Diseases

Fusarium Wilt of Strawberry

Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier

A dangerous fungal disease caused by the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae. It is characterized by systemic infection of the vascular system, leading to wilting, necrosis of the root system, and plant death.

In the reference 29 varieties crop Garden strawberry, where this is mentioned in the description.

The primary causative agent of the disease is the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, which exhibits high genetic variability. Two types of pathogens are distinguished: 'Yellows-fragariae', which induces jasmonic acid genes, and 'Wilt-fragariae', which affects ethylene synthesis pathways. The existence of different races of the pathogen requires the use of molecular genetic methods for their precise identification.

Symptoms appear during the berry filling stage as wilting of the lower leaf tier, necrosis of the petioles, and darkening of the root and petiole vascular tissues caused by their blockage by mycelium. The plant gradually loses its ability to produce runners, the crown collapses, and flower stalks dry out, leading to the death of the crop within one and a half months.

Breeding for resistance to this disease relies on the identification and mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL). Although specific dominant resistance genes in strawberry have not been sufficiently clearly defined for a standardized cultivar classification, the development of molecular markers is a key tool in modern breeding work.

General information about the subject — on the page Fusarium wilt and blight.

Sources8

Varieties of Garden strawberry mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.