Field Reactions of Strawberry Cultivars and Selections to Anthracnose Fruit Rot, Leather Rot and Gray Mold in Arkansas

Abstract

Three strawberry field trials, conducted for two years each, revealed differing levels of field susceptibility to three fruit rots among cuitivars and selections. 'Earliglow' consistently displayed among the lowest levels of anthracnose fruit rot (incited by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides(Penz.) Penz. & Sacc.) and gray mold (caused by Botrytis cinereaPers.:Fr.), and moderate to low levels of leather rot (incited by Phytophthora cactorum(Leb. & Cohn) Schrot.), in all three trials over both years. 'Vantage' exhibited low levels of all three rots during two seasons in one trial, and NC4052 and USB301 appear promising as rot-resistant selections after one season's data in one trial. 'Guardian' and 'Cardinal' proved susceptible or very susceptible to all three rots, 'Allstar' demonstrated high susceptibility to leather rot and gray mold, 'Lateglow' was very susceptible to anthracnose and gray mold, and 'Badgerglo' exhibited high susceptibility to anthracnose. 'Fairfax' and Tristar' appeared resistant to gray mold during seasons with low gray mold pressure but fully susceptible during seasons with high gray mold pressure, and exhibited moderate levels of anthracnose and leather rot. 'Chandler' exhibited less of all rots than the other California cuitivars, 'Fern,' 'OsoGrande,' 'Pajaro' and 'Yolo,' which were very susceptible to anthracnose and leather rot and moderately susceptible to gray mold.