Garden strawberries are a demanding crop that needs constant preventive protection from a wide variety of diseases and pests. We find out how strawberries are sick, what insects feed on them, and how to deal with it.
Strawberry diseases
Strawberries are affected by viruses, fungi, bacterial infections. All of them lead to crop losses, and many lead to the death of berries.
Withering
Various fungal pathogens cause wilting of strawberries. The leaves of the bushes first turn yellow, then turn brown and die after about a month. The disease especially often appears in hot weather.
There are two types of wilting:
Especially fast wilting ruins the berry on sandy soils - all plants die in 3-4 days.
How to spray:
- before flowering - Ridomil, Quadris, Metaxil or similar fungicides;
- re-processing - in the fall, after picking berries.
Powdery mildew
The causative agent is a fungus that activates in damp weather and when the soil is waterlogged. The main symptom is a white-gray coating on the leaves, which leads to their necrosis. Plants grow weaker, yields drop - up to 50% of berries are lost.
Other symptoms:
- the edges of the leaves turn red, red-brown spots appear on the leaf plates;
- rolling of leaves "boat";
- dying off of affected flowers and fruit buds;
- the berries are covered with loose coating and are not suitable for either food or processing.
There are varieties of garden strawberries that are especially resistant to powdery mildew - Zenga Zengana, Marmalada, Kama, Dukat and others.
How to spray:
- with an ash solution (300 g per 100 l) with the addition of soap or soda (50 g);
- Topaz, Signum, Domark and other fungicides of a similar action for prevention purposes.
Gray rot
A common disease caused by the pathogenic fungus Botrytis. Its spores mature in 2 days and can spread rapidly over large areas. Disputes blown by the wind in neighboring areas. Up to 60% of berries are lost.
Symptoms
- leaves, ovaries, berries are covered with brown spots;
- a gray bloom appears on the berries;
- at a later stage, the infected surfaces become covered with sclerotia.
Prevention of powdery mildew includes adherence to watering rates, thinning plantings, and removing weeds.
Treatment of gray rot is possible, but it requires 3-5 sprayings with chemicals - Signum, Barrier, Fitosporin. For prevention, the bushes are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid or cuproxate (0.3%) before and after flowering.
White rot
The causative agent is the ascomycete fungus, the spread of which is facilitated by warm and humid weather with a lack of sun. Infection occurs by spores carried by the wind. The disease manifests itself at the stage of berry ripening.
Symptoms
- first, the fruits rot, then they are covered with a white fluffy coating;
- leaves brighten and dry up.
When white "fluff" appears on the berries, the bushes are sprayed with chemical fungicides, for example, Derosal or its analogues. After spraying a fruiting berry, you have to give up picking berries - after processing the fruits become poisonous.
Brown leaf spot
This fungal disease affects the leaves, inhibits their growth and causes mass death. It negatively affects the quality of fruits and productivity. The fungus is activated in early spring, and the disease itself - at temperatures from +20 ° C and high humidity.
A large-scale defeat is observed in early autumn with the onset of rainy weather. The disease covers all the aerial parts of plants.
Symptoms
- leaves covered with small red spots;
- dark dotted thickenings appear on the affected tissues;
- as the disease develops, the spots merge into extensive necrosis, the diseased leaves die off.
For prophylaxis, antifungal drugs are used, for example, Vaxiplant SL, or 1% Bordeaux liquid.
Rhizoctonia (root rot)
Occurs in violation of crop rotation and planting after solanaceous. The disease is considered incurable. Its signs appear when the roots of the plant are hopelessly affected.
Symptoms
- roots are affected - they turn black, become fragile and slippery to the touch;
- petioles and horns are damaged over time.
For prevention, it is recommended:
- observe agricultural techniques and crop rotation;
- immersion of the roots of seedlings for 2-3 minutes in hot water (+45 ° C) or for 10 minutes in a solution of Fitosporin.
Diseased plants are dug up and burned. The soil is watered with a solution of copper sulfate (3%) or Bordeaux liquid, and then sprinkled with Trichodermin granules.
Strawberry bushes affected by root rot are removed from the soil with a light movement.
Fusarium
This fungal disease can affect any garden crops. It develops especially actively in hot and dry weather.
The sequence of the development of symptoms:
- castings are covered with small brownish spots;
- petioles and whiskers turn brown;
- the leaves dry and curl;
- the bushes "creep away", the rosettes seem to fall into the soil;
- after 4-5 weeks, the plants dry up completely.
Folk remedies for fusarium do not help, biofungicides are needed. How to fight:
- plant varieties that are resistant to fusarium;
- preventive spraying with Trichodermin, Fitosporin, etc. every 10-15 days;
- soaking the roots of seedlings in solutions of the above biofungicides;
- with a massive lesion, the plantings are treated with Fundazol or Horus.
If the disease cannot be overcome, the plantation is cleared of plants and disinfected with Nitrafn 2%. Strawberries in this area are planted after 5 years, not earlier.
Ramulariosis (white spotting)
The fungus actively spreads in wet weather. The defeat develops around the middle of the season, it rarely leads to the death of plants, but significantly reduces productivity.
Symptoms
- The leaves are covered with small red spots, which, growing, become white, gray, beige.
- Holes are formed in place of the spots. Affected leaves dry up.
- The berries are covered with brown spots. Spores of the fungus, penetrating into the fruit, spoil their taste.
Control methods:
- for prophylaxis, the bushes are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux fluid, Tsineb or Falcon;
- if the berry is massively affected, it is sprayed with Horus or analogs.
Anthracnose
The second name for this fungal disease is black spotting. The causative agent activates in conditions of heat and high humidity. The defeat covers all parts of the plant, including the berries. Crop losses - up to 80%. If the defeat is massive, the berry is destroyed.
Symptoms
- leaves are covered with brown spots;
- small ulcers appear on the stems;
- the fruits rot and mummify;
- rot the roots.
How to spray:
- for prophylaxis - during the budding process the bushes with Scorpion 325 SC fungicide;
- at the beginning of the disease - Ridomil Gold, Quadrice or 1-percent Bordeaux fluid.
Verticillosis
The fungus is activated in warm weather with high humidity. Causes the death of leaves located below, affects the roots and the entire aerial part.
Symptoms
- leaves at the edges become brown, wither and dry up;
- new leaves grow small;
- petioles turn red by autumn;
- bushes slow down;
- the root inside turns brown and dies;
- sections of the stems are brown.
Control methods:
- preventive spraying with horsetail extract;
- before and after flowering, as well as after harvesting, the berries are treated with Topsin's solution (25-30 ml per 8 liters of water).
Overgrowth
The disease causes a viral infection. It is easy to identify by thinned petioles and peduncles, they elongate and become like threads. The ovaries in the affected bushes do not develop. The fight against viral growth is reduced to the destruction of aphids and weeds.
Mottling
The disease is caused by a virus spread by insects, mainly aphids. Infection also occurs through planting material.
Symptoms
- leaves are covered with light green spots;
- the plants are weakened, the mustache does not grow back;
- ovaries are not formed.
The fight against the virus comes down to the timely destruction of aphids and weeds, which can attract it.
Yellowing of the edges of the leaves
The disease is caused by the strawberry virus, which is a component of a complex called jaundice or xanthosis. The disease slows down the growth of plants.
Symptoms
- dwarf shrubs;
- yellowing of the leaves located in the center of the plant;
- the tops of the leaves die off.
How to fight:
- pulling out and burning sick bushes;
- destruction of aphids - the main carrier of the virus.
Strawberry leaves turn yellow due to a deficiency of magnesium, iron, nitrogen or boron. The situation can be corrected by the introduction of complex mineral fertilizers.
Pests
All parts of garden strawberries are attacked by pests. Some suck the juice from the roots or leaves, others eat the berries, but in any case the yield drops.
Nematodes
Garden strawberries are affected by the gall, stem and strawberry nematodes. Pests are thin, transparent worms that live in the soil. They penetrate into all plant tissues and suck the juices out of it.
Damage symptoms:
- darkening of leaves and petioles;
- thickening and bending of peduncles;
- chopping berries.
It is very difficult to fight with a nematode. It is recommended to remove the affected plants, followed by soil treatment with 5% iron sulfate. In autumn and early spring, the soil is cultivated with Aktellik.
Strawberry mite
This microscopic insect, about 2 mm in size, is extremely difficult to see. The mites suck the sap from the leaves, slowing down the development of plants. The maximum lesion reaches in July-August in warm and humid weather.
Damage symptoms:
- puckering leaves;
- dwarf bushes.
Control measures:
- at the beginning of the growing season, strawberries are sprayed with Keltan (2%) or Karbofos (3%);
- in the fall, plantings are treated with Aktellik.
Spider mite
This small insect cannot be seen without a magnifying glass. The characteristic spider web covering the leaves helps to guess about its presence.
If there is a spider mite on the strawberries:
- the inside of the leaves is covered with small light dots;
- the bushes grow slowly, and then completely stop in development.
How to fight:
- harvesting weeds, since the mite first appears on them;
- spraying in spring and after harvesting berries with Actellik, Ortus, etc.
Raspberry and strawberry weevil
Gray-black beetle 2-3 mm long eats leaves, buds, peduncles. They learn about the presence of a pest during flowering - by eating up flowers.
The beetles of early strawberries, in which they eat up peduncles that give the largest fruits, are especially harmful. They lay eggs in them, from which in a month larvae appear, eating buds.
Damage symptoms:
- eaten buds;
- holes in the leaves, eaten by the larvae.
Control measures:
- the larvae hibernate in the soil, so it is treated with Aktellik, Zolon and other insecticides in early spring and autumn;
- deep digging of row-spacings and timely collection of plant residues.
Strawberry leaf beetle
This is a brown beetle 4 mm long. It eats strawberry leaves, eating holes and passages in them. Females lay eggs on the wrong side of the leaves. After 2 weeks, larvae hatch from the eggs, which quickly destroy the young leaves.
Damage symptoms:
- eaten leaves that dry out over time;
- underdevelopment of fruits.
Control measures:
- foliage cleaning and deep digging;
- processing of berries with Aktellik, Sharpey and other insecticides.
Strawberry Whitefly
The most dangerous enemy of strawberries. The length of the butterfly is only 1.5 mm. She has white wings with a matte finish. Microscopic insects gather in colonies on the underside of leaves. The pest larvae suck the juices from plants, weakening them.
Damage symptoms:
- leaves are covered with sticky coating;
- bushes do not grow, turn yellow and wither.
How to fight:
- avoid thickening - whiteflies do not like light;
- wash off the pest with water, and then loosen the soil;
- set glue traps for butterflies;
- spraying with soapy water;
- in case of mass defeat - treatment with Actellic or Confidor.
Encarsia helps to fight the whitefly. This parasite lays eggs in the bodies of the larvae. The rate of release of insects is 3 individuals per 1 sq. Km. m.
Chafer
For strawberry bushes, the danger is not the beetle itself, but its larvae. They are large and thick, appear in the soil from eggs laid by females to a depth of 20 cm. The length of the larvae is 6 cm. They first eat humus and then plant roots.
In wild strawberries with eaten up larvae, the leaves fade. Then the bush itself also perishes. The larvae develop for about 4 years and only then pupate to turn into beetles.
The fight against larvae is simplified by the fact that they are in one place, they do not crawl away. What to do:
- dig deep into the ground;
- process the roots of seedlings with Antichrusch or Aktara.
Slugs
These gastropods eat berries, destroying a significant part of the crop. They creep out at night, and become active in wet weather. Slugs, in addition to fruits, are interested in young strawberry leaves, in which they gnaw large holes.
How to fight:
- prevention of thickening of berries;
- sprinkling the soil with wood ash;
- closing the beds with black film;
- scattering of special deterrent drugs, for example, Metaldehyde;
- crushing crushed superphosphate.
Aphid
A small green insect that lives in colonies on young leaves and shoots. It sucks juices from plants and weakens them. Aphids not only destroy plants, but also carry viral diseases.
Damage symptoms:
- leaves curl and wither;
- "honeydew" appears on plants;
- the tops of the shoots are modified.
How to fight:
- weed removal;
- treatment by Sharpey, Actellik, Karate during the growing season and again in the fall;
- sprayed with infusion of garlic and onion peel;
- fennel and dill are planted near the berries.
Pennitsa
This winged insect is also called a slobber. The butterfly has light yellow wings with white spots. She lays eggs in the petioles of bushes. The larvae are shrouded in a foamy liquid.
Damage symptoms:
- leaves wrinkle and wither;
- the ovaries are deformed.
They fight the penny by spraying strawberries with a solution of laundry soap.
Wasps
Wasps pounce on the buttocks as soon as the berries ripen. To save the harvest and protect themselves from bites, gardeners place jars of sweetened compote, traps from plastic bottles and other devices around strawberries.
Ants
Red and black ants can do great harm to strawberry beds. They dig numerous passages, damaging the roots of plants.
There are many ways to deal with ants from radical - to destroy - to frightening. The easiest option is to sprinkle the beds with wood ash, plant odorous plants (tansy, anise, mint). In case of massive invasions, they resort to special drugs (Thunder-2, Anteater and others).
Beetle beetles
The length of these small light brown beetles reaches 1 cm. The larvae that feed on the roots of strawberries cause the greatest harm.
Symptoms of defeat:
- withering and dying of plants;
- when pulling bushes from the ground, larvae, pupae, and adult beetles are visible on the roots.
To combat squid, drugs with chlorpyrifos or diazinon are used. Before flowering and after harvesting, the preparation is scattered in granules or poured in the form of solutions.
In order not to provoke the defeat of strawberry plantations by beetles, they are not recommended to be placed in areas where legumes grew.
Birds
A flock of birds, such as starlings, is able to eat crops in minutes. To scare away birds, red balls are placed near the bushes, reflecting light (they are usually used for interior compositions). Other options are plantation netting or deterrents such as STOP2FLY gel.
Strawberry disease prevention
When viruses, fungi or insects are already activated, crop loss is indispensable. Preventive measures are needed to prevent losses.
General measures for the prevention of diseases and pests:
- Timely weeding and destruction of weeds. Harvesting plant debris at the end of the season and pruning leaves in the fall. Weeds and old leaves can contain insects, fungal spores, bacteria.
- Compliance with crop rotation. Land change every three years. The ban on planting after adverse predecessors - potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins.
- Purchase planting material from trusted suppliers. Often unscrupulous sellers give away strawberries already infected with something.
- Compliance with the norm and frequency of irrigation, timely application of fertilizing - ash, mullein solution, complex mineral fertilizers.
The most effective protection of strawberry beds from most diseases and pests is preventive measures, including adherence to agricultural practices and timely spraying. If you do not take care of protecting the berry plantations, there is a risk of losing the crop completely.
Author of the publication
12
Russia. City Novosibirsk
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