Strawberry Fruit Production Research Articles

Research on Botrytis cinerea-caused gray rot disease in strawberries with Carpathian genus bees and entomovector technology

Gray rot is a widespread disease that is harming a lot of cultivated plants worldwide. It seriously impairs the strawberry industry's profitability by causing harm to the crop both during and after harvest. The article describes how biocontrol tests were conducted against the gray rot disease that affects strawberry plants, with the use of entomovector technology that uses biopreparations and bees. As a consequence of the study of the disease of gray rot of strawberries caused by the fungus Botritis cinerea with entomovector technology, the fight against the disease is carried out. Carpathian genus pollinating bees are employed as an entomovector agent during the investigation. They are members of a widely distributed bee order, and before this study, there was ample evidence that they boost production through plant pollination. The pathogen Gliocladium catenulatum, which is the basis for the medicine Prestop-Mix, as well as Trichoderma asperellum Botrytis cinerea identified from local soil, are suppressed by the drug as a biopreparation, according to research using entomovector technology. The article presents the results of a study of the disease of gray rot in experimental areas of strawberry fields in the Eastern region, caused by the fungus Botritis cinerea, using entomovector technology. By comparing the results with control options, it was determined that using Carpathian bees to apply biofungicide is one of the most efficient ways to combat gray rot damage to strawberry plants. Dispensers were placed in specially designed apiaries. During an investigation into the battle against Gray rot disease in Symphony strawberries cultivated in dedicated research areas, the impact of fruit weight following pollination as well as the effect of both pollination and the biocontrol agent on overall weight were discovered. Both the quantity of strawberry blooms and fruit production are rising. The study's findings demonstrated that one of the best strategies for preventing gray rot damage to strawberry plants is to employ biofungicide in conjunction with Carpathian genus bees. However, weather conditions will directly affect how successful control efforts are.

Herbivore and pollinator body size effects on strawberry fruit quality.

Land use change affects both pollinator and herbivore populations with consequences for crop production. Recent evidence also shows that land use change affects insect traits, with intraspecific body size of pollinators changing across landscape gradients. However, the consequences on crop production of trait changes in different plant interactors have not been well-studied. We hypothesized that changes in body size of key species can be enough to affect crop productivity, and therefore looked at how the field-realistic variation in body size of both an important pollinator, Bombus impatiens (Cresson), and a key pest herbivore, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot), can affect fruit size and damage in strawberry. First, we determined if pests vary in body size along land use gradients as prior studies have documented for pollinators; and second, we tested under controlled conditions how the individual and combined changes in size of an important pollinator and a key herbivore pest affect strawberry fruit production. The key herbivore pest was smaller in landscapes with more natural and semi-natural habitat, confirming that herbivore functional traits can vary along a land use gradient. Additionally, herbivore size, and not pollinator size, marginally affected fruit production-with plants exposed to larger pests producing smaller fruits. Our findings suggest that land use changes at the landscape level affect crop production not just through changes in the species diversity of insect communities that interact with the plant, but also through changes in body size traits.

Control of Phytonemus pallidus (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from strawberry transplants using controlled atmosphere temperature treatment.

Since it inhabits young leaves and buds of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne) crowns, cyclamen mite (Phytonemus pallidus Banks) is a difficult pest to control with biological or chemical means once it is present in a field. Controlled atmosphere temperature treatment (CATT) is a successful technique that has been commercially used in the Netherlands for nearly 2 decades to disinfect strawberry nursery stock, including elimination of cyclamen mite. During CATT, plants are treated at 35 °C, 50% CO2, and 10% O2 under high relative humidity for 48 h. The objective of this study was to test CATT against P. pallidus in North America at a scale that can be easily used on-farms by strawberry growers. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted where infested trayplants were treated with CATT or the acaricide abamectin, and P. pallidus number were compared to control plants. Plants were destructively sampled after 4 weeks, and CATT reduced mobile forms of P. pallidus by 99.9% in both experiments. Abamectin used in the first experiment had an efficacy of 95.5%. Our findings suggest that CATT is effective at nearly eliminating P. pallidus from strawberry planting material, and its application could reduce risks of field infestations and the need for multiple acaricide applications. While our results are encouraging, additional research is needed to assess the effects of CATT on strawberry plant survival, growth, and fruit production.

Effects of environmental control and LED supplemental lighting on strawberry growth and yield in a subtropical climate

We investigated the effects of environmental control and daytime LED supplemental lighting on the growth and yield of strawberries in a subtropical climate. Two strawberry cultivars, namely ‘Yotsuboshi’ and ‘Benihoppe’, were grown in three greenhouses from October to May as a forcing culture: (1) conventional greenhouse, with side vents open and no other environmental controls; (2) controlled environment (CE) greenhouse, equipped with an integrated environmental control system to cool air and growing medium using cooling devices controlled by sensor monitoring; and (3) LED greenhouse, equipped with an integrated environmental control system and LED supplemental lighting during the day. The conventional greenhouse had higher air and growing medium temperatures during the growing season than the CE or LED treatment greenhouse. Both cultivars had significantly lower aboveground dry-matter weight (TDM) and yield in the conventional treatment than in the CE or LED treatment. Yield in the CE treatment increased 2.4 and 2.0 times for ‘Yotsuboshi’ and ‘Benihoppe,’ respectively, relative to the conventional treatment. Additionally, yield in the LED treatment increased 3.1 and 2.5 times for ‘Yotsuboshi’ and ‘Benihoppe,’ respectively, relative to the conventional treatment. The marketable fruit ratio was higher in CE and LED treatments than in the conventional treatment for both cultivars. The number of fruits for both cultivars was significantly greater under the LED treatment than the conventional treatment. Clearly, daytime LED supplemental lighting further improved TDM and yield during the winter season, when cloudy weather and low solar radiation were persistent. However, during the spring season, when external solar radiation exceeded 20 MJ m−2 day−1, the enhancing effects of LED supplemental lighting on yield were limited. Supplemental lighting methods based on the amount of solar radiation available are necessary to allow maximum, high-quality strawberry fruit production in subtropical regions.

The biostimulant effect of an extract from Durvillaea potatorum and Ascophyllum nodosum is associated with the priming of reactive oxygen species in strawberry in south-eastern Australia

AbstractStrawberry is an important horticultural crop in Victoria, Australia. Grey mould caused by Botrytis cinerea reduces marketable yield and post-harvest quality of strawberry fruit in the region. We conducted two field experiments in Victoria (Coldstream and Warburton) to evaluate the effectiveness of a commercial seaweed extract from Durvillaea potatorum and Ascophyllum nodosum (Seasol®) on the yield, revenue, and post-harvest rot of strawberry fruit. We applied the extract to strawberry crops (cv. Albion) monthly as a combined drench (10 L ha-1) and foliar spray (1:400), with water as a control. Application of the seaweed extract significantly increased strawberry fruit yields by 8-10% and revenue by AU$0.37-0.59 per plant. Furthermore, the extract significantly reduced the incidence and severity of post-harvest rots in strawberry fruit by 52-87%, respectively. The extract did not affect the firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity, or SSC:acid of strawberry fruit. In a separate laboratory experiment, we found that growing strawberry in the seaweed extract (1:400) increased the concentration of peroxidase by 50% and doubled H2O2 in roots soon after treatment. Increases in reactive oxygen species are an indicator of a suite of pathways associated with resistance and tolerance of biotic and abiotic stresses. Overall, the results demonstrate that the seaweed extract can act as a commercially-viable biostimulant for strawberry fruit production in south-eastern Australia.

Nocturnal pollination is equally important as, and complementary to, diurnal pollination for strawberry fruit production

Declining insect populations and their associated pollination services to crops raise concerns for global food security. While most studies focus on the contribution of diurnal pollinators to crop yields, nocturnal pollination receives little attention. In this study, we used a randomised block design (n = 6) in the open ground to determine the relative contribution of nocturnal and diurnal pollination to strawberry yield. We found that, on average, there was no effect of insect pollination (nocturnal, diurnal, or both) on total number of fruits and total weight of fruits harvested per plant. However, when plants produced many fruits, night-pollinated and open-pollinated plants increased total fruit weight per plant, compared to plants that received no pollinators. Furthermore, compared to the no-pollinators treatment, individual fruit weight (g) was significantly higher in night-pollinated plants (27% higher) and open-pollinated plants (46% higher), whereas the day-pollinated treatment (17% higher) did not significantly differ from no-pollinators and night-pollinated plants. Fruit diameter (mm) followed a similar pattern. Fruit sweetness (%total soluble solids) was highest in the no-pollinated treatment, and other treatments did not differ from each other. The average fruit shape was of significantly poorer quality in the no-pollinators treatment than any of the other treatments, which did not significantly differ from each other, but did show a trend of fewer poorly shaped fruits. Overall, nocturnal pollination was at least equally important as, and highly complementary to diurnal pollination for determining strawberry fruit quality. However, we do not know the identity of the nocturnal pollinators. Nevertheless, nocturnal pollination seems to be an important, but overlooked part of the contribution to insect pollination to crop yield.

Improving Runner Production, Total yield and Postharvest Quality of Strawberry Fruits using Plant Growth Regulators

In this study, different plant growth regulators were tested to improve runner production, total yield and postharvestquality of strawberry fruits. For this, different concentrations of gibberellic acid (GA3) (50 ppm, 100 ppm), naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) (40 ppm, 80 ppm) and benzyl adenine (BA) (150 ppm, 300 ppm) were used as foliar sprays along withonly water as control. Experiment was arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicationsand data collected was analysed and means were compared. Results showed that maximum survival percentage (100.00),number of runners per plant (18.77), number of plantlet on each runner (6.88), leaf area (58.45 cm2), chlorophyll contentof leaves (67.87 g/ml), , average number of flowers per plant (28.98), average number of fruits per plant (26.78), fruityield per plant (309.78 g), weight of fruit (11.57 g) and size of fruit (15.34 mm) were found in strawberry plants whichwere sprayed with GA3 @ 100 ppm. However, maximum number of days to flowering (55.89) and number of days toharvest (85.76) were observed in strawberry plants which were treated with only water (control). Postharvest qualityparameters like total soluble solids (TSS) (13.21 °Brix), titratable acidity (1.24%), vitamin C (39.12 mg/100 g), ashcontent (0.78), total carotenoids (4.92 mg/100 g FW), total anthocyanins (4.05 mg/100 g FW), total flavonoids (9.09mg/100 g FW), total phenolics (9.12 mg gallic acid/100 g) and antioxidant activity (102.91 μg/100 mg FW) were alsorecorded maximum in plants, sprayed with GA3 @ 100 ppm. Based on current findings it can be concluded that GA3 @100 ppm was found the best plants growth regulator for vegetative growth and postharvest quality attributes of strawberryas compared to all the other growth regulators tested.

Growth, Flowering, and Fruit Production of Strawberry ‘Albion’ in Response to Photoperiod and Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density of Sole-Source Lighting

Beyond producing leafy greens, there is a growing interest in strawberry production on indoor vertical farms. Considering that sole-source lighting is one of the most important components for successful indoor crop production, we investigated how photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and the photoperiod of sole-source lighting affected plant growth, flowering, and fruit production in strawberry 'Albion.' Bare-rooted strawberry plants were grown in deep water culture hydroponics inside an indoor vertical farm at 21 °C under white + blue + red light-emitting diodes at a PPFD of 200, 300, or 450 µmol∙m-2∙s-1 with a 12-h or 16-h photoperiod. Under both photoperiods, increasing PPFD from 200 to 450 µmol∙m-2∙s-1 linearly increased crown diameter by 18-64%, shoot fresh and dry mass by 38-80%, and root fresh and dry mass by 19-48%. Under a PPFD ≥ 300 µmol∙m-2∙s-1, root fresh and dry biomass increased by 95-108% and 41-44%, respectively, with an increasing photoperiod from 12 to 16 h. In addition, increasing the photoperiod from 12 to 16 h accelerated flowering by 17-21 days under a PPFD ≥ 300 µmol∙m-2∙s-1 and first fruit harvest by 17 days at a PPFD of 450 µmol∙m-2∙s-1. Regardless of PPFD, strawberry fruit production (g·m-2·month-1) increased by 372-989% under a 16-h photoperiod in comparison to under a 12-h photoperiod. In contrast, there was little effect of PPFD on fruit production. Our results suggest that increasing the PPFD or photoperiod can increase strawberry plant growth, but increasing the photoperiod can have a dominant effect on increasing early fruit production in strawberry 'Albion'.

Brassinosteroid Applications Enhance the Tolerance to Abiotic Stresses, Production and Quality of Strawberry Fruits

Brassinosteriods (BRs) have increasingly been used to improve the yields and quality of various crops. In this work we studied the effect of two brassinosteroids, BB16 and EP24, on the growth promotion of Fragaria ananassa plants under normal conditions or exposed to water or saline stress. The influence of both BRs on the plant development and fruit quality was evaluated when cultivated in semi-hydroponic conditions. A marked growth-promoting effect was observed with both compounds when plants were cultivated under normal irrigation conditions and under saline and water stresses. BB16 and EP24 yielded plants with a higher dry weight, root length and surface, a higher number and area of leaves, a higher total weight of fruits per plant, and a higher percentage of fruits of commercial quality. Additionally, a higher content of chlorophyll, number of leaves, and increased dry weight was detected in plants treated with both BRs and exposed to water and saline stresses. Finally, when evaluating the production and quality of fruits obtained under semi-hydroponic conditions, we observed that the pre-harvest treatment with both compounds induced a higher fruit production and better quality of fruits. These results suggest the potential of these compounds to achieve a more sustainable management of strawberry cultivation.

First Report of Botrytis cinerea Causing Leaf Spot on Strawberry in Florida.

During the 2020-2021 Florida strawberry season (October to April), strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) plants showing leaf spots were observed on samples submitted to the Diagnostic Clinic at the University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. Disease incidence was up to 5% and observed on four different farms in Plant City, FL on cultivars SensationTM Florida127 and Florida Brilliance. All the samples were submitted early in the season (November) and shared the same nursery source in California. Symptoms consisted of circular or irregular lesions with purple or brown halos, eventually developing leaf blight with sporulation at the center on advanced lesions. Diseased tissues (0.5 mm2) were surface disinfested with 10% bleach solution for 90 s, rinsed twice in sterile deionized water, and plated on general isolation medium (Amiri et al. 2018). Plates were incubated at 25°C and a 12-h photoperiod. A fungus producing white mycelia with sparse sporulation of Botrytis-like spores was consistently isolated. Isolates were single-spored and grown on HA medium to induce sporulation (Leroch et al. 2013). Three isolates (20-291, 20-293, and 20-295) were selected for identification and pathogenicity assays. Resulting cultures on HA had profuse sporulation resembling gray mold. Conidia (n=50) were round to ellipsoid ranging from 9 to 14.6 μm long (Avg=10.8, SD=1.3) and 6.3 to 9.5 μm wide (Avg=7.7, Sd=0.7). No sclerotia formation was observed on GI and HA medium. Based on morphology, the pathogen was tentatively identified as Botrytis cinerea (Hong et al. 2001; Jarvis 1977). DNA was extracted from the same three isolates using the FastDNA kit (MP Biomedicals, Solon, OH), and the heat shock protein (HSP60), RNA polymerase II-binding (RPB2), and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH) genes were amplified (Staats et al. 2004). Sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos. MZ288746 - MZ288754). BLASTn searches revealed that isolates were 100% identical to B. cinerea reported causing leaf spot on strawberry in California; accession numbers MK919494 (HSP60, 996/996 bp), MK919495 (RPB2, 1131/1131 bp), and MK919496 (G3PDH, 877/877 bp). To test for pathogenicity, four one-month-old plants of 'Florida Brilliance' were used per isolate and control treatment. Spores were harvested from two-week-old cultures grown on HA medium, and the suspension adjusted to 106 spores/mL in a solution of 0.1% of Tween 20. Plants were spray inoculated until run-off and kept inside clear plastic boxes for 48 h. Control plants were sprayed with sterile deionized water. Afterward, plants were kept in a misting table in the greenhouse with a water regime of 3 s every 10 min during the day. Disease incidence was evaluated weekly, and the experiment repeated once. Two weeks after inoculation, leaf spots were observed in all inoculated plants, while controls remained healthy. Fungi morphologically identical to the original isolates were re-isolated from the diseased tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. cinerea causing leaf spot on strawberry in Florida. This disease was recently reported in California (Mansouripour and Holmes 2020), which is where the transplants originated from. Considering the disease was observed early in the Florida season, it is likely that it was introduced with transplants from the nursery. This pathogen is also the causal agent of Botrytis fruit rot, which is considered a major disease of strawberry, and a previous study has shown that populations resistant to multiple fungicides are introduced with transplants (Mertely et al. 2018, Oliveira et al. 2018). While Botrytis leaf spot is currently considered rare and of minor significance (Mansouripour and Holmes 2020), it could contribute to the spread of fungicide resistance to from nursery to strawberry fruit production fields. Efforts should be implemented to monitor its occurrence and spread considering the high variability and fungicide resistance profile of this pathogen.

Control of Fungal Diseases and Fruit Yield Improvement of Strawberry Using Bacillus velezensis CE 100.

Due to the increasing health and environmental risks associated with the use of fungicides in agriculture, alternatives—such as using plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) to suppress phytopathogens—that simultaneously improve plant yield, are important. This study evaluated the biocontrol efficiency of Bacillus velezensis CE100 against Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, the respective causal agents for charcoal rot and fusarium wilt diseases in strawberry, and its potential to enhance strawberry growth and fruit production. B. velezensis CE 100 produced fungal cell wall-degrading enzymes, chitinases, and β-1,3-glucanases; and inhibited the mycelial growth of M. phaseolina and F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae by 64.7% and 55.2%, respectively. The mycelia of both phytopathogenic fungi showed severe swelling and rupturing of the hyphae compared to the smooth, normal growth in the control group. Moreover, B. velezensis CE100 produced up to 2.8 units/mL of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) during incubation and enhanced root biomass in strawberries. Consequently, B. velezensis CE 100 not only increased the fruit yield of strawberries by controlling the fungal diseases but also through enhancing plant growth. The findings of this study indicate that B. velezensis CE100 could be a safe, ecofriendly biocontrol alternative to chemical fungicides in strawberry production.

Interaction between farming type, nutrient uptake and plant material in strawberry tree fruit production and quality

Interaction between farming type, nutrient uptake and plant material in strawberry tree fruit production and quality

Strawberry cultivars fruit production and postharvest from two types of saplings

The establishment of strawberry crops in southern Brazil is conditioned on the delivery of bare-root saplings imported from Argentina and/or Chile. An alternative to reduce dependence on the acquisition of these saplings is their replacement by clod-rooted saplings that form a clod. However, information on the agronomic performance of clod-rooted saplings is scarce. The aim of this work was to investigate whether the association between types of saplings and strawberry cultivars alters fruit production and postharvest. The treatments were three cultivars (Fronteras, Monterey and Portola) and two types of saplings (bare-root and rooted in a clod), arranged in a randomized block design, with three replications. The productive potential and chemical quality of fruits were evaluated. Plants from saplings rooted in clods showed higher number and fruit production. Plants from bare -root saplings produced larger fruits. The postharvest of fruits was not altered by the treatments. It is concluded that the productive potential and postharvest of fruits of strawberry cultivars is not associated with the types of saplings studied. Regardless of the cultivar, plants from saplings rooted in clods are more productive. The three cultivars tested, of saplings with bare-roots or rooted in clods, present a balanced relationship between sugar and acidity, giving the desired flavor to the fruits in their postharvest period.

Effect of the Insect Infestation by Myzus persicae and Trialeurodes vaporariorum on the Annual Production of Strawberry Under Glasshouse Conditions

This study was carried out to study the effect of the insect infestation by The Green Peach Aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and The Greenhouse Whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood)(Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on the quantity of the annual production of the strawberry crop, Fragaria ananassa (L.). This study was carried out at Tokh region (Qaliobya Governorate) during two successive seasons 2020, 2021 under glasshouse conditions. This study was divided into three parts, first part studied the population fluctuation of M. persicae andT. vaporariorum on strawberry plants during the two successive seasons, second part studied the effect of insect infestation by the two insects on the quantity of the annual production of strawberry fruits at the two successive seasons compared to control (which did not infest with any insect) and third part studied the effect of insect infestation by the two insects on the internal components of strawberry fruits. Results obtained showed that the infestation by M. persicae andT. vaporariorum reduced the quantity of annual production of strawberry fruits compared to control (which was non-infested by the same insects). Also, results obtained showed that the infestation bythesame insects reduced both total sugar and total protein on strawberry fruitscompared to control.

Sustainability of strawberry nurseries and fruit production in relation to fumigation practices in Europe

Sustainability of strawberry nurseries and fruit production in relation to fumigation practices in Europe

Profitable day-neutral strawberry cultivar and planting date combination for year-round strawberry fruit production in the Southern Cape, South Africa

Profitable day-neutral strawberry cultivar and planting date combination for year-round strawberry fruit production in the Southern Cape, South Africa

A Review of Strawberry Photobiology and Fruit Flavonoids in Controlled Environments.

Rapid technology development in controlled environment (CE) plant production has been applied to a large variety of plants. In recent years, strawberries have become a popular fruit for CE production because of their high economic and nutritional values. With the widespread use of light-emitting diode (LED) technology in the produce industry, growers can manipulate strawberry growth and development by providing specific light spectra. Manipulating light intensity and spectral composition can modify strawberry secondary metabolism and highly impact fruit quality and antioxidant properties. While the impact of visible light on secondary metabolite profiles for other greenhouse crops is well documented, more insight into the impact of different light spectra, from UV radiation to the visible light spectrum, on strawberry plants is required. This will allow growers to maximize yield and rapidly adapt to consumer preferences. In this review, a compilation of studies investigating the effect of light properties on strawberry fruit flavonoids is provided, and a comparative analysis of how light spectra influences strawberry’s photobiology and secondary metabolism is presented. The effects of pre-harvest and post-harvest light treatments with UV radiation and visible light are considered. Future studies and implications for LED lighting configurations in strawberry fruit production for researchers and growers are discussed.

ANALISIS RISIKO PRODUKSI STROBERI DENGAN METODE Z-SCORE DAN VALUE AT RISK PADA CV. BUMI AGRO TECHNOLOGY, JAWA BARAT

CV. Bumi Agro Technology is one of the strawberry farming in West Java which is still surviving until now amidst various constraints on strawberry fruit production, such as fluctuating production yields and production failures. This indicates that there is a risk that occurs in strawberry production activities. The research objectives are (1) identifying the causes of risk, (2) determine the probability and impact of risk, and (3) proposing various risk management strategies. The research design used a qualitative design with a case study research technique. The analytical tools used are Z-Score analysis and Value at Risk analysis. The results showed that the risk of production was caused by various sources of risk, namely human resources with a probability of 38.2% and an impact of Rp. 2,018,298, capital or farm finance with a probability of 30.5% and an impact of Rp. 1,015,439, plant pests and diseases with a probability of 24.5% and an impact of Rp. 1,097,284, and natural resources with a probability of 10.7% and an impact of Rp. 738,319. Based on the results of risk measurement analysis, a strategy can be formulated that can be implemented to minimize risk. The source of risk that causes the highest production risk is human resources. One of the proposed strategies that can be implemented to reduce the risk of production caused by human resources is empowering human resources who have low educational background and insight by improving the quality of education for the labor through counseling and training accompanied by field coordinators or field extension officers and then immediately implemented in the field.

Behavior of strawberry production with growth models: a multivariate approach

Strawberry is an economically and socially important crop in several regions worldwide. Thus, studies that provide information on topics in strawberry growth are important and must be constantly updated. The aims of this study were to fit a logistic growth model to describe strawberry fruit production and to estimate the partial derivatives of the fitted model in order to estimate and interpret the critical points, in addition to using multivariate analyses. To do this, data on 16 treatments [combinations of two cultivars (Albion and Camarosa), two origins (national and imported), and four mixed organic substrates (70% crushed sugar cane residue + 30% organic compost, 70% crushed sugar cane residue + 30% commercial substrate, 70% burnt rice husk + 30% organic compost, and 70% burnt rice husk + 30% commercial substrate)] conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates were used. A logistic model was fitted to the accumulated fruit production stratified by treatment and replication. Partial derivatives related to the accumulated thermal sum were estimated in order to quantify the critical points of the model. Subsequently, a principal component analysis was performed. The results show that the use of growth models substantially increases the inferences that can be made about crop growth, and the multivariate analysis summarizes this information, simplifying its interpretation. Approaches such as those carried out in this study are still rarely used, but, compared to simpler models, they increase the amount of inferences that can be made and provide greater elucidation of the results.

Pestalotia Leaf Spot and Fruit Rot of Strawberry

Pestalotiopsis-like fungi cause diseases on many different species of plants worldwide, including strawberry. The pathogen is not necessarily new to strawberry and was first reported causing fruit rot in Florida and Israel in the 1970s. However, during the 2018–19 and 2019–20 strawberry seasons, severe and unprecedented outbreaks were reported in Florida, characterized by symptoms on nearly all plant parts including roots, crowns, petioles, fruit, and leaves. This new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology Department describes the disease and its causal agent and briefly covers what is known about disease development and control practices. This document will provide valuable information to strawberry nursery and fruit production growers. Written by Juliana S. Baggio and Natalia A. Peres.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp357