Author
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Maas, John |
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Submitted to: Acta horticulturae
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/1999 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: The use of plug, or tray-grown, transplants grown from unrooted runner-tip plantlets is a recent development of propagating strawberry plants for transplanting into fruit production fields. Plug plants require little water when transplanted and can be transplanted with vegetable planting machines. Strawberry plug plants offer growers a means to plant virtually disease free transplants. This advantage has been widely recognized since development of the technology into a commercially feasible practice. There are, however, occasions during establishment of plug plants that may predispose them to some diseases that otherwise may not be of consequence in the field. In addition, some diseases caused by systemic pathogens, for example certain bacteria, may be carried in symptomless runner-tip plantlets. Fungal diseases, such as anthracnose, may be carried with runner- tip plantlets in infections of stolons. These aspects of potential pathogens and occurrence of diseases in plug plants, as well as the rolls of meristem culture of mother plants, soil-less culture media, vector control, and methods of strawberry plug- plant production that contribute to disease initiation and prevention will be discussed. This information will be of use to researchers and growers of strawberry plug plants for transplanting to fruit production fields. Technical Abstract: Strawberry plug, or tray, plants offer growers a means to plant virtually disease free transplants. This advantage has been widely recognized since development of the technology into a commercially feasible practice. There are, however, occasions during establishment of plug plants that may predispose them to some diseases that otherwise may not be of consequence in the field. In addition, some diseases caused by systemic pathogens, for example certain phytoplasmas (such as those associated with strawberry multiplier, strawberry green petal, and clover phyllody diseases), bacteria (such as Xanthomonas fragariae) may be carried in symptomless runner-tip plantlets. Other diseases (such as anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum) may be carried with runner-tip plantlets in infections of stolons. These aspects of potential pathogens and occurrence of diseases in plug plants, as well as the rolls of meristem culture of mother plants, soil-less culture media, vector control, and methods of strawberry plug-plant production that contribute to disease initiation and prevention will be discussed. |