Integrated Management of Strawberry Diseases

Use of Disease Resistant Varieties

In the integrated disease management program, the use of cultivars with disease resistance must be emphasized. Many commercial cultivars have resistance and/or tolerance to Leaf Spot, Leaf Scorch, Red Stele, Verticillium Wilt and Powdery Mildew. The more disease resistance within the program, the better. Table 1 lists ratings for disease resistance in several of the more commonly grown cultivars. This type of information is available from a number of sources. Most nurseries should be able to provide information on disease resistance for the cultivars they sell.

Table 1. Disease resistance of Several Strawberry Cultivars Commonly Grown in the Midwest

June Bearing		Disease Resistance^a
Cultivar	Season	Verticillium Wilt	Red Stele	Leaf Diseases^b	Powdery Mildew	Comments
Earliglow	Early	R	R	R	PR	Standard for early cultivars; berry size medium. Excellent flavor, but only moderately productive.
Veestar	Early	T	S	T	PR	Early, productive. Has performed well in Southeast PA, with medium bright berries. Fruit shows some Botrytis resistance.
Annapolis	Early	I	R	S	S	Fruit medium-large, firm, and glossy with good flavor. Plants runner freely. Fairly susceptible to Botrytis.
Northeaster	Early	R	R	I	S	Very large, early, and firm fruit with aromatic flavor and aroma. King berries slightly rough. Well adapted to heavy soils. In PA, for trial only.
Mohawk	Early	R	R	PR	T	Medium-sized fruit, comparable to Earliglow. Good flavor. Tolerant of Botrytis. Has been very variable, as two lines of plant material exist. Plant only small quantities.
Avalon	Early	R	R	T	R	Large berry with good color and flavor, average productivity and vigor. Has performed well in Southeastern PA. For trial only.
Sable	Early	U	R	PR	S	Veestar x Cavendish cross. Productive, well suited to U-pick operations. Available in small quantities. For trial only. Produces dense beds; Botrytis control may require more effort than usual.
Evangeline	Early	U	S	U	R	Medium yields of conical, firm berries. Flavor good if fully ripe. Berries produced on stiff, upright stalks. May not runner well. For trial only. Limited quantities available.

June Bearing		Disease Resistance^a
Cultivar	Season	Verticillium Wilt	Red Stele	Leaf Diseases^b	Powdery Mildew	Comments
Honeoye	Early-mid	S	S	PR	T	Large fruit, productive; has performed well in PA, but lack of red stele resistance a concern. Tends to become soft in hot weather. Flavor distinctive, "Perfumy".
Cavendish	Early-mid	I	R	PR	S	Very large firm fruit with good flavor. Very productive (yields 85% of Kent) and moderately vigorous. Tends to ripen unevenly in certain years.
Brunswick	Early-mid	U	R	U	U	Good size and flavor. May perform better in cooler locations. Susceptible to Phytophthora crown rot. For trial.

June Bearing		Disease Resistance^a
Cultivar	Season	Verticillium Wilt	Red Stele	Leaf Diseases^b	Powdery Mildew	Comments
Raritan	Mid	S	S	S	S	Widely planted cultivar in spite of disease susceptibility; first fruits are large, but size decreases more rapidly than most cultivars. Very flavorful.
Guardian	Mid	R	R	R	S	Very productive, firm, large fruit, sometimes rough (uneven) looking. Botrytis is generally more prevalent in Guardian. Tends to get a "Long neck" which breaks down and allows easy entry for slugs and sap beetles. Susceptible to Sinbar injury.
Redchief	Mid	PR	R	R	R	Productive, with good color and size. Flavor average. Excellent disease resistance.
Lester	Mid	S	R	R	U	Productive, good-sized berry. Flavor is good, though size tends to "run down" quickly. Fruit if fairly susceptible to Botrytis.
Kent	Mid	S	S	S	T	Extremely productive berry with large firm fruit. Tends to yield fruit in middle of rows, resulting in high rot, so keep rows narrow. Flavor average. Susceptible to Sinbar injury.
Settler	Mid	T	U	T	S	Large attractive moderately firm fruit. Very susceptible to Sinbar injury. In PA, for trial only.
DelMarvel	Mid	R	R	R	U	Very vigorous plants, with high production, large, firm, aromatic fruit. In PA, for trial only.
Primetime	Mid	R	R	R	U	Medium-firm berry with mild, lightly aromatic flavor. Good Botrytis resistance. In PA, for trial only.
Mira	Mid	U	R	S	R	Glossy, medium-red, tart berries. High yielding in areas north of PA. Good winter hardiness. Vigorous plants. In PA, for trial only.
Eros	Mid	S	R	U	U	'Allstar' hybrid from England, with darker fruit color than 'Allstar'. Large fruit, well-balanced flavor. Available in small quantities. For trial only.
Darselect	Mid	U	U	T	U	Attractive fruit with good color and quality. Vigorous. Available in small quantities for trial.

June Bearing		Disease Resistance^a
Cultivar	Season	Verticillium Wilt	Red Stele	Leaf Diseases^b	Powdery Mildew	Comments
Jewel	Mid-late	S	S	PR	R	Large soft fruit; can be very dark. Tends to soften in hot weather. Very productive, though dense foliage can encourage Botrytis.
Allstar	Mid-late	R-T	R	T	T	Productive, elongated, flavorful berries. Lighter color than most berries. Good fruit size. Has become the standard mid-season berry in PA, in spite of light color. Has potential for the annual system on plastic mulch. Susceptible to angular leaf spot.
Seneca	Mid-late	S	S	U	U	Round, large, medium-red, exceptionally firm fruit with firm skin. Plant is vigorous. Flavor mediocre, but firmness of fruit may be useful for shipping market. Has potential for the annual system on plastic mulch.
Lateglow	Mid-late	R	R	T	T	Productive, good size and flavor. First berries extremely large, though size "runs down" over season. Extremely vigorous plant and needs to be controlled.
Latestar	Mid-late	R	R	R	U	Mild flavor, but variable yields and small fruit size. Vigorous plants. Flowers and ripens a few days later than 'Allstar'. In PA, for trial only. Susceptible to gray mold.
Winona	Mid-late	T	R	R	U	Large, firm conical fruit with bright red-orange color and good flavor. Released from Minnesota. May be marginal quality when warm. In PA, for trial only.
Mesabi	Mid-late	R	R	R	R	Large, dark-red fruit with good flavor. Winter hardy. Skin tends to become weak in warm weather.
Cabot	Mid-late	U	R	T	U	Huge berries, averaging 20-30 g over season. Berries rough-looking with firm flesh and tender skin. Available in small quantities. Greatest value may be as a "novelty berry" Doesn't runner well. For trial only.

June Bearing		Disease Resistance^a
Cultivar	Season	Verticillium Wilt	Red Stele	Leaf Diseases^b	Powdery Mildew	Comments
Delite	Late	R	R	R	U	Large berries, very resistant to disease, average flavor.
Sparkle	Late	S	R	S	S	Flavorful, high-quality, attractive but soft fruit. Tends to grow very thickly. Size decreases rapidly during harvest season.

Day neutral		Disease Resistance^a
Cultivar		Verticillium Wilt	Red Stele	Leaf Diseases^b	Powdery Mildew	Comments
Tribute		PR	R	T	R	Slightly later than 'Tristar' with larger fruit. Flavor not as strong, and plants are more vigorous.
Tristar		R	R	T	R	Bears an early crop, smaller than 'Tribute' flavor is excellent. Flesh and skin firm. Moderate vigor. Size reduced when weather too hot.
Everest		U	U	U	U	An alternative for growers who wish to try a day-neutral other than Tribute or Tristar. Recommended for small quantity trials only.

Plastic culture system		Disease Resistant^a
Cultivar	Season	Verticillium Wilt	Red Stele	Foliar Diseases^b	Powdery Mildew	comments
Sweet Charlie	Early	U	U	U	U	Good flavor and size. Yields lower than for Chandler but produces crop for early market. Tends to break dormancy and flower during warm spells in late winter and early spring.
Chandler	Mid	U	S	S	S	Standard berry for this production system. Large, firm berries. Flavor is sweet if allowed to ripen fully, and not over-fertilized with nitrogen.
Camarosa	Mid	U	U	S	S	Large, firm berries. Productive and vigorous in warmer climates. Flavor fair. Cool fall temperatures may negatively affect flower bud initiation.
Marmolada	Mid	R	U	U	U	Requires high nitrogen rates for high yields. Large, glossy, bright red fruit with red flesh. Flavor fair. In PA, for trial only.

^a I = intermediate, PR = partially resistant, R = resistant, S = susceptible, T = tolerant, U = unknown. ^b Includes leafscorch and leaf spot.

Used with permission from the Commercial Berry Production and Pest Management Guide, 2002-2004", The Pennsylvania State University.