Validation of a Florida Strawberry Anthracnose Fruit Rot (AFR) Warning System in Iowa

Field validation of a disease-warning system for strawberry anthracnose fruit rot (AFR), caused by Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato, that was originally developed for use in Florida was conducted in Iowa from 2012 to 2014. Day-neutral strawberry (cv. Tristar) was artificially inoculated with the pathogen at the start of the fruit maturation period. A factorial combination in replicated trials of two spray timing methods (the Florida warning system and prescheduled, calendar-based timing) and two fungicides (captan and pyraclostrobin) was compared, along with a nonsprayed control. The calendar-based and warning system-based treatments provided statistically equivalent control of AFR incidence compared with the nonsprayed control, and the warning system treatments required an average of 1.7 fewer fungicide sprays annually than the calendar-based treatments. Further analysis of the field data suggested that the warning system might underestimate AFR risk under high disease pressure; in these circumstances, a lower action threshold value may need to be adopted. Overall, these results indicated that the Florida warning system can be valuable for helping Midwest strawberry growers control AFR with less reliance on fungicide sprays, but it may require modification to account for periods of high inoculum pressure, subject to results of further field trials.