A devastating new fungal disease and relentless spring rains have dramatically cut into strawberry yields across the Mid-Atlantic, leaving many growers scrambling to recover losses from one of the most challenging seasons in years.
Strawberry plants across Maryland and nearby states have been hit hard by Neopestalotiopsis — referred to as NEO-P — a relatively new pathogen that surfaced in Florida several years ago and made its way north in recent seasons. While sporadic outbreaks have occurred in the South, this spring marked the worst yet for local farms.
"This year was just a terrible outbreak that affected all plugs," said Ben Beale, a University of Maryland Extension agent in St. Mary's County. "Some growers have had as much as 50- to- 75-percent loss compared to other years."
The issue began in Canadian propagation houses, farmers said, where young plants are grown and shipped to distributors. Unlike plugs sourced from other lower-humidity regions like Idaho or Utah, many Canadian plugs arrived infected. Growers often didn't know until it was too late.
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