Anthracnose: A new strawberry disease in Serbia and its control by fungicides

Abstract

Anthracnose is a destructive disease of strawberry fruits in warm and continental climate. During 2004, in the vicinity of Valjevo, there were severe losses in two strawberry plantations due to fruit anthracnose. Two fungal isolates, GG-6A and GG-JUP were recovered from strawberry stolons and fruits showing severe anthracnose symptoms. Based on morphological and pathological characteristics, and PCR analyses with specific primers of reference species, isolate GG-6A was identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and GG-JUP isolate as C. acutatum. This is the first identification of C. acutatum in strawberry in Serbia. In order to control strawberry anthracnose, five fungicides and their combinations were applied four times during the flowering. The best fruit protection was achieved by fungicides Metiram + piraclostrobin (Cabrio top), Captan FL and Fludioksinil + ciprodinil (Swich). Less effective were Benomil (Benlate) and Krezoksim-metil (Stroby). Pathogen is transmitted by planting material, so phytosanitary measures are extremely important in preventing the disease.

Antraknoza je destruktivna bolest plodova jagode u toplim i kontinentalnim klimatskim uslovima. Tokom 2004. godine, na 2 plantaže jagoda u blizini Valjeva, bilo je velikih gubitaka prouzrokovanih antraknozom. Dva izolata gljiva GG-6A i GG-JUP su izolovana iz stolona jagode, i plodova sa izraženim simptomima antraknoze. Na osnovu morfoloških i patoloških karakteristika, i PCR analize sa specifičnim prajmerima za referentne vrste, izolat GG-6A je identifikovan kao Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, a izolat GG-JUP kao C. acutatum. Ovo je prvi nalaz C. acutatum na jagodi u Srbiji. U cilju kontrole antraknoze jagode pet fungicida i njihovih kombinacija su primenjeni 4 puta tokom cvetanja. Najbolja zaštita plodova jagode je postignuta primenom fungicida Metiram + piraclostrobin (Cabrio top), Captan FL i Fludioksinil ciprodinil (Swich). Manje efektivni su bili Benomil (Benlate) i Krezoksim-metil (Stroby). Patogen se prenosi sadnim materijalom pa su fitosanitarne mere veoma važne u prevenciji bolesti.