Fruit rots in strawberry can cause significant losses if not recognized early and properly controlled. The use of good cultural practices such as keeping fields weed-free, promoting good drainage and air movement, long crop rotations, and preventative fungicide applications are critically important for reducing the potential development of fruit rots in strawberry.
Pathogens such as anthracnose fruit rot (Collectotrichum acutatum, C. gloeosporioides), gray mold (Botrytis cinera), and leather rot (Phytophthora cactorum) can become systemic problems in strawberry fields and can be difficult to manage over the lifetime of the planting. Importantly, fungicide resistance development in the pathogens that cause fruit rot in strawberry are widely documented; mostly in Botrytis.
