Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #292483
Title: Virus outbreak in several Nova Scotia strawberry nurseries affects fruit growers in the United States

Author
item Martin, Robert
item PERES, N - University Of Florida
item WHIDDEN, A - University Of Florida

Submitted to: American Phytopathology Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2013
Publication Date: 6/15/2013
Citation: Martin, R.R., Peres, N.A., Whidden, A.J. 2013. Virus outbreak in several Nova Scotia strawberry nurseries affects fruit growers in the United States. Poster session: American Phytopathology Society, August 10-14, 2013, Austin, Texas. 453-P.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Many strawberry plants grown in eastern Canada are destined for fruit growers in the United States. For early season production, strawberry plants are grown in Canada to get early chilling required for flower bud initiation and then the plants are dug and shipped to the southeastern United States. Some of these plants are also used for mid- to late-season production. In the autumn of 2012, it was observed that some of the new plantings in Florida, North and South Carolina, and Louisiana established and grew very poorly. Initial tests showed that plants with poor growth in several Florida fields were positive for Strawberry mild yellow edge virus and Strawberry mottle virus. Testing of strawberry plants from five nurseries in Nova Scotia, Canada showed that two of the nurseries had very high levels of these two viruses (greater than 95%), while the other three nurseries had very low levels of virus infection. Subsequent testing of plants from these two nurseries showed that these two viruses were also present in newly planted fields in Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky. In all cases, plants infected with these two viruses exhibited severe stunting, leaf chlorosis, poor fruit set and quality. Some growers reported 100% losses in fields planted from these two sources. All plants tested from the nurseries or fruiting fields were negative for Strawberry crinkle, Strawberry vein banding, Strawberry pallidosis, Strawberry necrotic shock and Beet pseudo yellows viruses.