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Black root rot in strawberries:

Why do some strawberry plants die back and suddenly fail just as harvest begins?

Black root rot is a general name for several root disorders which produce similar symptoms. One or more may be present and the causes can vary from region to region. Pathogens implicated in black root rot of strawberries include nematodes, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia. Conditions which favour this disease include drought, soil compaction, herbicide injury and excess soil moisture. Varieties which seem to be especially susceptible to this disease are Kent, Honeoye, and more recently, Jewel.

What can you do about black root rot? It is difficult to see the damage occur and not take steps to stop it. However, remember the plants are now showing symptoms of injury which likely took place last fall or earlier this spring. You could try to pin down or rule out several common causes of the problem. Take a soil sample in the row and test for nematode populations. If nematodes are over the threshold, the planting will continue to decline. Send samples of plants to the pest diagnostic clinic and ask that fine roots be tested for pathogens. Send plants which are partially wilted, not completely dead. After harvest, renovate gently and coax the plants to generate new roots from the base of the crown by adding a ¼ to ½ inch of soil to the row when cultivating.

Black root rot in strawberries

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