DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD FOR SCREENING STRAWBERRY GERMPLASM FOR RESISTANCE TO PHYTOPHTHORA CACTORUM

The susceptibilities of strawberry cultivars to crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum) were assessed under glasshouse conditions by two methods.
Cold-stored plants of eight cultivars were used to compare inoculation with either a zoospore spray or a mycelium plug inserted into the crown of the plant.
There was no significant difference in percentage deaths or crown necrosis between the inoculation methods and no significant interaction between cultivar and method.
Differences between cultivars were highly significant.

In a second experiment the susceptibility of six bare-rooted cold-stored (frigo) cultivars was compared with that of potted plants which had been stored at +2°C for 8 weeks.
A further eight cultivars were bare-rooted only.
Plants were inoculated with a zoospore suspension sprayed onto the crowns.
No significant differences were detected between the two types of plant but there were significant differences between cultivars.
These findings did not agree with other work which shows that cold-stored plants are more susceptible to P. cactorum than other types of plant.

III International Strawberry Symposium

J.A. Bell, D.W. Simpson, D.C. Harris

Fragaria x ananassa, crown rot, disease resistance, cold storage

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.439.23