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Reduced severity and impact of Fusarium wilt on strawberry by manipulation of soil pH, soil organic amendments and crop rotation

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Abstract

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is one of the most important berry crops worldwide. Fusarium wilt poses a serious threat to commercial strawberry production worldwide and causes severe economic losses. Our previous surveys suggested that soil pH, soil amendment with organic matter and/or crop rotation could offer opportunities for improved management of strawberry disease. Studies were conducted for the first time to determine the effects of soil pH, soil amendments with manure compost and crop residue, and crop rotation on the severity and impact of Fusarium wilt on strawberry. At soil pH 6.7, plants showed the least severe disease and the lowest reductions in shoot and root dry weight (DW) of plants from disease, significantly lower than those of plants in acidic soil at pH 5.2 or 5.8. In soil amendment with manure compost at 5.0 %, plants showed the least severe disease and the lowest reductions in shoot and root DW of plants from disease, significantly lower than those of plants in the other three levels of manure compost. In soil amendment with crop residue at 2.5 % or 5.0 %, shoot and root disease of plants and reductions in shoot and root DW of plants from disease were significantly lower than those of plants in soil without crop residue or excessive crop residue amendment at 10.0 %. Plants in soil rotated with tomato not only showed the least severe disease but also showed the lowest reductions in shoot and root DW of plants from disease, significantly lower than those of plants in soil continuously planted with strawberry without rotation or rotated with capsicum. Soil pH, soil amendment with manure compost or crop residue, and crop rotation, all significantly reduced the severity and impact of Fusarium wilt on strawberry. There is great potential for manipulating soil pH, adding soil organic amendments and utilizing crop rotation, not only to successfully manage Fusarium wilt on strawberry, but to do so in a sustainable way without current reliance upon chemical fumigants.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate the funding support for this research provided by the Australia Research Council and the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia. The first author gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the China Scholarship Council and the University of Western Australia by a jointly-awarded PhD Scholarship. We also appreciate the assistance of strawberry growers in Western Australia allowing us collect plant samples and soil from their fields. We gratefully acknowledge the provision of half the salary of Martin Barbetti by the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Plant Biology, Faculty of Natural Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Xiangling Fang, Ming Pei You & Martin John Barbetti

  2. The UWA Institute of Agriculture, Faculty of Natural Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Martin John Barbetti

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  1. Xiangling Fang
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  2. Ming Pei You
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Correspondence to Martin John Barbetti.

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Fang, X., You, M.P. & Barbetti, M.J. Reduced severity and impact of Fusarium wilt on strawberry by manipulation of soil pH, soil organic amendments and crop rotation. Eur J Plant Pathol 134, 619–629 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-012-0042-1

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