°C (no eggs hatched at 0.13 kJ m-2 d-1) rather than, at 25°C (70.8% eggs hatched). In contrast, the hatchability of N. californicus eggs was unaffected by intermittent UVB irradiation at 0.27 kJ m-2 d-1 at 25°C and 20°C. However, residual effects of UVB irradiation to N. californicus eggs on survival of hatched larvae were seen, so that reducing the UVB dose is also advantageous for this phytoseiid mite. N. californicus showed a photoreactivation capacity, whereas their UVB tolerance was improved by prey species, suggesting the possibility of the improvement of phytoseiid mites by diet. The reduction of UVB dose and concurrent use of phytoseiid mites increase reliability of the UVB method in IPM strategies in strawberry greenhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of Wickerhamomyces anomalus , Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as biocontrol agents on postharvest decay of strawberry ( Fragaria x ananassa , cv. ‘Alba’) fruit, and their inhibitory activities on some decay-causing fungi were evaluated. Volatile organic compounds from these yeasts decreased mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea by 69%, and by less for Monilinia fructicola , Alternaria alternata , Aspergillus carbonarius , Penicillium digitatum , Cladosporium spp., and Colletotrichum spp. Strawberry fruit exposed to 6-day-old liquid cultures of W. anomalus , M. pulcherrima and S. cerevisiae for 48 h showed 89%, 40%, and 32% reductions, respectively, in gray mold McKinney Index. Vapours of ethyl acetate, the main volatile organic compound of these yeasts, completely inhibited B. cinerea growth at 8.97 mg/cm 3 , and suppressed gray mold on strawberry fruit at 0.718 mg/cm 3 . The biocontrol activities of these yeasts can be ascribed to ethyl acetate, which can be used for control of postharvest gray mold of strawberry fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black seed disease (BSD) of strawberry is a sporadic disease caused by Mycosphaerella fragariae. Because little is known about potential crop losses or the weather conditions conducive to disease development, fungicides are generally not applied or are applied based on a preset schedule. Data collected from 2000 to 2011 representing 50 farm-years (total of 186 strawberry fields) were used to determine potential crop losses and to study the influence of weather on disease occurrence and development. First, logistic regression was used to model the relationship between occurrence of BSD and weather variables. Second, linear and nonlinear regressions were used to model the number of black seed per berry (severity) and the percentage of diseased berries (incidence). Of the 186 fields monitored, 78 showed black seed symptoms, and the number of black seed per berry ranged from 1 to 10, whereas the percentage of diseased berries ranged from 3 to 32%. The most influential weather variable was total rainfall (in millimeters) in May, with a threshold of 103 mm of rain (absence of BSD < 103 mm < presence of BSD). Similarly, nonlinear models with the total rainfall in May accurately predicted both disease severity and incidence (r = 0.94 and 0.97, respectively). Considering that management actions such as fungicide application are not needed every year in every field, these models could be used to identify fields that are at risk of BSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like other areas in high hill areas, where traditional agricultural crops do not work, there is a possibility of focusing on plants that are highly adapted to the area and can bring satisfactory economic results. On examples of such species are strawberry's which has varieties that can easily adapt to the conditions from areas like those found in the valleys of the main rivers in Caraş Severin County. One of the most important conditions for the success of such a culture is to have previously the knowledge of the potential technological problems which could impede the development of plants and the yield quantity and quality. One of these problems, which are very difficult to avoid, is the pathogens presence on strawberry plants from the spontaneous flora of these areas because in favorable conditions these pathogens could produce significant yield loses. Present paper contain data about evaluation of a wellknown disease such as the gray rot of fruits produced by the Botrytis cinerea on strawberry plants from spontaneous flora. These pathogen produce random attacks on a few Rosaceae species such as Rubus sp., Fragaria vesca and Rosa canina. This fact leads to a high probability of pathogen disamination from the spontaneous flora natural reserve to any other strawberry culture, blackberry culture or even roses culture from the reference area. The area where observations were made is located in the middle basin of the Nera River, a well-known area for the high diversity of flora species, including species from Rosaceae genus. All data were collected during years 2016 and 2017 from strawberry populations (Rubus idaeus), large enough to be representative for this area and for statistical computation. Regarding to methodology, the main steps were: first step to identify pathogens, the second step was to record primary data of the pathogen attack frequency and intensity and the last step was the statistical evaluation of field data. The results confirmed a relatively constant presence of Botrytis cinerea fungus in strawberry in the middle basin of the Nera River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry Fusarium wilt is becoming an important disease after methyl bromide banning. In southwestern Spain, this disease was previously detected in a soilless culture system and several years later only one isolation was reported from plant cultivated in soil. This study reports the appearance of new foci of strawberry Fusarium wilt in plants cultivated on soils and evaluates the susceptibility of nine of the most commonly grown cultivars in this zone. Fungal isolates were obtained from diseased strawberry plants in the nineteen new foci showing an increase of incidence and geographic range of this disease. These isolates were morphologically and molecularly characterized as Fusarium oxysporum . Fofra amplicons were not obtained and only eight isolates amplified for Fusarium transcription factor 1 . Pathogenicity of six selected isolates as well as a Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae culture from Japan were tested using by inoculating cultivar ‘Splendor’. All the Spanish isolates were found to be pathogenic. As a follow-up study, nine strawberry cultivars were inoculated with the Japanese isolate and a mixture of three Spanish isolates. The least susceptible cultivars to the Spanish isolates were ‘Rociera FNM’, ‘San Andreas’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Sabrina’ and ‘Sabrosa Candonga’. Cultivar susceptibility was different with respect to Japanese isolate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]