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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #150209
Title: RESULTS OF 2002 STRAWBERRY FUNGICIDE STUDY, HAMMOND, LA

Author
item CONSTANTIN, R - LOUISIANA UNIV
item QUEBEDEAUX, J - LOUISIANA UNIV
item Smith, Barbara
item WEDGE, D - UNIV OF SOUTHERN MS

Submitted to: The Southern Fruit Fellowship Newsletter
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/2003
Publication Date: 10/30/2003
Citation: Constantin, R.J., Quebedeaux, J.P., Smith, B.J., Wedge, D.E. 2003. Results of 2002 strawberry fungicide study, Hammond, La. The Southern Fruit Fellowship Newsletter 2003.

Interpretive Summary: The Louisiana strawberry industry involves 150 growers and 400 acres of strawberries with a farm value of $9.8 million. Fruit rot diseases often cause severe losses to this crop. This study was designed to identify which fruit rot diseases were occurring in the Louisiana industry and which fungicides were effective at controlling these diseases. In these trials 11 % of the fruit from the untreated plots had symptoms of fruit rot. The most common fruit rot was stem end rot. The incidence of gray mold and anthracnose fruit rot was much lower in these trials than anticipated probably due to a very dry harvest season. Of the thirteen fungicides included in this study, plots treated with Elevate + Captan and BAS516 had significantly higher marketable yields than the untreated control plot. Fungicides that contained a combination of products were more effective for controlling fruit rot diseases in general and stem end rot in particular than fungicides with only one active ingredient.

Technical Abstract: Thirteen fungicide treatments were compared with an untreated control for disease control on strawberries in a study conducted at the Hammond Research Station, Hammond, LA during the 2002 fruiting season. Significant differences occurred in marketable yield as a result of fungicide treatments. Plots treated with the fungicides Switch and BAS 516 had the highest marketable yields. Three fungicide treatments resulted in above 80% marketable fruit: Switch, BAS 516, and Elevate + Captan. These treatments are all combinations of two different fungicides. The amount of fruit diseases was less than anticipated, probably due to the lack of rainfall during the production season. One of the more prevalent diseases was stem end which was effectively controlled by the combination fungicides Elevate + Captan, BAS 516, and Switch. The untreated control plants and those treated with Cuprofix, Topsin M, and BAS 510 had the most berries affected with stem end rot. The incidence of gray mold and anthracnose fruit rot was extremely low. Gray mold was controlled by the fungicides Scala, Elevate + Captan, BAS 516, Switch, BAS 510, and Elevate.