Anthracnose diseases, caused by Colletotrichum spp., are considered to be among the most destructive diseases that have a significant impact on the global production of strawberries. These diseases alone can cause up to 70% yield loss in North America. Colletotrichum spp. causes several disease symptoms on strawberry plants, including root, fruit, and crown rot, lesions on petioles and runners, and irregular black spots on the leaf. In many cases, a lower level of infection on foliage remains non-symptomatic (quiescent), posing a challenge to growers as these plants can be a significant source of inoculum for the fruiting field. Reliable detection methods for quiescent infection should play an important role in preventing infected plants’ entry into the production system or guiding growers to take appropriate preventative measures to control the disease. This review aims to examine both conventional and emerging approaches for detecting anthracnose disease in the early stages of the disease cycle, with a focus on newly emerging techniques such as remote sensing, especially using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with multispectral sensors. Further, we focused on the acutatum species complex, including the latest taxonomy, the complex life cycle, and the epidemiology of the disease. Additionally, we highlighted the extensive spectrum of management techniques against anthracnose diseases on strawberries and their challenges, with a special focus on new emerging sustainable management techniques that can be utilized in organic strawberry systems.

Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae, is one of the most economically important diseases of woody hosts such as ash (Fraxinus spp.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and redbud (Cercis canadensis). The causal agent has a broad host range, including not only woody hosts but also important vegetable and field crops, and it is distributed worldwide. Diagnosis of V. dahliae in infected woody hosts is often based on the occurrence of vascular discoloration and time-consuming isolation. However, not all woody hosts exhibit vascular discoloration, and not all vascular discoloration symptoms are due to infection by V. dahliae. In this study, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays were evaluated and employed for rapid and accurate detection of V. dahliae in different woody hosts. High-quality DNA was extracted in large quantities from presumptively infected woody hosts by collecting drill-press shavings from sample tissue, bead beating, and extracting using a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide method. Six published primer sets were evaluated against genomic DNA of V. dahliae as well as selected negative controls, and two sets (VertBt-F/VertBt-R and VDS1/VDS2) showed promise for further evaluation using DNA extracts from field samples. The VertBt primers amplified a species-specific 115-bp fragment of the expected size, while the VDS primers amplified the expected specific 540-bp fragment. However, the VertBt primer set exhibited higher sensitivity in detection of V. dahliae even in asymptomatic trees. The PCR-based methods developed here could be used as rapid tools for pathogen detection and monitoring, thus informing plant pathogen management decisions.

Alternative strategies to fumigation are needed to manage weeds and improve strawberry fruit yield in annual hill plasticulture production systems. Field experiments were conducted in Blackstone, VA, for two consecutive growing seasons, 2013/14 and 2014/15, to assess the efficacy of 4 wk and 8 wk soil solarization (SS) and application of mustard seed meal (MSM) at 1,121 kg ha⁻¹, alone and in combination, for weed control efficacy and crop yield estimation in this production system. These treatments were compared to the use of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) + chloropicrin (Pic) as a fumigation standard at 188 kg ha⁻¹ and an untreated control (UTC). Over both growing seasons, compared to 1,3-D+ Pic, the SS-MSM-8wk and SS-8wk treatments provided equivalent or reduced cumulative weed count, including weed count of several dominant weed species such as annual ryegrass, speedwell, common chickweed, and cudweed. The SS-4wk and MSM-4wk treatments did not affect weed density compared with the UTC. The MSM-8 wk and 4-wk treatments reduced cumulative weed counts over that of the UTC. In the second growing season, the total yield was significantly higher after the 1,3-D + Pic fumigation treatment compared with yield after other treatments. The SS-4wk, MSM-4wk, and MSM-8wk treatments did not improve the total or marketable yield compared with the UTC. The marketable yield after the SS-MSM-8wk treatment was similar to that of the 1,3-D + Pic treatment. In conclusion, the SS-8wk and SS-MSM-8wk treatments may be effective weed management strategies for organic growers, small farms, or growers who cannot use chemical fumigants due to new regulations and potential risks to human health.

Rhizoctonia solani is one of the most important causative agents of damping-off diseases on cucumber plants and significantly reduces their yield. R. solani possesses some characteristics, such as wide host range and unlimited survival in soil, which made it most difficult to control. Therefore, the research for a biocontrol agent will be valuable to control this disease. Two species of mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae and Glomus clarum) that were evaluated against the agent R. solani reduced the damping-off disease on the cucumber plant. Mycorrhizal-inoculated plants with both species showed a significant reduction in disease severity (DS), which were 21 and 25%, respectively, whereas the disease severity was 65% for non-inoculated plants. Furthermore, the effects of mycorrhizal fungi were evaluated against the growth parameters of cucumber plants. Plants inoculated with both species of mycorrhizal fungi showed a significant increase in both shoot dry weight and root dry weight compared with uninoculated plants. In conclusion, both mycorrhiza species could be an important tool to control soil-borne pathogens, increase plant’s nutrients’ absorption, and increase resistance to abiotic stresses.