BIOCONTROL OF STRAWBERRY ROOT ROT AND PETIOLE BLIGHT BY USE OF NON-PATHOGENIC FUSARIUM SP. STRAINS

Gnomonia fragariae Kleb. causes severe root rot and petiole blight of strawberry.
The pathogen has been found to be involved in the strawberry root rot complex in Latvia and Sweden.
Since the disease has been recently discovered, currently no control measures are available.
The biocontrol ability of two non-pathogenic Fusarium sp. strains, A37 and A38, originated from strawberry roots against Gnomonia fragariae was evaluated in non-sterile and semi-sterile experimental systems in greenhouse condition.
Pre-inoculation of soil with Fusarium strains significantly reduced disease severity in the non-sterile system.
Reduction of disease severity relative to water control ranged from 26-77% and from 9-24% in experiments performed in non-sterile and semi-sterile systems, respectively.
On plants inoculated with Fusarium sp. in the absence of the pathogen, increase of production of young runners and enhancement of plant growth were observed in both non-sterile and semi-sterile systems.
The results obtained in this study demonstrated that the two non-pathogenic Fusarium sp. strains A37 and A38 are potential candidates for use in biocontrol of root rot and/or for plant growth promotion of strawberry.
However the obtained data have to be verified in the field.

VII International Strawberry Symposium

I. Moročko-Bičevska, J. Fatehi, B. Gerhardson

growth promotion, root rot complex, soil-borne pathogens

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1049.93