Publication 360 - Strawberry Calendar for Ontario: Management Practices to Reduce Pesticide Use

NOTE:

Table of Contents

1. Pub 360 Chapter 8 - Berry - Strawberry Calendar pgs. 175 - 180 - (Pdf format 77k)
2. Strawberry Calendar
   • Between plantings
     • White grubs, Wireworms
   • Before planting
     • Verticillium, Red stele, Leather rot, Black root rot
     • Botrytis fruit rot, Leaf scorch, Leaf spot, Leaf blight
     • Root weevil, Cyclamen mite
     • Red stele, Verticillium
   • Harvesting years, late April to early May
     • Plant bugs, Spittle bug, Two-spotted spider mite, Botrytis fruit rot, Leather rot
   • Harvesting year, mid to late May
     • Leather rot
     • Botrytis fruit rot, Leather rot, Black root rot
   • Preharvest to harvest
     • Botrytis fruit rot, Leather rot, Black root rot, Verticillium, Red stele
   • Renovation
     • Two-spotted spider mite, Powdery mildew
     • Botrytis fruit rot, Leather rot
     • Black root rot
3. Table 8-21. Products Used on Strawberries
4. Related Links
5. For more Information

Strawberry Calendar

Use these techniques to suppress pest populations.

Check Table 8-21. Products Used on Strawberries, on page 180

**Page numbers refer to pages in Publication 360 - Fruit Production Recommendations**

Between plantings

Diseases and Insects

• White grubs
• Wireworms

Management Practice

• Crop rotation

Comments

Consider cultivated row crops such as snap beans, white beans, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Avoid preferred hosts such as corn, grasses, cereal species and potato.

Diseases and Insects

• Root lesion nemetode
• White grubs
• Root weevils
• Wireworms
• Annual and Perrenial weeds
• Two-spotted spider mite

Management Practice

• Summer fallowing

Comments

Cultivate to 10 cm depth, frequently enough to kill young weeds and discourage weed growth. Avoid this practice on sloping land prone to erosion.

Sow oats or spring wheat in september as a cover crops to minimize soil erosion by wind and water. Do not use cereal rye, because this encourages nematodes.

For more details on preplant weed control, consult OMAFRA Publication 75, Guide to Weed Control. See Site Preparation and Special Methods of Weed Control sections.

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Before planting

Diseases and Insects

• Verticillium
• Red stele
• Leather rot
• Black root rot

Management Practice

• Site selection
• Crop rotation

Comments

Select a site with good soil drainage. Avoid heavy, poorly drained soils. Avoid sites with a history of red stele and verticillium.

Avoid growing susceptible crops before planting strawberries. Susceptible crops that favour build-up of verticillium in the soil include potato, tomato, peppers, eggplant and alfalfa.

Diseases and Insects

• Botrytis fruit rot
• Leaf scorch
• Leaf spot
• Leaf blight

Management Practice

• Site selection

Comments

Select a planting site with good air drainage. Expose plants to direct sunlight and plant rows parallel to the direction of the prevailing winds to promote fast drying of foliage and fruit.

Diseases and Insects

• Root weevil
• Cyclamen mite

Management Practice

• Isolation

Comments

Isolate new plantings from older infested plantings to provide a physical barrier to reduce land migration of these pests.

Diseases and Insects

• Red stele
• Verticillium

Management Practice

• Cultivar selection

Comments

Choose varieties that have some resistance to the red stele fungus Phytophthora fragariae and verticillium. See Table 8-24. Strawberry Variety Disease Ratings, on page 188, for more information. Use only plants that have been grown under the guidelines of an accredited plant propagation program.

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Harvesting years, late April to early May

Diseases and Insects

• Plant bugs
• Spittle bug
• Two-spotted spider mite
• Botrytis fruit rot
• Leather rot

Management Practice

• Weed control

Comments

Broadleaf weeds provide alternate hosts and encourage the build-up of plant bugs and two-spotted spider mites. Grassy fencerows or volunteer grass in the planting provide alternate hosts for build up
of spittlebugs. Weeds keep relative humidity high and prolong leaf wetness, which encourages fruit rots.

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Harvesting year, mid to late May

Diseases and Insects

• Leather rot

Management Practice

• Straw mulch

Comments

Apply straw mulch between the rows, thick enough to prevent soil from splashing onto berries.

Diseases and Insects

• Botrytis fruit rot
• Leather rot
• Black root rot

Management Practice

• Fertilization

Comments

Avoid excessive fertilization that can encourage too much foliar growth, creating a dense, humid canopy.

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Preharvest to harvest

Diseases and Insects

• Botrytis fruit rot
• Leather rot
• Black root rot
• Verticillium
• Red stele

Management Practice

• Irrigation scheduling

Comments

Irrigate for short periods to allow foliage and fruit to dry out before nightfall. Do not apply too much water at one time. Avoid creating puddles.

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Renovation

Diseases and Insects

• Two-spotted spider mite
• Powdery mildew

Management Practice

• Mowing

Comments

Mow off strawberry leaves to eliminate the food source for these pests and reduce the population.

Diseases and Insects

• Botrytis fruit rot
• Leather rot

Management Practice

• Narrowing rows

Comments

Narrow the width of matted row to 30 cm to decrease plant density and encourage airflow and quick drying of the crop canopy. Incorporate plant crop residues into the soil and rototill to destroy the main source of botrytis. If runnering is too vigorous, narrow the rows again in October using a coulter.

Diseases and Insects

• Black root rot

Management Practice

• Subsoiling

Comments

Subsoiling in late July or August reduces compaction and improves soil drainage.

Related Links

• Berries in Ontario
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Pesticide Application and Safety
• Pesticide Companies and Agents
• Search the PMRA website
• Ontario Minor Use Program
• OMAFRA Publication 505: Ontario Weeds
• OMAFRA Publication 75: Guide To Weed Control: Berry Crops

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