Thermotherapy as a non-chemical strategy to mitigate multiple fungicide resistance in strawberry

Authors: PERES, NATALIA - University Of Florida; Turechek, William; STENSVAND, ARNE - Norwegian Institute Of Bioeconomy Research(NIBIO); WANG, NAN-YI - University Of Florida; BAGGIO, JULIANA - University Of Florida; MARIN, MARCUS - University Of Florida; ZUNIGA, ADRIAN - University Of Florida; GADOURY, DAVID - Cornell University

Submitted to: International Strawberry Symposium
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/18/2022
Publication Date: 9/21/2022
Citation: Peres, N., Turechek, W., Stensvand, A., Wang, N., Baggio, J., Marin, M., Zuniga, A., Gadoury, D. 2022. Thermotherapy as a non-chemical strategy to mitigate multiple fungicide resistance in strawberry. International Strawberry Congress.

Interpretive Summary: The strawberry production system presents unique challenges, wherein strawberry transplants are often produced remotely from fruit production sites and are treated with fungicides at risk for development of resistance. This sets-up the scenario where cryptically- and quiescently-infected transplants, preselected for fungicide resistance, are then outplanted in fruit-production fields. We have shown that precision thermotherapy can eradicate and/or reduce bacterial and fungal pathogens from strawberry transplants, and thereby provides a strategy for managing fungicide resistance and means to integrate disease management practices of strawberry nursery and fruit production systems.

Technical Abstract: The strawberry production system presents unique challenges, wherein strawberry transplants are often produced remotely from fruit production sites, under different climatic conditions, and are treated with fungicides at risk for development of resistance, some of which are also fungistatic. The foregoing can produce cryptically- and quiescently-infected transplants that are preselected for fungicide resistance that are then outplanted in fruit-production fields. We have documented that the foregoing process can affect the distribution and exacerbate subsequent epidemics of Colletotrichum acutatum, Botrytis cinerea, Phytophthora cactorum, Podosphaera aphanis, and foliar nematodes. In this presentation, we will examine the potential of precision thermotherapy to eradicate and/or reduce bacterial and fungal pathogens from strawberry transplants, and thereby provide a strategy and means to integrate disease management practices of strawberry nursery and fruit production systems.