Strawberry verticillosis: what is it, photo, treatment

Verticillium wilt of strawberries can lead to the death of the entire crop. In the early stages, the disease is treatable, but it is important to recognize its symptoms in time.

What is the disease and where does it come from

Verticillium wilt, or wilt, is a disease caused by a fungus from the genus Verticillium dahliae. It affects the vascular system of strawberries, usually develops on the roots of the plant, so it is quite difficult to notice the disease in time. It is highly resistant to adverse conditions, in the early stages almost does not manifest itself as symptoms.

The causative agent of the disease most often affects strawberries growing on sandy soil with an acidity index of about 6-7 pH. The development of verticillium is facilitated by a lack of light and poor ventilation of the beds, high humidity and sudden changes in day and night temperatures.

Infection of strawberries usually occurs through poor-quality planting material that has not undergone antifungal treatment. Spores can get into the garden through dirty garden tools, sometimes verticillium spreads to the crop from neighboring plants susceptible to the disease. The likelihood of infection increases in the presence of weeds – especially nightshade, amaranth and madder. Fungus spores overwinter in plant debris, so verticillium often appears on neglected plantations, from which fallen leaves and crumbling fruits are not removed.

Verticillosis actively develops at a temperature of 16-20 ° C

The causative agent of the disease penetrates the strawberry tissue if its roots are weakened or damaged. The first symptoms of the disease in this case may appear only 2-3 years after infection.

Damage symptoms

Verticillosis on strawberry beds can be recognized by characteristic symptoms. These include:

• drying of the leaves, which begins at the bottom and gradually spreads up the bushes;
• redness of the petioles or the appearance of brown and bluish stripes and spots on them;
• crushing, drying out and rot of berries;
• slowing down the development of strawberries;
• twisting the leaves in a spiral;
• mustache death.

With a severe defeat by verticillium, strawberry bushes simply lie down on the ground and finally die. It is important to inspect the plantings as often as possible in order to notice the disease in the early stages of development.

How and how to treat verticillium wilt of strawberries

Preparations for verticillium wilt of strawberries can be divided into several groups. In case of serious damage to the bushes, it is recommended to use industrial potent remedies; for mild symptoms, home solutions often help.

Fungitsidы

Antifungal drugs help well with moderate and severe lesions of the beds with verticillium. There are several particularly effective and inexpensive means.

Bordeaux liquid

The fungicidal preparation is a mixture of lime and copper sulfate. You can prepare the solution yourself according to the following scheme:

1. In 1 liter of hot water, dilute 300 g of copper sulfate and stir well.
2. Top up with cold liquid to a volume of 5 liters.
3. 2 liters of water are poured into a bucket and 400 g of quicklime are poured.
4. Stir and again add cold liquid to 5 liters.
5. Combine the resulting milk of lime and copper sulphate with each other.

The finished solution of 3% should have a bright blue color and not have flakes. The agent is filtered through folded gauze, after which it is poured into a spray bottle and sprayed with strawberry plantings.

During the season, it is necessary to perform several sprays from verticillium at intervals of two weeks

Maksim

The fungicide is available in ampoules, each containing 2 ml of the active ingredient. To prepare the solution, dilute the drug in 2 liters of water and mix.

Spraying strawberries or watering under the root is carried out from early spring until the beginning of flowering. One bush should take 100 ml of the drug.

The fungicidal drug Maxim is not dangerous to humans and does not adversely affect the yield of strawberries.

Fundazole

One of the best antifungal agents for verticillosis is Fundazol, which effectively suppresses the vital activity of the causative agent of the disease. To prepare a working solution, 10 g of the drug is diluted in 10 liters of water. Use a spray agent, the consumption rate is 10 liters per 10 m². It is necessary to process strawberries before flowering, so as not to disturb the pollination processes.

Fundazol is a toxic drug, so you need to work with it in a respirator and gloves

Biopreparations

Biological products are in demand because they do not lead to the accumulation of toxic substances in the soil and do not pose a danger to humans. As part of such funds there are useful fungi that inhibit the causative agent of verticillium and bring a quick effect in the early stages of the development of the disease.

Trichodermine

The biological preparation is used both for the prevention of verticillosis and for its treatment. To prepare a spray mixture, you need to dissolve 200 ml of the finished product in 10 liters of water. In addition, Trichodermin is used for soil treatment – every 1 m² soil shed 30 ml of the drug.

You can use Trichodermin for strawberry verticillosis at any stage of the growing season

Phytocides

The biofungicidal drug is intended for the treatment of rot and fungal diseases, including verticillium. The solution is prepared as follows – 10 ml of the product is diluted in a bucket of water.

The resulting liquid should be enough to process 100 strawberry bushes. The solution is used for watering the beds, the procedure is carried out in cloudy weather or in the evening.

Phytocid-r not only eliminates verticillosis, but also serves as a complex mineral top dressing for strawberries

Phytodoctor

A universal biological product is used to treat vegetable and berry crops from fungal diseases. To treat strawberries with verticillium, dilute 10 g of the product in 30 liters of water and insist in a dark place for two hours. The finished solution is used for irrigation.

It is necessary to use Phytodoctor’s solution within three hours after preparation.

Folk remedies

With a weak verticillium lesion, home remedies can be used to treat strawberries. Their advantages include high safety and efficiency.

soapy saline solution

With verticillosis in the early stages, a solution of laundry soap and salt has a good effect. Prepare the drug as follows:

1. The soap bar is rubbed on a coarse grater.
2. Dissolve 40 g of the resulting chips in a bucket of water.
3. Add 30 g of table salt and mix well.

Plantings are abundantly sprayed with the finished preparation. It is desirable to repeat the treatment several times with an interval of 1-2 weeks.

Soap makes the fungicide solution sticky and helps form a protective film on strawberry bushes.

A solution of iodine and soda

An iodine-soda solution has a good antifungal and antiseptic effect. They do it according to this scheme:

1. Stir 30 g of baking soda in a bucket of water.
2. 5 ml of ordinary iodine 5% are added to the solution.
3. Bring the product to a homogeneous state.

The resulting preparation is poured into a spray bottle and strawberries are treated so that the solution falls on both the leaves of the plant and the soil under the bushes.

Iodine can burn strawberry leaves, so it must be dosed very carefully.

Маргацовка

Strawberry wilt disease can be eliminated with potassium permanganate. For treatment, a simple solution is prepared – potassium permanganate crystals are stirred in a bucket of water until the liquid becomes light pink. Plantings are watered with the resulting product 3-4 times in a row until the symptoms of the disease are eliminated.

Iodine can burn strawberry leaves, so it must be dosed very carefully.

Agrotechnical methods of struggle

Proper agricultural technology when growing strawberries helps, in principle, to avoid damage to the beds by verticillium. When caring for a culture, you must:

1. Observe crop rotation. Every 3-5 years, beds with strawberries need to be moved to a new place, and the former site should be given to other crops – carrots, spinach, peas or garlic.
2. Use for growing varieties with good immunity to verticillium wilt. It is especially important to pay attention to the choice of seedlings if the conditions on the site favor the development of fungal diseases.
3. Disinfect strawberry seedlings and soil before planting. To eliminate possible fungal spores and microorganisms, fungicidal preparations and a light solution of potassium permanganate are used.
4. Remove plant debris from the site. The causative agent of verticillium waits out the winter in the upper layers of the soil and in the rotting remains of leaves and berries. Before the onset of cold weather, the plantation must be thoroughly cleaned of debris.

As part of the agrotechnical control of verticillium, heavily affected strawberry bushes must be dug up and burned. This will protect neighboring healthy plants from wilting.

Preventive measures

Strawberry verticillium is treatable, but it is quite difficult to cope with the disease. Compliance with preventive measures helps in principle to avoid the defeat of the disease. When growing strawberries, you need:

• plant bushes only on fertile and well-drained soil;
• prevent drying and waterlogging of the soil under strawberries;
• do not place the bushes too close to each other to avoid thickening;
• do not overfeed strawberries with nitrogen;
• regularly inspect the landings in order to recognize the symptoms of wilt in time.

It is not recommended to plant strawberries on the site in those places where tomatoes, potatoes, beets, peppers or melons used to grow, as well as roses, chrysanthemums, phloxes and mint. All of these crops are highly susceptible to verticillium and often leave contaminated soil behind.

Varieties of strawberries resistant to verticillium wilt

Strawberry verticillium disease rarely affects varieties with good immunity. Several varieties can be especially distinguished:

1. Bounty. Dessert variety of medium ripening brings large raspberry-red berries. It has a high yield, rarely suffers from verticillium and gray rot.
   
   

   Bounty strawberries can be grown in the middle lane and in the Urals

2. Gourmand. A relatively young strawberry variety, bred in 2000, bears fruit up to 34 g each by weight. It has good resistance to wilt and increased winter hardiness.
   
   

   Strawberry Lakomka does not degenerate until ten years

3. Favorite. Remontant strawberries begin fruiting in June and continue until September. Brings sweet berries up to 25 g in weight.
   
   

   Strawberry Favorit gives about 1 kg of yield per bush

When growing strawberries with high immunity to verticillium, one way or another, it is necessary to follow the rules of agricultural technology and preventive measures. Hardy varieties suffer less from the fungus, but can still get sick under adverse conditions.

Conclusion

Verticillium wilt of strawberries develops slowly and manifests itself with noticeable symptoms rather late. It is necessary to pay attention to the prevention of the fungus and to inspect the beds in order to protect the plantings from the disease or start its treatment in time.