Strawberry anthracnose

The pathogen Colletotrichum dacrycarpi is a significant fungus responsible for causing anthracnose in strawberries. This disease poses a severe threat to commercial berry production, often resulting in massive post-harvest decay and significant losses in field yield during humid and warm seasons.

While the primary host is strawberry, the pathogen is known to persist on various other Rosaceae species. The disease is characterized by its ability to infect multiple parts of the host plant, including runners, crowns, petioles, and the fruit itself, which makes it particularly difficult to manage once established.

Typical symptoms include dark, sunken lesions on the fruit, which often develop orange or pink spore masses under wet conditions. On other plant tissues, the infection manifests as dark brown streaks or lesions on petioles and stolons, eventually causing the collapse of the plant due to crown infection.

Development and spread of the fungus are heavily dependent on environmental conditions, particularly splash dispersal by rain or overhead irrigation. Warm temperatures and prolonged leaf wetness facilitate rapid spore germination and secondary cycles of infection throughout the growing season.

Integrated management is essential for control. Effective strategies include:

• Sourcing certified disease-free nursery stock.
• Implementing strict sanitation by removing and destroying infected plant debris.
• Avoiding overhead irrigation to reduce spore dissemination.
• Applying targeted fungicide programs during the bloom and fruit development stages.