With a fungal disease impacting strawberry supply chains and crop yields, Ohio growers face challenges in maintaining production levels. Neopestalotiopsis, known as "Neo-P," is a pathogen that spreads rapidly, affecting the availability of healthy transplants. "Consumers can expect that there will be a limited supply of Ohio-grown strawberries this year," stated Melanie L. Lewis Ivey, associate professor of fruit pathology at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). "Based on reduced supply, the price of strawberries may be higher than in previous years."
CFAES offers guidance to growers contending with limited fungicide options and no resistant strawberry varieties. Neo-P, first identified in Ohio in 2021, complicates obtaining disease-free transplants, said Lewis Ivey, also a fresh produce safety specialist with Ohio State University Extension. "The primary challenge growers have faced is purchasing disease-free transplants," she noted. Greenhouse and high tunnel growers face additional difficulties due to fewer fungicide options compared to field production. "There are no varieties that are resistant to the fungal pathogen, and managing the disease in greenhouses is especially difficult," Lewis Ivey added.
To support farmers, Ohio State Extension provides education, research, and disease management recommendations. Lewis Ivey has secured funding through the CFAES Internal Grants Program and the Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association (OPGMA) to study the disease's impact and control strategies. "This year, we're assessing the ability of the pathogen to overwinter in Ohio soils," she explained. "We're also working to identify the disease early to prevent the introduction of the fungus into new plantings."
Ohio State Extension specialists keep growers informed via Ohio Fruit News, presentations, and digital resources. "Extension educators are critical to the early detection of new and emerging diseases of specialty crops in Ohio," Lewis Ivey emphasized. Additionally, Ohio State's C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic offers free disease diagnosis, funded by OPGMA, aiding growers in early infection identification.
The disease has also impacted research at CFAES' Controlled Environment Agriculture Research Complex (CEARC) and the CFAES Wooster campus. "This disease has negatively impacted research because we obtain transplants from the same nurseries as field growers," Lewis Ivey stated. Infected plants have sometimes required destruction, leading to costly greenhouse cleanouts. However, the outbreak presents a research opportunity to study the spread of the disease in controlled environments.
Research efforts continue to mitigate the disease's impact. "With all plant diseases, host resistance is the first line of defense," Lewis Ivey noted. She and Jonathan Fresnedo Ramirez have submitted a grant proposal to identify cultivars tolerant to Neo-P infections. While Neo-P presents challenges, Ohio State Extension collaborates with growers to develop effective management strategies.
Source: Ohio State News