The Silent Killer of Strawberries: What Farmers Are Facing in 2025 скачать в хорошем качестве

The Silent Killer of Strawberries: What Farmers Are Facing in 2025

Neopestalotiopsis, a fungal pathogen, has emerged as a significant threat to the strawberry industry, particularly impacting growers in Florida and other southeastern states. First identified in Florida in 2017, the disease became widespread by 2019 and 2020, causing severe crop damage. By 2024, concerns intensified as the disease spread to nurseries and production fields, leading to order cancellations and potential plant shortages for the 2024-2025 season.  Impact on Farmers in 2025: The aggressive nature of Neopestalotiopsis poses several challenges for strawberry farmers: • Crop Losses: Infected fields can experience significant yield reductions, with the potential for complete crop failure in severe cases.  • Increased Production Costs: Managing the disease requires intensive fungicide applications and rigorous field management practices, leading to higher operational expenses.  • Plant Shortages: The disease’s presence in nurseries has led to order cancellations and potential shortages of healthy plants for the 2024-2025 season, disrupting planting schedules and reducing overall production capacity. Management Strategies and Solutions: To combat Neopestalotiopsis, farmers can implement several strategies: • Use Disease-Free Plant Material: Sourcing healthy, disease-free transplants is crucial. Avoid planting unhealthy plants and destroy any unused plants to limit inoculum levels on the farm.  • Field Sanitation: Implement strict sanitation practices, such as cleaning and disinfecting equipment, and sanitizing hands, shoes, and clothing when moving between fields, especially after working in infected areas.  • Fungicide Applications: Follow an aggressive fungicide spray program, incorporating products like Thiram, Switch, and DMI-type fungicides (e.g., Rhyme, Tilt, Inspire). Begin applications soon after transplanting, especially ahead of rain events, and continue as needed based on weather conditions.  • Cultural Practices: Limit field operations when plants are wet to prevent pathogen spread, remove and destroy symptomatic plants during production, and avoid overhead watering.  • Resistant Varieties: Collaborative efforts are underway to develop Neopestalotiopsis-resistant strawberry varieties. Experimental trials for these new cultivars are set to begin in 2025, aiming to provide long-term solutions for disease management.  By integrating these strategies, farmers can mitigate the impact of Neopestalotiopsis and work towards sustaining healthy strawberry production in the face of this emerging threat.