News Diseases Focus on: Berries
Canadian strawberry growers warned of new fungal pathogen

There’s a new fungal pathogen strawberry growers should watch. A new Neopestalotiopsis species was identified by researchers in Florida in 2017 after causing severe disease outbreaks in some of the state’s strawberry fields. In fall 2020, Neopestalotiopsis symptoms were found in “Albion” strawberries in one location in Ontario.

The disease can infect any part of the strawberry plant – fruit, leaves, petioles, crowns and roots – often resulting in dark spots or lesions. It prefers warm, humid conditions, but temperatures from 15 C to 30 C allow for growth and sporulation. |READ MORE