Production of Production of Strawberries in Strawberries in FloridaFlorida

Monica CooperMonica Cooper

Field PreparationField Preparation Clear all debrisClear all debris Construct raised bedsConstruct raised beds FumigateFumigate 2 weeks later, set transplants (15-16 in.)2 weeks later, set transplants (15-16 in.) Transplant selectionTransplant selectionearly season yieldearly season yield 3 varieties/field3 varieties/field ‘‘Sweet Charlie’ & ‘Camarosa’Sweet Charlie’ & ‘Camarosa’

Gulf Coast Research & Education Gulf Coast Research & Education CenterCenter

Dover, FLDover, FL

The PathogensThe Pathogens Botrytis cinereaBotrytis cinerea Colletotrichum acutatumColletotrichum acutatum Colletotrichum gloeosporioidesColletotrichum gloeosporioides Colletotrichum fragariaeColletotrichum fragariae Xanthomonas fragariaeXanthomonas fragariae Sphaerotheca macularisSphaerotheca macularis

Gray moldGray mold Botrytis cinereaBotrytis cinerea Small, firm, light Small, firm, light

brown spotsbrown spots Fruit eventually Fruit eventually

covered with gray covered with gray mass of myceliummass of mycelium

Invades blossoms, Invades blossoms, then infects then infects maturing fruitmaturing fruit

PostharvestPostharvest

ManagementManagement Leaf sanitation & plant Leaf sanitation & plant

spacingspacing Cultivars with smaller Cultivars with smaller

calyxescalyxes Partially resistant Partially resistant

cultivarscultivars Biological controlsBiological controls Treat transplantsTreat transplants Broad spectrum fungicide Broad spectrum fungicide

on weekly basison weekly basis Iprodione during peak Iprodione during peak

bloom periodsbloom periods

Postharvest:Postharvest: Avoid overripe or Avoid overripe or

damaged fruitdamaged fruit Avoid injuryAvoid injury Cool fruitCool fruit Maintain in COMaintain in CO22

rich atmosphererich atmosphere

Anthracnose fruit rotAnthracnose fruit rot Colletotrichum Colletotrichum

acutatumacutatum Round, firm, sunken Round, firm, sunken

lesions on fruitlesions on fruit Pink, orange, salmon-Pink, orange, salmon-

colored spore massescolored spore masses Favored by warm Favored by warm

temperatures & rainfalltemperatures & rainfall May cause serious May cause serious

losses in nurserylosses in nursery

Management practicesManagement practices AvoidanceAvoidance ResistanceResistance Use minimal amounts of NitrogenUse minimal amounts of Nitrogen Remove infected fruit from fieldRemove infected fruit from field Captan or Thiram (protectant)Captan or Thiram (protectant) Quadris (azoxystrobin)Quadris (azoxystrobin)

Anthracnose crown rotAnthracnose crown rot Colletotrichum Colletotrichum

gloeosporioidesgloeosporioides Colletotrichum fragariaeColletotrichum fragariae Wilting & deathWilting & death Temperature dependentTemperature dependent Warm weather & Warm weather &

frequent rainfallfrequent rainfall Reddish brown rot or Reddish brown rot or

streaking in the tissue streaking in the tissue of the crown of the crown

ManagementManagement PreventativePreventative End of season End of season

removal of removal of inoculuminoculum

Resistant cultivarsResistant cultivars Benlate (benomyl)Benlate (benomyl) Topsin M Topsin M

(thiophanate-(thiophanate-methyl)methyl)

Angular leaf Angular leaf spotspot

Xanthomonas Xanthomonas fragariaefragariae

Angular, water Angular, water soaked leaf spotssoaked leaf spots

Translucent lesionsTranslucent lesions Very resistant to Very resistant to

desiccationdesiccation May become May become

systemic systemic

Angular leaf spotAngular leaf spot PreventionPrevention No resistant commercial cultivarsNo resistant commercial cultivars Copper containing bactericidesCopper containing bactericides

Sphaerotheca macularisSphaerotheca macularis Powdery mildewPowdery mildew White, web-like White, web-like

growthgrowth Undersides of Undersides of

leavesleaves CoolCool High humidityHigh humidity Severe in Severe in

glasshouses & glasshouses & tunnelstunnels

ManagementManagement Clean stockClean stock Destroy leaves on Destroy leaves on

which pathogen which pathogen overseasonsoverseasons

Protectant Protectant fungicidefungicide

Resistant varieties Resistant varieties (‘Sweet Charlie’)(‘Sweet Charlie’)

The Arthropod PestsThe Arthropod Pests Twospotted spider miteTwospotted spider mite ArmywormsArmyworms ThripsThrips Field cricketField cricket Sap beetleSap beetle

Tetranychus urticaeTetranychus urticae 88% of growers88% of growers Warm, spring Warm, spring

weatherweather Reduce yieldReduce yield Blooms and Blooms and

developing fruitdeveloping fruit

Spider miteSpider mite Clean transplantsClean transplants Beneficial mites Beneficial mites

(30% of growers)(30% of growers) Miticides Miticides

undersides of undersides of leavesleaves

Fall & Southern Fall & Southern ArmywormsArmyworms

Spodoptera Spodoptera fruqiperdafruqiperda

Spodoptera Spodoptera eridaniaeridania

Larvae feed on Larvae feed on fruit & leavesfruit & leaves

Prefer young, Prefer young, developing leavesdeveloping leaves

NocturnalNocturnal

                                                    

                  

                              

                                                            

                                                            

                                                            

                                                            

                                                            

                                                            

Management practicesManagement practices MonitoringMonitoringSept. through Dec. Sept. through Dec. Bacillus thuringiensisBacillus thuringiensis MethomylMethomyl

Flower thripsFlower thrips Frankliniella Frankliniella

cephalicacephalica Wind-borneWind-borne Rasp flowersRasp flowers Mistaken for Mistaken for

powdery mildew, powdery mildew, spray burn spray burn damagedamage

Field cricketField cricket Gryllus firmus & Gryllus firmus &

G. rubensG. rubens 2-5 months after 2-5 months after

beds coveredbeds covered Nymphs & adults Nymphs & adults

feed on crowns & feed on crowns & scrape seeds from scrape seeds from green fruitsgreen fruits

ScoutingScouting InsecticidesInsecticides

Sap beetleSap beetle Lobiopa insularisLobiopa insularis Minor concernMinor concern Overripe, Overripe,

damaged berriesdamaged berries Disseminate fruit Disseminate fruit

rot pathogensrot pathogens Warm weatherWarm weather

ManagementManagement Maintain sound fruitMaintain sound fruit Don’t leave overripe fruit in fieldDon’t leave overripe fruit in field Harvest all areas of field Harvest all areas of field ScoutScout Insecticides, only in case of Insecticides, only in case of

population explosionpopulation explosion

Beneficial ArthropodsBeneficial Arthropods Predaceous mitePredaceous mite Sixspotted thripsSixspotted thrips Lady beetle larvaLady beetle larva Minute pirate bug larvaMinute pirate bug larva Hover flyHover fly

Phytoseiulus persimilisPhytoseiulus persimilis Orange, shinyOrange, shiny Faster than spider Faster than spider

mitesmites Specialized Specialized

predator of predator of webspinning webspinning spider mitesspider mites

Careful in choice Careful in choice of insecticidesof insecticides

Sixspotted thripsSixspotted thrips Feeds on mites, Feeds on mites,

other small other small arthropodsarthropods

3 dark spots on 3 dark spots on each forewingeach forewing

Minute pirate bug larvaMinute pirate bug larva Orius insidiosusOrius insidiosus Thrips, mites, Thrips, mites,

mite eggs, aphidsmite eggs, aphids

Hover flyHover fly Flower fly, syrphid Flower fly, syrphid

flyfly Mistaken for fruit Mistaken for fruit

flyfly Distinguished by Distinguished by

ability to hover & ability to hover & fly backwards fly backwards

AdultAdultpollinatorspollinators LarvaeLarvaepredaceous predaceous

on aphidon aphid

Insecticides & MiticidesInsecticides & Miticides Methyl bromideMethyl bromide Methomyl (Lannate)Methomyl (Lannate)

ArmywormArmyworm 65-80% acreage65-80% acreage 3-5.2 times/season3-5.2 times/season

Fenbutatin-oxideFenbutatin-oxide VendexVendex MiteMite 31-61% acreage31-61% acreage 1.7-4.8 times/season1.7-4.8 times/season

Abamectin (Agri-Mek)Abamectin (Agri-Mek) MiteMite 68-83% of acreage68-83% of acreage 2.5-3.4 times/season2.5-3.4 times/season

DiazinonDiazinon ArmywormArmyworm 24-35% of acreage24-35% of acreage 2.5-3.4 times/season2.5-3.4 times/season

Naled (Dibrom)Naled (Dibrom) 15% acreage15% acreage 2.2-3.1 times/season2.2-3.1 times/season

More chemicalsMore chemicals Carbaryl (Sevin)Carbaryl (Sevin)

11% of acreage11% of acreage 2.6 times/season2.6 times/season

Bacillus thuringiensisBacillus thuringiensis When populations of worms lowWhen populations of worms low 57-65% of acreage57-65% of acreage 4.2-5.2 times/season4.2-5.2 times/season

WeedsWeeds Several grasses & Several grasses &

broadleaf weedsbroadleaf weeds Managed mainly Managed mainly

by fumigation & by fumigation & plastic mulchplastic mulch

Weeds problem in:Weeds problem in: Row middlesRow middles Planting holesPlanting holes Perimeter of fieldPerimeter of field

Nutsedge:Nutsedge: Most troublesomeMost troublesome Not managed by Not managed by

plastic mulchplastic mulch

Weed managementWeed management Cultivation of row middlesCultivation of row middles Hand weedingHand weeding Plastic mulchesPlastic mulches Cover crops, sods, living mulchesCover crops, sods, living mulches FallowingFallowing HerbicidesHerbicides

Applied to row middlesApplied to row middles Rotate herbicides due to changing weed population Rotate herbicides due to changing weed population

over 6-7 month seasonover 6-7 month season

HerbicidesHerbicides Paraquat (Gramoxone)Paraquat (Gramoxone)

PostemergencePostemergence Annual broadleaf & grassesAnnual broadleaf & grasses Top kill of perennialsTop kill of perennials Non-selective, need shield to protect berriesNon-selective, need shield to protect berries 82-98% of acreage, 1.7-1.9 applications/season82-98% of acreage, 1.7-1.9 applications/season

Napropamide (Devrinol)Napropamide (Devrinol) Annual grasses & broadleaf weedsAnnual grasses & broadleaf weeds Not effective on established weedsNot effective on established weeds Not from bloom to harvestNot from bloom to harvest 25% of acreage, 1.23 applications/season25% of acreage, 1.23 applications/season

NematodesNematodes Sting Sting

Belonolaimus Belonolaimus longicaudatuslongicaudatus

Root knotRoot knot MeloidogyneMeloidogyne spp. spp.

FoliarFoliar AphelenchoidesAphelenchoides

sp.sp.

Make plants more Make plants more susceptible to:susceptible to: DroughtDrought Salt damageSalt damage Other pathogensOther pathogens

FusariumFusarium sp. sp. PythiumPythium sp. sp.

Sting nematodeSting nematode EctoparasiteEctoparasite Most damaging:Most damaging:

NurseriesNurseries TransplantsTransplants

Sandy soilSandy soil 25-3025-30ooCC

Symptoms:Symptoms: Well defined bordersWell defined borders Dead transplantsDead transplants Stunting, decline, Stunting, decline,

dormancydormancy Browning of leaf edgesBrowning of leaf edges

On roots:On roots: Overall, coarse Overall, coarse

appearanceappearance Tips injuredTips injured No new growthNo new growth Lack of feeder rootsLack of feeder roots

NematodesNematodes SamplingSampling

At end of growing At end of growing seasonseason

When soil damp, not When soil damp, not soggy or drysoggy or dry

10-20 samples at 10-20 samples at depth of 6-10 inchesdepth of 6-10 inches

Management Management practices:practices: Preplant or Preplant or

postharvestpostharvest

Clean stockClean stock Destroy crop at Destroy crop at

end of seasonend of season Fallowing with Fallowing with

frequent tillagefrequent tillage Cover cropCover crop Crop rotationCrop rotation ChemicalChemicalmost most

commoncommon

Methyl bromideMethyl bromide January 1, 2005January 1, 2005 Soil fumigant Soil fumigant ControlsControls

WeedsWeeds NematodesNematodes soil-borne pathogens soil-borne pathogens

& insects& insects Telone C-17 or C-35 Telone C-17 or C-35

with Devrinolwith Devrinol Telone ECTelone EC Mulches, cover cropsMulches, cover crops

                           

 

Tunnel systemTunnel system Decrease diseaseDecrease disease Increase early Increase early

season yieldsseason yields Where water is Where water is

limiting factorlimiting factor ‘‘Sweet Charlie’Sweet Charlie’