Characterization of Fusarium Wilt Disease Among Different Strawberry (Fragaria sp.) Cultivars In Indonesia

Abstract

Strawberry can be intensively cultivated in small-scale farms without a sequential crop rotation over time. However, to prevent pathogen infection, strawberry requires a continuous pesticide treatment that can harm soil qualities and exacerbate soil-borne pathogen infection. One of the important soil-borne diseases found in strawberries is fusarium wilt. Characterization of symptoms and disease resistance in different cultivars are crucial. This research aims to evaluate the disease resistance level of several strawberry cultivars to the causing pathogen. Eight strawberry cultivars were used in this research, i.e. OSO Grande, SC Pujon, EBI 13, Korea, Local Batu, Chandler, BK and RB AOI. These cultivars were inoculated with the pathogen to assess level of the disease resistance by root dip inoculation method. In this research, Fusarium oxysporum is found to be the main cause of crown rot and wilting in these cultivars. The disease intensities were not significantly different among cultivars. The highest and lowest intensities of the infected crown were recorded in the Korea and BK cultivars with 50% and 16.7% respectively, although there are differences in percentage of crown infected. Similarly, the crown root diameter is not significantly different among cultivars. On the other hand, the trichome size of these cultivars appeared to be affected by the pathogen infection, shown by the size reduction in the infected cultivars.