Abstract
Aims: The aim of the study is to detect strawberry fungal diseases in different growing periods (seedling, mature plant and harvest period) of greenhouses and fields in Silifke district of Mersin province. The disease incidence and dead plant rates were recorded in the production areas. In addition, it was also aimed to determine susceptibility (sensitivity) of Botrytis cinerea isolates, collected from the survey areas, to some fungicides in vitro conditions.
Methods and Results: A survey study was carried out to determine the presence of strawberry fungal diseases and the rate of dead plants in the district. Disease examinations were carried out on plants (10 plants) at the sampling points determined according to the size of the study area during the surveys. In addition, fungal pathogens were isolated from the roots of dead plants, collected from survey areas, in order to determine the causal organisms of the root rot diseases. Then, 20 Botrytis cinerea isolates, obtained from the survey area, have been tested In vitro for their sensitivity to fungicides containing the active ingredients cyprodinil+fludioxonil, fluazinam, fenhexamid, imazalil and pyrimethanil. In the survey areas, infected plants by Mycosphaerella fragariae, Sphaerotheca macularis and Botrytis cinerea have been observed. Rhizoctonia, Cylindrocarpon-like anamorph species (Dactylonectria, Ilyonectria), Fusarium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Macrophomina, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Trichoderma, Rhizopus and Mucor genera were isolated and identified from the roots of the diseased plants. It was determined that Botrytis cinerea isolates were highly sensitive to cyprodinil+fludioxonil and fluazinam, and sensitive to fenhexamid as a result of probit analysis of ED50 values. It was determined that the isolates were resistant to Imazalil and all of the isolates were highly resistant to pyrimethanil.
Conclusions: It can be evaluated that there is no significant effect on the rate of fungal diseases and dead plant ratios between the strawberry growing areas and plant age in the study.
Significance and Impact of the Study: Fungal disease factors are at the forefront of the problems encountered in strawberry fields. However, in the literature reviews, no comprehensive study on fungal pathogens like this study was observed, and it is thought that the findings in the study will guide the studies to be carried out from now on.