Strawberry Disease and Insect Control

High Value Agriculture Activity (HVAA)

Proiectul Agricultura Performanta in Moldova (APM)

November 1, 2019

David Picha
Berry Specialist, Chemonics International
 Principals of Pest Management
• there are a number diseases and insects of strawberries
• diseases include fungi, bacteria, viruses
• insects range from piercing/sucking types to chewing types

• pest incidence and severity is determined by 3 overall

factors:
1. susceptible host
2. disease/insect presence
3. favorable environmental conditions
• temperature
• relative humidity
• precipitation
• soil moisture
• leaf wetness

• pests may attack one or multiple types of strawberry plant

tissue (roots, crown, leaves, stems, flowers, fruit)

• understanding the biology and life cycle of the disease or insect

is important for good pest management
 Objectives of Disease and Insect Management
• prevent pest from becoming established

• use disease and insect free certified

planting stock to establish the planting

• dip transplants in fungicide solution

before planting

• proper soil preparation before planting

• sub-soiling may be necessary to eliminate
hardpans and facilitate drainage
• proper soil pH adjustment
• organic matter addition to improve soil
qualities
• mulching

• proper irrigation and fertilization to

maintain plant vigor and minimize stress

• maintain proper plant density

 Control Strategies for Disease and Insects
• crop rotation
• cultivar selection
• resistant
• tolerant
• susceptible
• maintaining plant health and vigor
• proper production practices
• field sanitation
• removal of diseased and dead leaves
• monitoring
1. frequent scouting
2. traps
adhesive
pheromone
• predator insects for certain pests
• mites
• whiteflies
• crop protectants (fungicides, bactericides,
insecticides, miticides)
• harvest with care to avoid injury to fruit
 Supplies and Equipment for Monitoring Pest Pressure
• hand lens

• insect sweep net

• pan

• sticky cards
• yellow
• blue

• pheromone traps
• leafrollers, armyworms

• digital camera

• microscope
 Principal Diseases of Strawberries

• root and crown tissue

• leaf and stem tissue
• flowers and fruit

Principal Insects of Strawberries

• piercing-sucking
• chewing
 Principal Diseases of Strawberries in Moldova
Root and Crown Diseases
• Phytophthora (Phytophthora cactorum, Phytophthora fragariae)
• Black Root Rot (Pythium irregulare, Rhizoctonia fragariae)
• Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes)
• Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum)
• Charcoal Rot (Macrophomina phaseolina)
• Verticillium Wilt (Verticillium albo-atrum)

Foliar Diseases
• Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera aphanis)
• Leaf Spot (Mycosphaerella fragariae)
• Leaf Blight (Phomopsis obscurans))
• Leaf Scorch (Diplocarpon earlianum)
• Leaf Blotch (Gnomonia comari)
• Angular Leaf Spot (Xanthomonas fragariae)

Fruit Diseases
• Gray Mold (Botrytis cinerea)
• Leather Rot (Phytophthora cactorum)
• Soft Rot (Rhizopus stolonifer)
• Anthracnose (Colletotrichum acutatum)
 Phytophthora Root Rot (Phytophthora cactorum)
Red Stele (Phytophthora fragariae)
Symptoms
• infected plants initially appear stunted with small leaves
• as the disease progresses, the young leaves wilt and the plant
eventually collapses and dies
• wilted leaves may develop brown leaf margins with a sharp line
between damaged and healthy tissue
• becomes more noticeable during periods of water stress, during hot
dry weather, and as the fruit load on the plant increases
• when infected plants are cut open, a deep red to brown discoloration
can be seen in the crown tissue
• roots are typically black and have a poor fibrous structure
• root core of red stele infected plants is reddish-brown

Conditions Favoring Disease

• infection is favored by warm, wet weather and poorly drained soil
• dormant spores can survive many years in the soil
• resting spores germinate when soils are water saturated
• spores only need two hours of moisture on the plant surface to start
an infection
• once infected, more spores are produced and splashed by rain or
irrigation to infect other susceptible crown or fruit tissue.
 Phytophthora Root Rot

Control
• establish field with disease-free plants from certified nurseries
• soil should be well drained and the plants established on raised beds
• drip irrigation is preferred
• soil drench applications of mefenoxam
• mefenoxam can be applied through the drip irrigation system
immediately after the plant establishment
• foliar applications of fosetyl-aluminum
• substrate culture as alternative production system
Black Root Rot (Pythium irregulare, Rhizoctonia fragariae)
• complex disease involving several different fungal
pathogens along with plant stresses or winter injury

Symptoms
• lack of plant vigor, leaf discoloration, and necrosis
• infected plants wilt and the edges of the leaves turn
brown or have a scorched appearance
• June-bearing strawberry plants continue to decline and
often die after the stress of fruit production
• a progression of feeder root death and black roots
• outer layer of the root falls away, leaving only a thin
strand from the core of the root

Conditions Favoring Disease

• commonly occurs in low areas of fields, on compacted
soils, or where the organic matter content is low
• disease is accentuated by low soil moisture, water-
logged soils, winter injury, and poor plant nutrition
• typically builds up over time and is more severe during
harvest
• yield reductions of 20-40% may occur in infected fields
and berry size is significantly smaller
 Black Root Rot
Control
• plant or soil drench with the fungicide azoxystrobin
• maintain plant vigor
• replace the winter straw mulch that may have blown
off open-field matted row production areas
• irrigate during dry weather and after renovation
• maintain good nutritional status of the plants
• avoid soil compaction
 Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes)
Symptoms
• round black or light gray lesions on new leaves
• dark brown to black sunken, circular lesions on
stems, petioles and runners
• youngest plant leaves wilt during water stress,
eventual plant collapse and death within several days
• reddish-brown streak visible when crown is cut
lengthwise
• under humid conditions, salmon-pink spores develop

Conditions Favoring Disease

• introduced to a field by infected planting stock
• can become serious in fields previously cropped with
strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant
• develops most rapidly during wet, humid conditions
and at temperatures between 15-30° C
 Anthracnose
Control
• pre-plant fungicide dip treatment of bare-root frigo or fresh transplants
• best fungicides to use for the dip treatment:
• azoxystrobin (1,000 ppm) mixed with cyprodinil + fludioxonil (1,000 ppm each)
• captan (1,000 ppm) mixed with chlorothalonil (1,000 ppm)
• good field sanitation and removal of infected plants will reduce disease spread

• fungicides used to control anthracnose in commercial strawberry producing countries:

• captan
• captan + fenhexamid
• mancozeb
• pyraclostrobin
• pyraclostrobin + boscalid
• myclobutanil
• iprodione
• difenoconazole + cyprodinil
• thiram
• azoxystrobin
• azoxystrobin + propiconazole
• thiophanate methyl
 Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum)
Symptoms
• wilting of older foliage
• plant stunting
• eventual collapse and death of the plant
• longitudinal section of the crown will exhibit an orange-brown
to dark brown discoloration
• symptoms are identical to those caused by charcoal rot

Conditions Favoring Disease

• high temperatures
• water stress
• heavy fruit loads

Control
• diseased plants should be removed from the field as soon as
they are noticed
• avoid moving soil from infected areas of the field to clean
areas on machinery or footwear
• no fungicides control
• soil fumigation may be effective, but the cost of the fumigant
and application equipment usually does not justify treatment
 Charcoal Rot (Macrophomina phaseolina)
Symptoms
• wilting of foliage, plant stunting, and death of older leaves
• central youngest leaves often remain green and alive
• symptoms usually appear after the plants are established in the field and
after the plants are subjected to moisture stress or begin bearing fruit
• infected plants will eventually collapse and die
• a longitudinal section of the crown of a charcoal rot infected strawberry
plant will show dark brown to orange-brown coloration
• field diagnosis of charcoal rot is difficult due to similar symptoms caused
by other soil-borne crown and root rot pathogens
• internal crown tissue darkening
• accurate field diagnosis is not possible; the affected plants must be
analyzed by a plant pathology laboratory

Conditions Favoring Disease

• high soil temperatures
• low soil moisture
• light textured soils
 Charcoal Rot
Control
• good field sanitation and removal of infected plants will
help to reduce the spread of charcoal rot in the field

• fungicides used to control charcoal rot in commercial

strawberry producing countries:
• azoxystrobin
• flutriafol

• flutriafol is a very effective systemic fungicide and

can be applied through the drip irrigation system
 Verticillium Wilt (Verticillium albo-atrum)
Symptoms
• infected plants wilt rapidly under moisture stress and high
temperature
• plants that are fruiting are affected more severely
• Symptoms begin as leaf wilting with warm temperature
• diseased plants may occur singly or in patches scattered
throughout the field
• symptoms are hard to distinguish from other root and crown rots
• outer leaves develop brown necrotic areas between the veins and
on the leaf edges
• interior leaves of infected plants remain alive, but growth is
retarded and the leaves often have a blue-green coloration
• severely affected plants slowly decline and die
• crown of diseased plants develops necrotic streaking that appears
similar to other crown rots

Conditions Favoring Disease

• high temperatures
• water stress
• heavy fruit loads
 Verticillium Wilt
Control
• establish fields with disease-free transplants
• diseased plants should be removed from the field as soon as
possible
• avoid moving soil from infected areas of the field to areas
free of the disease
• no fungicides will control Verticillium wilt
• soil fumigation may be effective, but the cost of the fumigant
and application equipment would not justify the treatment
 Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera aphanis)
Symptoms
• white powdery growth on the lower leaf surface
• infected leaflets curl upward at the edges, exposing
undersides that often are reddened and coated with a
grayish white powdery mildew fungal mycelium
• leaves will eventually turn red or purple in color
• infected fruit have raised seeds, a bronze cast to the
fruit, and have patches of fluffy white fungal growth
• plants in the early vegetative growth stage and during
leaf expansion are the most susceptible
• fungicides should be applied at the first sign of disease

Conditions Favoring Disease

• thrives under conditions of low light intensity and warm
(16-27º C) humid conditions
• often becomes established in mid to late summer in
Moldova where cooler nights lead to high humidity
conditions favorable for infection
• unlike most fungal diseases, does not require free water
on leaf surface for spores to germinate and infect
• very common on plants grown inside poly tunnels or
greenhouses
• infects the foliage, stems, flowers, and fruit
• fungus overwinters in live infected plant tissue
 Powdery Mildew
Control
• crop protectants that suppress powdery mildew are wettable sulfur,
spray oils, bicarbonates, and hydrogen peroxide

• sulfur compounds can be phytotoxic when temperatures are high or

when applied within two weeks of a spray oil application

• fungicides used to control powdery mildew in commercial

strawberry producing countries:
• azoxystrobin
• pyraclostrobin
• pyraclostrobin + boscalid
• myclobutanil
• triflumizole
• quinoxyfen
• difenoconazole + cyprodinil
• metconazole
• cyflufenamid
• azoxystrobin + propiconazole
• thiophanate methyl
• flutriafol
 Leaf Spot (Mycosphaerella fragariae)
Symptoms
• small (3-6 mm in diameter), round, purple spots on the leaves,
stems, or runners
• a definite reddish-purple to rusty brown border surrounds the spot
• spots enlarge and the centers turn grayish to white on older leaves
and light brown on young leaves
• as the disease progresses, multiple leaf spots merge together and
in severe cases, the leaves turn brown and die
• can infect leaves, petioles, runners, pedicels (fruit stalks), berry
caps (calyxes), and fruit (although rare)

Conditions Favoring Disease

• consecutive wet days or long periods of leaf wetness (> 12 hours)
at temperatures between 10 to 27° C
• in wet weather or during overhead irrigation, fungal conidia are
dispersed and infection spreads on the wet leaves
• fungal colonization is greatly influenced by leaf age, with the
middle-aged leaves being more susceptible to leaf spot than young
and old leaves
• fungus may overwinter in the soil or on leaf tissue
 Leaf Spot
Control
• manual removal of infected leaves coupled with a fungicide treatment

• fungicides used to control leaf spot in commercial strawberry

producing countries:
• copper-based
• mancozeb
• pyraclostrobin
• pyraclostrobin + boscalid
• captan
• captan + fenhexamid
• myclobutanil
• iprodione
• difenoconazole + cyprodinil
• thiram
• azoxystrobin
• azoxystrobin + propiconazole
• thiophanate methyl
 Leaf Blight (Phomopsis obscurans)
Symptoms
• symptoms on the foliage begin with solid reddish-purple round to oval
spots on the leaves that develop a light brown center as they expand
• the developing leaf lesions follow major veins as they progress inward
• the leaf spots enlarge to V-shaped lesions with dry brown centers and
reddish-purple borders
• severe infections can turn a whole leaflet brown
• fungal spore structures can be seen with a 10x hand lens and appear
as black specks that dot the central area of the older lesions
• leaf blight is most destructive to older leaves in the late summer
• almost exclusively attacks weaker, slow-growing plants

Conditions Favoring Disease

• frequent rains, overhead irrigation, and heavy dews
• fungus overwinters on the old leaves that remain attached to the plant
and on infected leaf debris in the field
• spores are spread during moist conditions to new leaf tissue by rain
and splashing water
• fungal spores require extended leaf wetness (> 15 hours) to germinate
• any practice that promotes rapid drying of leaves and fruit will reduce
disease pressure
• fields should be kept free of weeds to improve air circulation
 Leaf Blight
Control
• no strawberry cultivars are resistant to leaf blight
• good agricultural practices that promote plant vigor
• proper plant and row spacing for good air movement through canopy

• fungicides used to control leaf blight in commercial strawberry

producing countries:
• pyraclostrobin
• pyraclostrobin + boscalid
• captan
• captan + fenhexamid
• myclobutanil
• iprodione
• difenoconazole + cyprodinil
• thiram
• azoxystrobin + propiconazole
• thiophanate methyl
 Leaf Scorch (Diplocarpon earlianum)

Symptoms
• leaf scorch can infect foliage, runners, fruit stalks, and berry caps
• numerous dark-purple, angular to round spots on upper leaf surface
• leaf scorch lesions remain completely reddish-purple and will not turn
tan or gray in the center
• the spots may rapidly increase and coalesce into red or light purple
blotches, which eventually dry up causing the leaf to appear burnt
• in severe cases, the infected area dries to a tan color and the leaf
margin curls upward looking scorched
• older and middle-aged leaves infected more readily than young leaves
• as the spots age, black pimple-like fruiting bodies of the fungus are
produced in the center of each spot

Conditions Favoring Disease

• fungus overwinters on infected leaves and leaf debris within the field
• fungus can remain dormant for long periods on dry leaves, but
produces spores quickly in the presence of moisture
• spread by splashing rain, machinery, or people walking through an
infected field
• spores germinate and new leaf spots form if leaves remain wet for 12
hours or longer
 Leaf Scorch

Control
• hot and dry weather will stop leaf scorch disease development

• fungicides used to control leaf scorch control in commercial strawberry

producing countries include:
• pyraclostrobin
• pyraclostrobin + boscalid
• captan
• captan + fenhexamid
• myclobutanil
• iprodione
• difenoconazole + cyprodinil
• thiram
• azoxystrobin + propiconazole
• thiophanate methyl
 Leaf Blotch (Gnomonia comari)
Symptoms
• purple to brown irregular shaped lesions on young leaves
• on older leaves, the lesions enlarge to form light brown necrotic spots
• majority of lesions develop along the margin or edge of the leaflets
• affected areas can expand to cover from one-fourth to one-half of the
leaflet surface
• tiny, brown to black fungal fruiting bodies often visible in the blotches
• peduncles, petioles, calyxes, and fruits may also be affected
Control
• proper field sanitation
• avoid matted row plantings from becoming too dense
• fungicides used to control leaf blotch in commercial strawberry producing
countries include:
• pyraclostrobin
• pyraclostrobin + boscalid
• captan
• captan + fenhexamid
• Myclobutanil
• Iprodione
• difenoconazole + cyprodinil
• thiram
• azoxystrobin + propiconazole
• thiophanate methyl
 Angular Leaf Spot (Xanthomonas fragariae)
Symptoms
• the most severe bacterial disease of strawberries in Moldova
• first symptoms of angular leaf spot are water-soaked lesions on the underside
of the leaf
• when viewed against a bright light, the lesions are transluscent
• as the disease progresses, the lesions enlarge to form angular reddish-brown
spots on the upper leaf surface
• the bacteria are limited by the vein pattern in the leaf which gives it the
diagnostic angular pattern
• upon drying, the spots form a whitish scaly skin and eventually the leaves
become necrotic
• the bacteria also causes necrosis of petioles, flowers, and berry calyxes
• if the calyx of the fruit become necrotic it is usually unmarketable

Conditions Favoring Disease

• moderate day time temperatures (20º C) and low night time temperatures (at or
just below freezing) and prolonged leaf wetness
• the bacteria are very resistant to drying and may survive for up to a year on old
leaves or in buried plant tissue in the soil
• the bacteria may be spread by rain or irrigation, or carried from plant to plant
when fields are being worked when the foliage is wet
• wet, cool weather in the spring encourages the bacteria to build up to damaging
levels
 Angular Leaf Spot
Control
• establish the field with disease-free transplants
• drip irrigation should be the method of water application
• if overhead sprinkler is used, water should be applied in the morning
in order to allow sufficient time for the leaves to dry
• the amount of inoculum should be reduced by removing leaf debris
• avoid worsening the problem by working in fields when leaves are wet
• provide good aeration of strawberry plants in protected structures

• foliar applications of the antibiotics (streptomycin or oxytetracycline)

or copper-containing crop protectants (cupric hydroxide or copper
sulfate) suppress disease development
• however, these materials are not able to eliminate the disease
• over-applications or high dosage application rates of copper materials
can be toxic to strawberry plants
 Gray Mold (Botrytis cinerea)
• the worst postharvest disease of strawberries
• also infects flowers and developing fruit
• no strawberry cultivar is resistant
Symptoms
• fungus initially infects the dying flower petals after pollination
• fungus remains dormant until the fruit begins to ripen
• infections usually start at the top of the berry near the cap, where
the dying flower parts remain
• fruit infection appears as dry tan spots on immature fruit
• majority of gray mold disease occurs on ripe fruit
• infected areas of ripe fruit are soft and initially tan in color, with no
distinct border between the rotted and healthy tissue
• under warm and humid conditions, the infected areas become
covered with velvety gray powdery fungal spores
Conditions Favoring Disease
• worse during periods of prolonged wet weather and on crowded
plants with heavy foliage and a thick canopy
• development is favored by moderate temperatures (15-24° C) with
prolonged periods of high relative humidity and leaf surface
wetness.
• incidence and severity of gray mold is especially high during rainy
and cloudy periods just before or during harvest
 Gray Mold
Control
• any practice that promotes quick drying of leaves and fruit
will reduce the incidence of gray mold
• growing strawberries inside protected structures will
significantly reduce the incidence and severity of gray mold
• remove moldy berries from the field

• fungicides used to control gray mold in commercial

strawberry producing countries include:
• pyraclostrobin
• captan
• captan + fenhexamid
• fenhexamid
• pyraclostrobin + boscalid
• iprodione
• pyrimethanil + propanediol
• cyprodinil + fludioxinil
• thiram
• difenoconazole + cyprodinil
• thiophanate-methyl

• cool fruit immediately after harvest

• store and transport at 0° C
 Leather Rot (Phytophthora cactorum)
• the same fungal organism causes root and crown rot
Symptoms
• infections on green fruit are typically circular to oval in shape and tan
to brown in color
• the infected area enlarges into an irregular shape that can cover
much of the fruit
• infected areas on ripe fruit appear bleached and soft
• infected fruit have a very unpleasant odor and bitter taste
• a white fuzzy growth may appear on the fruit surface under moist
conditions
Conditions Favoring Disease
• warm and wet weather
• poorly drained soil
Control
• proper plant spacing
• weed control for good aeration and to facilitate plant drying
• soil mulch
• fungicides used to control leather rot in commercial strawberry
producing countries include:
• mefenoxam applied as a soil drench
• fosetyl-Al applied as a foliar spray
• both fungicides are systemic and after absorption are translocated to the
infected tissues for partial curative action
 Soft Rot (Rhizopus stolonifer)
Symptoms
• initial symptoms appear as water-soaked spots on the fruit that gradually
turn light-brown
• the infected tissue area rapidly softens and collapses, followed by
leakage of the juice
• under humid conditions, the fruit is rapidly covered with a dense, fluffy
coat of white fungal growth
• fungal growth turns blue-black in color when spores form on the white
whisker-like mycelium

Conditions Favoring Disease

• high temperature
• moist conditions

Control
• good field sanitation
• discarded berries and over-ripe fruit should be removed from the field
• handle the fruit carefully to avoid bruising
• rapid cooling after harvest
• maintenance of the cold chain during transport and distribution to market
 Anthracnose Fruit Rot (Colletotrichum acutatum)
Symptoms
• dark lesion extending down pedicel which girdles the
stem and kills the flower
• infection after pollination may result in small, hard,
deformed fruit
• light brown water-soaked spots on ripening fruit which
develop into firm dark round lesions
• fruit infections are characterized by dark, circular, tan to brown
sunken lesions that may be covered with salmon-pink spore
masses

Conditions Favoring Disease

• warm humid weather (20-32°C, 100% RH)
• frequent rain or overhead irrigation
• optimum temperature for disease development is 27° C and at
least six hours of wetting
• more common on day‐neutral cultivars
 Anthracnose Fruit Rot
Control
• fungicides used to control anthracnose fruit rot in
commercial strawberry producing countries include:
• iprodione
• mycobutanil
• pyraclostrobin
• pyraclostrobin + boscalid
• captan
• captan + fenhexamid
• propiconazole
• azoxystrobin
• azoxystrobin + propiconazole
• cyprodinil
• difenoconazole + cyproninil
 Principal Insects of Strawberries in Moldova

Piercing Sucking
• Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus Bug (Lygus lineolaris)
• Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae)
• Cyclamen Mite (Steneotarsonemus pallidus)
• Aphids (Chaetospihon fragaefolii, Myzus persicae)
• Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci)
• Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis)

Chewing
• Strawberry Bud Weevil (Anthonomus signatus)
• Strawberry Root Weevil (Otiorhynchus ovatus)
• Leafrollers (Ancylis comptana fragariae)
• Leafhopper (Homoptera sp.)
• Grubworms (Phyllophaga sp., Cyclocephala sp.)
• Sap Beetle (Stelidota geminata)
 Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus Bug (Lygus lineolaris)
Description
• adults are about 6 mm long and elliptical shaped
• brown to black in color with yellow or white patches
• easily identified by the yellow markings behind the head, which vary in
shape from a V, to a Y, to a heart shape
• immature stage, or nymph, is similar to the adult but smaller and
green in color with black spots
• both adults and nymphs feed on the developing flowers and fruit,
sucking out plant juices with their piercing-sucking mouth parts

Life Cycle
• overwinter in protected areas such as leaf litter, plant debris, hedge
rows, and brush piles
• adults become active in the early spring and the mated females lay
their eggs on grasses, broadleaf weeds, and on strawberry plants
• eggs hatch to nymphs in 7-10 days depending on the temperature
• nymphs may be present on the plants in early May
• first observation of nymphs usually occurs during the full-bloom period
of midseason flowering cultivars
• nymphs undergo 5 stages of development
• can be 2 to 5 generations per year
 Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus Bug
Feeding Symptoms
• adult and nymph stages feed on the strawberry flowers and developing fruit, causing the fruit to be
deformed and have seedy ends
• straw-colored seeds that are large and hollow
• damage varies from partial to severe depending on the amount of feeding
• deformed fruit are generally unmarketable
Control
• eliminate weeds from within the production area and along the field borders
• avoid planting strawberries near alfalfa, which attracts lygus bugs
• apply insecticide if nymphs are found in 4 flower clusters out of 30 sampled
• in other leading strawberry producing countries the recommended insecticides are:
• acetamiprid
• carbaryl
• diazinon
• malathion
• imidacloprid
• fenpropathrin
• novaluron
• flonicamid
• permethrin
• bifenthrin
• etoxazole
• Naled
• thiamethoxam
• flupyradifurone
 Strawberry Bud Weevil (Anthonomus signatus)
Description
• adults are small beetles, approximately 2.5 mm-long, with a long,
slender, and curved snout
• adults vary in color from dull red to nearly black, with a dark spot just
below the center on each wing cover

Life Cycle
• most bud weevils migrate into strawberry fields in the early spring
from bordering wooded areas
• adult bud weevils feed on pollen inside nearly-mature flowers
• subsequently, the adult lays an egg inside the flower
• larvae feed within the damaged bud for a period of 3 to 4 weeks
• a new generation of adults emerges in mid-summer
• bud weevils overwinter as adults
 Strawberry Bud Weevil
Feeding Symptoms
• bud weevils are normally present just before and during bloom
• adult bud weevils feed on pollen inside nearly-mature flowers
• adults girdle the flower bud to prevent its opening and clip the stem
so that it hangs or falls to the ground

Control
• apply insecticide when weevils are observed and there is at least
one freshly clipped flower bud per meter of row

• insecticides used to control bud weevil in commercial strawberry

producing countries:
• permethrin
• malathion
• carbaryl
• bifenthrin
• imidacloprid
• thiamethoxam
• esfenvalorate
• chlorpyrifos
• novaluron
• fenpropathrin
 Strawberry Root Weevil (Otiorhynchus ovatus)
Description
• one of the most serious soil-borne insects of strawberries
• fat, white, legless larvae about 6-8 mm in length with a brownish
head
• larvae burrow through the soil and feed on the roots and crowns of
the strawberry plant, causing severe stunting or death
• adult weevils are 6-8 mm long and have wing covers distinguished by
many rows of small pits

Life Cycle
• overwinter as larvae in soil
• larvae feed on strawberry plant roots in spring
• adults begin to emerge from the soil during harvest
• adults remain in the fields throughout July and August, feeding and
laying eggs
• one generation per year
 Strawberry Root Weevil
Feeding Symptoms
• reddish granular excrement on roots
• notched leaves

Control
• in other leading strawberry producing countries, the recommended
insecticides for control of strawberry root weevil
• carbaryl
• diazinon
• malathion
• Imidacloprid
• esfenvalerate
• fenpropathrin
• novaluron
• bifenthrin
• chlorpyrifos
• thiamethoxam
 Leafrollers (Ancylis comptana)
Description
• adult moths are reddish brown, with distinct gray, tan, and white
markings on forewings
• wingspan is approximately 12 mm

Life Cycle
• moths lay eggs on the underside of strawberry leaflets
• eggs hatch and the larvae feed on leaf epidermis, secreting silk
threads as tie the leaflets together
• as the larvae feed and grow, they change from pale green to grayish
brown in color
• larvae reach a length of about 12 mm
• pupae are formed within the leaf roll, eventually emerging as an adult
• several generations per year
 Leafrollers
Feeding Symptoms
• larvae use silk to spin webs and roll leaves while consuming
leaf tissue
• leaflets tissue turns brown and necrotic

Control
• in other leading strawberry producing countries, the
recommended insecticides for control of leafrollers:
• spinetoram
• spinosad
• chlorantraniliprole
• tebufenozide
• methoxyfenozide
• diazinon
 Whiteflies (Trialeurodes packardi, Bemisia tabaci)
• generally more severe inside greenhouses and poly tunnels
Description
• adults are about 1 mm in size with four membranous wings that are
coated with white powdery wax

Life Cycle
• whiteflies go through six development stages: eggs; first, second,
third, and fourth instar immatures; and the adult
• eggs are microscopic and laid on the underside of leaves
• only adults and newly hatched nymphs (i.e., crawlers) are mobile
• in warm weather, whiteflies can complete a generation in 18 days
 Whiteflies
Feeding Symptoms
• stunts plant growth and reduces crop yields directly
through their feeding on leaf sap
• excretes sticky honeydew during feeding that support
the growth of black sooty mold fungus
• can transmit virus diseases

Control
• sticky traps are useful for determining infestation levels
• the predator wasp, Encarsia Formosa, is effective in
reducing whitefly populations in greenhouses, but not in
open field production
• early Spring pruning and removal of dead leaves helps to
reduce overwintering pest populations
• in other leading strawberry producing countries, the
recommended insecticides for control of whiteflies:
• thiamethoxam
• imidacloprid
• pyriproxyfen
• Fenpropathrin
• acetamiprid
• insecticidal soap
 Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae)
• one of the worst strawberry pests inside greenhouses and
poly tunnels
• prefer hot and dry weather
• 10X magnifying glass needed to properly identify mites
Description
• adults vary from slightly amber to greenish in color with two dark
spots on the front portion of the abdomen
• elliptical in shape, about 0.5 mm long, with 8 legs
• eggs of spider mites are attached to fine silk webbing and hatch in
approximately three days
• nymphs are oval in shape and generally yellow or greenish
Life Cycle
• life cycle is composed of the egg, the larva, two nymphal stages,
and the adult
• time from egg to adult varies greatly depending on temperature
• cool, damp weather generally keeps mite populations in check
naturally, but they can increase rapidly under hot, dry conditions
• feeding on undersides of leaves
• adult female lives two to four weeks and is capable of laying
several hundred eggs during her life
• 10-15 generations may hatch each year
 Two-Spotted Spider Mite
Feeding Symptoms
• pierce epidermis of leaf with sharp mouthparts
• extract the cell sap and collapse mesophyll tissue of the leaf
• a yellow or bronze-colored spot forms at each feeding site
• injured leaves become dehydrated during hot sunny days and eventually discolor and
begin to senesce and turn necrotic
• webs on the lower surface of the leaf
Control
• water roads to reduce dust from moving vehicles which transports mites into field
• miticides used in other countries for effective control of two-spotted spider mites
include:
• abamectin
• spirodiclofen
• etoxazole
• bifenazate
• fenpyroximate
• hexythiazox
• acequinocyl
• clofentezine
• the predator mite, Phytoseilus persmilis, is used worldwide as a biological control
• release predator mites only when spider mites are present in the field
• ratio of 1 predator to 10 two-spotted mites for control
• predator mites do not cause harm to the strawberry plant or other crops
 Cyclamen Mite (Phytonemus pallidus)
Description
• tiny (< 0.3 mm), oval, white-amber colored mite
• magnification (10X) needed for identification
• eggs are oval, translucent and about one-half the size of a mature mite
Feeding Symptoms
• stunted plants, distorted leaves, and buds that fail to open
• compact leaf mass in the center of the plant
• fruit from cyclamen mite infested plants are small, bronzed, and have
prominent seeds
• feeds on the newest strawberry leaves while they are still folded up near
the crown
Control
• avoid infested nursery plants, which can be a major source of mites
• miticides used in other countries for effective control of cyclamen mites
include:
• abamectin
• spiromesifen
• fenpyroximate
• acequinocyl

• predator mite, Amblysieus swirskii, is effective in reducing cyclamen mite

 Aphids (Chaetospihon fragaefolii, Myzus persicae)
Description
• small (1.5 mm long), soft bodied, slow moving
• green, yellowish green, pink or gray in color and variable in shape
• adults may or may not have wings
• nymphs resemble the wingless adults, pale green to yellow in color
Feeding Symptoms
• prefer to feed on the underside of leaves
• piercing-sucking insects, extract cell sap, reduce plant vigor
• vector virus diseases (strawberry crinkle virus, strawberry mottle)
Control
• recommended insecticides for aphid control in other commercial
strawberry producing countries include:
• malathion
• carbaryl
• bifenthrin
• flonicamid
• novaluron
• thiamethoxam
• esfenvalorate
• imidacloprid
• acetamiprid
• flupyradifurone
• insecticidal soap
 Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis)
• prefer hot, dry weather
Description
• tiny, yellow-brown insects, less than 2 mm long
• long and narrow in shape, threadlike
• nymphs resemble adults in shape and coloring
• rasping sucking mouthparts that scrape plant tissue
• found in flowers and on fruit
Life Cycle

Control
• recommended insecticides for aphid control in other
commercial strawberry producing countries include:
• spinetoram
• acetamiprid
• dibrom
• sulfoxaflor
 Leafhoppers (Homoptera spp.)
Description
• adults are light green or white and about 3 mm long
• young nymphs are tiny, light green, and easily identified by the habit
of moving sideways when disturbed.
Feeding Symptoms
• sucking on leaf tissue and removing solutes from the cells, which
reduces plant vigor
• heavily infested leaves are speckled with white markings
• causes the upper leaves to curl up and develop a yellowish cast
Control
• recommended insecticides for controlling leafhoppers in other
commercial strawberry producing countries include:
• malathion
• carbaryl
• acetamiprid
• bifenthrin
• imidacloprid
• thiamethoxam
• esfenvalorate
• novaluron
• fenpropathrin
• flonicamid
• esfenvalorate
 Grubworm (Phyllophaga spp.)

Description
• adults are hard-shelled, block-shaped beetles that fly at night and
are seldom seen in strawberry fields
• larvae are found in the soil; they are C-shaped, with a tan or brown
head capsule and six prominent spiny legs

Life Cycle
• June beetle adults are active in May and early June
• eggs are laid in grassy places
• eggs hatch into grubworm larvae and feed on plant roots
• June beetle larvae remain in the soil for three seasons and feed on
plant roots throughout each growing season
 Grubworm
Feeding Symptoms
• stunted growth and plant dieback
• one grub can damage 3- 4 plants
• plants show poor vigor, wilting, and death in patches
• first-year plantings are most susceptible to damage

Control
• typically enter the field in by incorporation of unsterilized
farmyard manure
• calcium chloride mixed into the manure piles will significantly
lower white grub inoculum by desicating the larvae
• use light blue water traps to attract and kill the adult beetles
• insecticides applied as soil drench treatments are effective in
reducing the population of grubworms in the soil
• insecticides used in other leading strawberry producing
countries for control of grubworms include:
• diazinon
• bifenthrin
• imidacloprid
 Sap Beetle (Stelidota geminata)
Description
• found mostly on ripe and over-ripe fruit
• adults are about 3 mm long, oval, and mottled brown in color, with orange
or yellow spots
• adults have knobbed antennae
Life Cycle
• overwinter as adults in organic matter in protected sites and become active
early in the spring
• begin laying eggs in fermenting material in May and June
• adults emerge in late June and July
• usually only one generation per year
Feeding Symptoms
• feeds on ripe berries, creating holes in ripening fruit
• beetles may be seen in the holes they chewed, but often drop to the
ground when disturbed
Control
• the best management strategy is good field sanitation
• keep the field free of overripe fruit by picking often and thoroughly
• insecticides that are effective in controlling sap beetles include:
• bifenthrin
• acetamiprid
• naled
Open-Field vs. Protected Structure Pest Challenges
 Proper Application of Crop Protectants
• well functioning equipment

• proper dosage

• proper sprayer calibration

• good plant coverage

• avoid alkaline hydrolysis

• use spreader-sticker or surfactant to

obtain better plant coverage
Summary