Investigating Alternative Strategies for Managing Bacterial Angular Leaf Spot in Strawberry Nursery Production

Abstract

This article discusses some of the approaches we have tested for managing the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas fragariae in infected strawberry nursery stock. X. fragariae causes angular leaf spot in strawberry and is transmitted to production fields almost exclusively through infected nursery stock. Of the methods that we have investigated over the past several years, a modified heat treatment has proven to be very effective at reducing systemic infections in propagation material, but cultivar selection affected the outcome. Surface-sterilizing treatments also had an effect on angular leaf spot. We tried procedures from dipping plants in a solution of 10% chlorine bleach to the use of UV-C radiation to reduce the severity of angular leaf spots in the field. Lastly, a sanitation-type treatment, namely removing or trimming remnant leaf and petiole tissue from nursery-trimmed plants, was found to have a significant impact on angular leaf spot. No one method completely eliminated X. fragariae from the planting stock, but there is good indication that a strategic combination of control practices that includes heat treatment should help to reduce significantly the initial amount of bacteria introduced into a field.