Strawberry Update 2011

2011 Edition
Strawberry R&D
update
Welcome to the 2011 edition of the Strawberry R&D Update, bringing
you the latest results of research and development from the strawberry
team in the Department of Employment, Economic Development and
Innovation in Queensland. Topics covered in this edition include:
Plant breeding . . . 2
Key attributes of the new cultivars Aussiegem and Suncoast
Delight
What progress is being made in developing cultivars that are
resistant to plant diseases?
Transplant agronomy . . . 5
What was the quality of Festival and Florida Fortuna plants
supplied to Sunshine Coast growers for the 2011 season?
What are the optimum planting systems for Florida Fortuna
on the Sunshine Coast?
Entomology . . . 10
What is the nature of the insect vector responsible for
introducing the strawberry lethal yellows disease organisms
into healthy plants?
What strategies can be used to limit the impact of lethal
yellows in commercial strawberry plantings?
Plant pathology . . . 15
Are the different isolates of the crown rot fungi resistant to
prochloraz, the main chemical used to control the disease in
the plant nurseries?
Do the different isolates of the crown rot fungi cause disease
in healthy strawberry plants?
What are the best options for the control of the bud and leaf
nematode?
Plant breeding
Mark Herrington, Louella Woolcock, Sam Price, Michelle Paynter and
Lien Ko
Overview
The main objective of our research is to breed new cultivars that
consumers enjoy and that are profitable for commercial strawberry
growers in south-east Queensland. This industry is primarily based on the
Sunshine Coast with an annual production of about 27,000 tonnes, worth
$140 million. Production in this region accounts for about half of the
national strawberry crop.
For consumers, qualities sought in new cultivars include flavour,
sweetness, and a long shelf-life. Growers are interested in these
attributes, along with productivity, earliness, and the ease of growing,
harvesting and marketing of the crop. The characteristics used to
evaluate new cultivars are developed in collaboration with members
of the National Strawberry Varietal Improvement Steering Committee
(NSVISC), which meets twice a year.
Evaluation of new cultivars by commercial growers

In 2011, Plant Breeders Rights (PBRs) applications were finalised for
Aussiegem and Suncoast Delight. Transplants of these new cultivars
are now available from the strawberry nursery industry.
Mary and Tali Grace sorting berries

harvested from the breeding plots.
These cultivars continue to show promise

in commercial evaluations and are highly
productive and well liked by consumers.
Because of their large fruit and continuous
cropping, these cultivars have relatively low
harvesting costs compared with standard
cultivars. Aussiegem has large, juicy fruit,
and medium to low acidity; however, the
fruit are moderately susceptible to rain
damage. Suncoast Delight has highly
coloured, juicy, flavoursome fruit. The only
issue with quality in this cultivar is that
some fruit may have white shoulders during
cool weather.
Florida Fortuna, introduced from the United
States under a separate program with Dr
Craig Chandler, also continues to show
promise in many areas of the Sunshine
Coast, although it is moderately susceptible
to grey mould.
Grant Bignell checking the quality of some

of the new breeding lines.
Strawberry R&D Update 2011
Three other selections from 2007 to 2009

have merit and have been advanced for
small-scale testing on commercial properties
in 2012.
Early generation selections

About fourteen-thousand seedlings
were evaluated for fruit quality,
productivity and plant type in the
field at Maroochy and Bundaberg
Research Stations in 2011. The site
at Bundaberg is warmer than the
one at Maroochy, and is providing
an opportunity to select cultivars
with some heat tolerance.
At the end of the season, 246
selections were made for further
evaluation. About 10,000 new
seedlings are due to be planted in
2012.
Plants in the glasshouse used for cross-pollination.
Collaboration with Florida

Mark Herrington attended the North American Strawberry Symposium
(NASS) and the North American Strawberry Growers Association
(NASGA) Conference at the University of Florida in February 2011. Areas
of interest included strengthening the links between the two subtropical
breeding programs at Maroochy and Wimauma.
Mark was particularly interested in exchanging germplasm between the
two programs. He also took the opportunity to discuss techniques used
for the screening of selections for resistance to grey mould.
The resistance or tolerance of strawberry cultivars to plant

diseases
As we progress towards selecting for resistance to Fusarium wilt caused
by the fungus, Fusarium oxysporum, we re-evaluated the diversity of
the pathogen and the resistance of cultivars to isolates of the fungus
collected from strawberry plants growing in Queensland and Western
Australia. The four isolates collected from Western Australia were
homogeneous and distinct from the different isolates collected from
Queensland.
We plan to look more closely at the
variability of the pathogen to ensure
that any cultivars that are developed
will be resistant to isolates from
both regions.
We have continued our work to
select for resistance to crown rot.
Research has shown that Glomerella
cingulata (Gc2) is the dominant
form of the fungus in southern
Queensland, and in 2011 we used
isolate 17360 of this fungus to test
seedlings of a wild strawberry, and Lou Woolcock weighing fruit from the breeding plots.
Florida Elyana (all from the United States) for resistance. These tests
showed that one of the seedling plants had some tolerance to the disease,
while the accession of Florida Elyana was as susceptible as Camarosa
and Festival. These responses require further investigation.
Mark Herrington analysing some of the data from the breeding project.
Michelle Paynter isolating specimens of Fusarium.
Sam Price writing a report on the breeding program.
Transplant agronomy
Chris Menzel and Lindsay Smith
Overview
Research has shown that the quality of planting material has a
strong effect on the profitability of strawberry growing in south-east
Queensland. Inferior transplants grow and crop poorly after planting,
reducing monetary returns to producers. These issues also affect growers
in the southern parts of Australia.
In earlier experiments on the Sunshine Coast, we examined the effect of
planting systems on the performance of bare-rooted Festival strawberry
plants at Nambour. Yields were best with a planting in mid-March, with
lower yields resulting from earlier or later plantings. Plants obtained
from Stanthorpe in southern Queensland, a warm-growing environment,
were just as productive as those from Toolangi in Victoria, or from
Kempton in Tasmania, two cool-growing environments. In contrast, large
plants from these nurseries with crown diameters ranging from 10 to 17
mm had seventeen percent higher yields than small plants with crown
diameters ranging from 6 to 10 mm.
We have continued this work and have examined the optimum planting
systems for Florida Fortuna, a new cultivar introduced from the United
States. Research assessed the effect of time of planting and plant size
on the productivity of this cultivar growing in small plots at Nambour.
The experiments differed from previous research in that the treatments
assessed small and large transplants planted at different times. We were
interested in determining if the small transplants yielded proportionally
less than the large transplants as planting was delayed.
In other research, the quality of transplants from strawberry nurseries
in southern Queensland was assessed. Samples were collected from
Healthy nursery transplants growing at Stanthorpe.
consignments of Festival and Florida Fortuna, the two dominant

cultivars grown on the Sunshine Coast. Plant attributes recorded
included the diameter of the plant crown, the number of leaves per plant,
and plant dry weight.
Optimum planting systems for Florida Fortuna transplants on the

Sunshine Coast
Bare-rooted transplants of Festival and Florida Fortuna obtained from
Stanthorpe were planted at different times from late March to early May
at Nambour. We used only sound, undamaged plants with at least three
functional leaves. The Festival plants were classified as small plants
with crowns smaller than 10 mm in diameter, and large plants with
crowns larger than 10 mm in diameter. The Florida Fortuna plants were
classified as small plants
with crowns smaller than 8
mm in diameter, and large
plants with crowns larger
than 8 mm in diameter.
A crop of Festival fruit. Planting systems have been developed for the production of
this cultivar on the Sunshine Coast.
The plants for each

treatment were grown in
four replicated blocks.
Information was collected
on plant growth and yield
over the season from May
to October. The experiments
were conducted over two
years.
There was no consistent

effect of time of digging on initial transplant quality, whereas the large
transplants were about three times the size of the small transplants (see
Tables 1 and 2).
Average plant growth during the season decreased as planting was
delayed, and was lower in the small stock compared with the large stock.
Yield in the various treatments reflected these differences in growth.
Yield was lower in the later planting, and was lower in the small plants
than in the large plants (see Tables 1 and 2).
Table 1. The effect of time of planting and plant size on plant dry weight and yield
of bare-rooted Festival strawberry plants at Nambour. Data are the means over
two years. Plant dry weight includes the mass of the leaves, crowns and roots.
Planting system
Plant dry
Average plant dry
Yield
weight at
weight during
(g per plant)
planting (g)
the season (g)
Planted in late March

Planted in mid-April
Planted in late April
4.0
4.0
4.1
22.1
15.1
13.7
921
679
692
Small plant
Large plant
1.9
6.2
13.6
20.2
694
834
Table 2. The effect of time of planting and plant size on plant dry weight and
yield of bare-rooted Florida Fortuna strawberry plants at Nambour. Data are the
means over two years. Plant dry weight includes the mass of the leaves, crowns
and roots.
Planting system
Plant dry
weight at
planting (g)
Average plant dry

weight during the
season (g)
Yield
(g per plant)
Planted in early April

Planted in mid-April
Planted in early May
2.9
2.7
3.0
12.7
11.2
8.8
825
634
561
Small plant
Large plant
1.5
4.4
9.0
12.8
628
718
Average yields of Festival were about fifteen percent higher than those
of Florida Fortuna, reflecting the larger plants at planting, and the
better growth during the growing season.
Average gross income was $4.68 per plant for large transplants planted
early, and $2.76 per plant for small transplants planted late. This analysis
was based on an average price received for the fruit during the season of
$1.25 per punnet.
Florida Fortuna known as Florida Radiance in the United States, was
developed by Craig Chandler. This cultivar has been reported to produce
high early-season yields and maintain good fruit size in Florida and
south-west Spain. Festival was also bred by Dr Chandler. In Australia,
transplants of Florida Fortuna are smaller than those of Festival, and
they are not available from the commercial nurseries until early April.
The previous study indicated that the optimum time to plant Festival
in south-east Queensland was in mid-March. However, because of the
difficulty of obtaining large numbers of transplants for commercial
fruit growers, stock of Festival is generally not available until after the
optimum time of planting, with the first sets of plants being consigned in
late March.
Frost during winter at

Maroochy in 2011. Growing
conditions were much cooler
and drier in 2011 than in 2010.
This provided good conditions
for fruit quality despite the
smaller plant growth.
Transplants of Festival and Florida Fortuna had lower yields when

they were planted after late March or early April on the Sunshine Coast,
suggesting that they should be planted when they first become available
to commercial producers, although that may be later than optimum.
Differences in yield between small and large plants were consistent
across different times of planting, with the small plants always having
lower yields. Producers in this area should consider paying a premium
for large transplants delivered early in the season.
The variation in the quality of transplants from individual

strawberry nurseries
We report on the variation in the quality of transplants from southern
Queensland in 2011. Plant samples of the two main cultivars, Festival
and Florida Fortuna, were collected over three digging dates from late
March to early May. Plants of Florida Fortuna were included in the
study since there is interest by local growers in this new cultivar from
the United States.
As in previous years, consignments of plants were obtained from
nurseries at Stanthorpe, and information was collected on the diameter
of the crown, the number of leaves per plant, and on plant dry weight.
The Festival plants were larger than the Florida Fortuna plants on all
digging dates (see Tables 3 and 4). For instance, the average dry weight
of the Festival plants was about twice the average dry weight of the
Florida Fortuna plants. This was due to the larger leaf, crown and root
masses of the Festival plants.
Table 3. A comparison of mean transplant quality in Festival strawberry
plants obtained from Stanthorpe at different times of digging in 2011. Data in
parenthesis show the ranges in crown diameter, leaf production and plant dry
weight. Plant dry weight includes the mass of the leaves, crowns and roots.
Time of
digging
Diameter of the
crown (mm)
Number of leaves
per plant
Plant dry
weight (g)
Late March
Mid-April
10.2 (6-16)
10.1 (6-16)
3.6 (2-6)
4.8 (3-9)
4.0 (0.8-9.7)
3.9 (1.1-11.4)
Late April
10.7 (6-16)
3.9 (2-8)
3.5 (1.0-9.1)
Plant growth in
the transplant
experiment with
Festival. The
photograph shows
the growth of plants
planted in late
March (left), midApril (middle) and in
late April (right).
In both cultivars, there was no clear effect of digging date on plant

development, with similar mean crown diameters, leaf production and
plant dry weights in the stock dug at different times (see Tables 3 and 4).
There was a large variation in the quality of the plants from the same
nursery. For instance, the dry weight of some of the smaller plants was
less than twenty percent of the dry weight of the larger plants. The same
was true for the data collected from 2007 to 2010. The Florida Fortuna
plants were particularly variable, with many small specimens in the
consignments.
Nearly all of the Festival transplants met the minimum standard
relating to the diameter of the crown and the number of functional
leaves. In contrast, there were several Florida Fortuna transplants in the
consignments that did not meet the minimum standard.
Table 4. A comparison of mean transplant quality in Florida Fortuna strawberry
plants obtained from Stanthorpe at different times of digging in 2011. Data in
parenthesis show the ranges in crown diameter, leaf production and plant dry
weight. Plant dry weight includes the mass of the leaves, crowns and roots.
Time of
digging
Early April
Late April
Early May
Diameter of the
crown (mm)
Number of
leaves per
plant
Plant dry
weight (g)
8.5 (5-14)
8.3 (5-12)
8.8 (6-13)
3.7 (2-5)
3.3 (2-5)
3.4 (2-5)
2.2 (0.7-4.9)
2.0 (0.7-4.9)
2.0 (1.0-4.4)
About eighteen percent of the Festival transplants had crowns smaller

than 8 mm, and about forty percent had crowns smaller than 10 mm.
A similar analysis of the Florida Fortuna plants showed that about
twenty-eight percent of the transplants had crowns smaller than 8 mm,
and about sixty-eight percent had crowns smaller than 10 mm. At this
stage, the reason for the small size of the Florida Fortuna plants is
unknown. It would be expected that the small size of some of the plants
would affect their productivity on the Sunshine Coast as there is a
strong relationship between yield and plant growth in strawberry plants
growing in this area.
Plant growth in
the transplant
experiment with
Festival. The
photograph shows
the growth of small
plants (left) and
large plants (right).
Controlling strawberry lethal yellows

Jonathan Smith, Don Hutton, Matthew Neave and Karen Gibb
Overview
Lethal yellows diseases associated with a phytoplasma and a rickettsia-like
bacterium have affected strawberry plants growing in southern Queensland
since the 1970s. In strawberry plants, these organisms, which reside in
the plant phloem, cause the stunting and yellowing disease known as
strawberry lethal yellows (SLY). This type of disease is spread by insect
vectors such as plant- and leaf-hoppers.
Knowledge of the identity and ecology of the vectors of SLY is critical in
efforts to reduce transmission of the disease and the production of healthy
nursery transplants. It is also important to determine what insecticides
might be effective in managing the populations of the vectors. We provide
a review of activities conducted over the past few years on the Granite Belt
and the Sunshine Coast to improve our understanding of this disease and
to develop better control strategies for the commercial strawberry industry.
The prime vector of the disease is thought to be the leafhopper,
Austroagallia torrida. This hopper was first suspected as a potential
vector in 2002 by Geoff Waite and is known to be the vector of the
rickettsia-associated rugose leaf curl disease of legumes, and the tomato
big-bud phytoplasma. We describe research to determine whether the
suspect leafhopper was infected with the phytoplasma and a rickettsialike bacterium thought to be associated with lethal yellows. The suspect
leafhoppers were collected from strawberry and other plants in southern
Queensland, and samples sent to Darwin for analysis to detect if potential
disease organisms were present in the insects.
As the hoppers were suspected to be feeding and breeding in weeds
and other plants growing adjacent to the strawberry planting, seasonal
populations of leafhoppers were monitored in lucerne growing next
to the strawberry
plants at Stanthorpe.
Similar information
was collected on the
populations of hoppers
in unsprayed plots of
strawberry plants on
one of the strawberry
nurseries on the
Granite Belt.
Strawberry plants growing on the Sunshine Coast affected by lethal yellows.
10
Separate laboratory
studies were conducted
to determine if the
suspect leafhoppers
could infect healthy
strawberry plants with
the disease.
We also investigated the effectiveness of the current insecticide used to

control the insect vectors on the nursery farms. Data were collected on the
incidence of the disease on sprayed and unsprayed plots over three seasons
on the Granite Belt.
Identification of the suspect leafhopper

Vacuum samples of leafhoppers were taken over five months from
strawberry and clover plants growing on two nurseries on the Granite Belt
in 2008/09 and 2009/10. In the second year, lucerne plants at Stanthorpe
and Gatton were also sampled. Leafhoppers were sorted and dried prior to
their being subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostics
for the detection of phytoplasmas and rickettsia-like bacteria at Charles
Darwin University.
No phytoplasmas were detected in any leafhopper species by the general
phytoplasma or specific Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense SLY tests.
The laboratory analysis indicated the presence of the rickettsia-like
bacterium in nine out of the ten samples of Austroagallia torrida collected
from strawberry plants, four out of four samples collected from lucerne
plants, and three out of three samples collected from clover plants.
One sample of juveniles reared in culture from adults collected from
the aforementioned lucerne was also tested. These juveniles, which had
no direct prior exposure to SLY, returned positive for the rickettsia-like
bacterium suggesting there is adult-to-juvenile transmission of the
pathogen. The analysis suggested that the rickettsia-like bacterium
found in the samples was the same in all the samples of the hopper, and
similar to the SLY rickettsia-like bacterium identified from the strawberry
reference sample.
These results are highly significant since they show that a leafhopper that
is common and abundant on strawberry plants and a variety of other
plant species growing on and around strawberry nursery farms in southern
Queensland during the critical SLY infection period carries the SLY
rickettsia-like bacterium.
Table 1. The numbers of the three main leafhoppers associated with lethal yellows
collected from sampling unsprayed strawberry nursery plots at Stanthorpe in 2009.
Data are the average number of insects collected on each sampling date.
Date of
sampling
7 January
21 January
4 February
17 February
3 March
17 March
31 March
15 April
Average
Austroagallia
torrida
Orosius
orientalis
22
45
21
5
3
14
1
2
4
13
20
0
0
1
9
0
14
Anzygina
species
58
244
212
110
21
74
243
143
138
11
Populations of the leafhoppers in the nurseries at Stanthorpe

In 2009, we collected samples of leafhoppers from unsprayed plots on
one of the nursery farms at Stanthorpe. An Anzygina species was the
most common hopper in the strawberry plants, followed by Austroagallia
torrida and Orosius orientalis (see Table 1). Anzygina was active throughout the season, whereas the other two species were more active early
in the season. The numbers of A. torrida
collected from these plots were lower than
the numbers collected from lucerne plants
growing near the strawberry plants from
late September to early November in 2009.
During this period, the average number
of hoppers collected was 37 hoppers per
sample (see Table 2). These results confirm
the importance of lucerne and other
plants for the breeding and survival of the
hoppers and their role in the transmission
of SLY.
Checking strawberry nursery plants at

Stanthorpe for symptoms of lethal yellows.
Populations of leafhopper can vary quite

considerably from season to season on the
Granite Belt. In 2009, the average number
of A. torrida per sample collected from
September to November was 37 hoppers
per sample compared with 1 hopper per
sample in 2010 (Table 2). The respective
data for O. orientalis were 10 and 1 hoppers
per sample, and for Anzygina species, 104
and 5 hoppers per sample.
In the past, a low incidence
of lethal yellows has been
associated with wet conditions
over winter and spring in
southern Queensland. Above
average rainfall was recorded
for much of the area to the
west and south-west of the
Granite Belt late in 2010.
Sampling for the leafhoppers
in lucerne growing in areas
south and west of Stanthorpe
indicated similar total
populations of the insects
there as those in areas around
Stanthorpe.
Jonathan Smith checking plants in the nursery at Maroochy for

symptoms of lethal yellows.
12
However, the number of

A. torrida in the samples
increased the further west the
samples were collected. We suspect that the hoppers originate in areas

further south and west of Stanthorpe and migrate north-east on weather
fronts in spring and early summer each year.
Table 2. The numbers of the three main leafhoppers collected from sampling
of lucerne plants growing on the Granite Belt in 2009 and 2010. Data are the
average number of insects collected on each sampling date.
Date of sampling
Austroagallia
torrida
Orosius
orientalis
Anzygina
species
2009
22 September
7 October
23 October
6 November
10
52
60
27
6
8
12
16
104
186
83
41
Average
37
10
104
2010
7 September
6 October
4 November
24 November
1
2
1
0
0
1
2
0
3
5
8
3
Average
Presence of the disease organism in different hopper populations

In 2010, samples of Austroagallia torrida were collected from clover
and lucerne plants growing at Stanthorpe and Gatton and tested for the
presence of the disease organisms. We were interested in determining
if the disease organisms could be isolated from hoppers collected from
plants growing in other places in southern Queensland. Each sample
consisted of five adult hoppers.
The results of this experiment showed that the SLY rickettsia-like
bacterium was found in four out of four samples of the hoppers collected
from clover plants growing at Stanthorpe, four out of four samples
collected from lucerne plants growing at Stanthorpe, and four out of four
samples collected from lucerne plants growing at Gatton; none tested
positive for the SLY phytoplasma. These results suggest that populations
of this hopper inhabiting clover and lucerne are potential sources of the
disease for the infection of healthy strawberry plants.
Transmission experiments
To confirm that Austroagallia torrida is the vector of SLY, transmission
studies are required. In October 2010, three insect-proof cages were set
up in Nambour, with four strawberry plants in each. The plants were
healthy with no obvious symptoms of SLY, and specific laboratory tests
confirmed that none of the plants was carrying the phytoplasma or
rickettsia-like bacterium. The experiment included plants of Festival,
Florida Fortuna, and the experimental line 2006-215.
13
Leafhoppers were introduced into each of the cages on three occasions.

The hoppers were seen to alight on the plants but did not feed.
Subsequently, none of the plants showed any symptoms of lethal yellows.
These results suggest that the hoppers do not feed readily on strawberry
plants, and probably need other food sources such as lucerne to survive.
This correlates with the incidence of SLY infection in the field, and its
relative rarity when the total hopper population is considered. It seems
possible that infection occurs as a result of vagrant hoppers wandering
into strawberry plantings, where transmission may occur merely through
their probing of the phloem tissues without feeding.
How effective are the insecticide sprays used to manage SLY in the
nurseries?
The main strategy currently used to limit the impact of lethal yellows in
strawberry fields on the Sunshine Coast is to detect and remove infected
mother and daughter plants during the transplant-production season in
the nurseries on the Granite Belt. Dimethoate and other insecticides are
also applied to kill vectors before they feed on the strawberry plants.
We compared the incidence of SLY in conventionally managed nursery
plots at Stanthorpe with that recorded in unsprayed plots over three
seasons. In the first year, the average incidence of the disease was one
percent in the insecticide-treated areas compared with fourteen percent
in the unsprayed areas. The relative data for the second year were one
percent in the insecticide-treated areas compared with eleven percent
in the unsprayed areas. In the third year, the incidence of the disease
generally was too low to make a useful comparison between the different
treatments. Overall, this work showed that the current insecticide-based
control strategy, although not perfect, is effective in
reducing the incidence of the disorder.
Conclusions
Native plants growing at Stanthorpe. Some

of these plants have distorted growth that
is often the symptom of infection with lethal
yellows-type disease organisms.
14
Austroagallia torrida, a leafhopper common and

abundant on strawberry plants and a variety of
other plants at Stanthorpe, carries the rickettsia-like
bacterium associated with lethal yellows. This hopper
was mostly active in the strawberry plants on the
Granite Belt from early January to early February.
Specimens of the hopper collected from lucerne plants
growing at Gatton were infected with the rickettsia,
suggesting that the organism is widely distributed.
Transmission experiments showed that the suspect
hopper does not readily feed nor breed on strawberry
plants. The current strategy of spraying the strawberry
nursery plants with dimethoate to control the hoppers
appears to be the best approach to limit the impact of
the disease on the commercial strawberry industry.
Acknowledgements
Chris Freebairn contributed to some of these studies.
The control of the bud and leaf

nematode in southern Queensland
Jenny Cobon, Wayne ONeill, Don Hutton and Apollo Gomez
Introduction
The bud and leaf nematode, Aphelenchoides fragariae, was recently
detected in strawberry crops growing in southern Queensland. It caused
major losses on several properties on the Sunshine Coast. This pest is
different to the crimp nematode, Aphelenchoides besseyi, which had
previously been found in strawberry fields in this area.
Nematodes are microscopic, unsegmented roundworms that occur
worldwide in fresh and salt water, soil, decaying organic matter, plants
and animals. They have a resistant cuticle or skin, and inhabit all types
of environments, which has enabled them to become the most abundant
multicellular species on the planet. There are about 28,000 species, with
about 16,000 of these parasitic. Nematodes that are parasitic on plants
spend much of their life cycles closely associated with their host plants.
The genus Aphelenchoides includes some of the most common plantparasitic nematodes.
The bud and leaf nematode is a foliar pest that has an extensive host
range. It is widely distributed throughout temperate and tropical regions
of the world. The species is frequently encountered in horticultural crops
and causes economic losses in the foliage plant and nursery industries.
As its name suggests, A. fragariae is also a major pest of strawberry
plants around the world. This nematode should not be confused with A.
ritzemabosi, another bud and leaf nematode that occurs in strawberry
plants in Mexico, but which mainly affects chrysanthemum.
Strawberry plants can be infected by nematodes transported from a
nearby infected area by wind, flooding, mechanical means, or animals.
Nematodes are also spread by infested transplants. The source of the bud
and leaf nematode found in affected strawberry fields on the Sunshine
Coast is unknown. The pest has not been found in the plant nurseries or
on a wide range of weeds sampled on the Granite Belt.
The lifecycle of the nematode

A. fragariae is an obligate parasite of above-ground parts of plants.
This means that the nematode requires living tissues on which to
grow, reproduce and survive. On strawberry plants, the nematode is
an ectoparasite living in the folded crown and leaf buds of the plant,
and it feeds in the folded buds. The pest is bisexual, with the lifecycle
completed in ten to eleven days at 18C; several generations are
completed each year. Developmental stages include eggs, juveniles and
adults.
The nematode cannot survive in bare soil for more than three months as
it can feed and survive only on living plant material. Local research has
shown that the nematode can survive and even multiply in plant tissue
15
at -2C. The pest is an endoparasite on ferns and ornamentals, and enters

through stomata when the surface of the leaves is covered in a thin film
of water. It then remains within the plant tissue.
Host range
Unlike many other plant pathogens, nematodes usually have a wide
host range and are seldom confined to a single plant species. The bud
and leaf nematode can attack more than 250 plants in 47 families from
both tropical and temperate regions of the world. It is a major pathogen
of strawberry plants, with most other hosts belonging to the Liliaceae,
Primulaceae and Ranunculaceae families. These groups contain many
flowering ornamentals, including begonias, lilies, violets, primulas and
azaleas. It also affects a wide range of fern species as well as figs.
Symptoms of the nematode and impact on commercial

horticultural production
Strawberry plants affected by the nematode are stunted and have
deformed buds, leaves and flowers. The leaves are often small, twisted
and puckered, and have crinkled edges. The crown is unusually compact
and stunted, with reddened petioles and flower stalks. Many of the
flowers are aborted. Severely infested plants may not produce any
commercial fruit.
On ferns, leaf blotches typically occur in chevron-like stripes, as
movement of the pest seems to be limited by the veins. Leaf blotches
on flowering plants appear as water soaked patches which later turn
brown. The bud and leaf nematode can become a serious pathogen
in nursery grown plants where environmental conditions such as
warm temperatures and high humidity favour a rapid build up of the
population.
Identification of the nematode

Nematode species are difficult to identify. Identification of the pests can
only be made by a nematologist, who can extract the nematodes from
the affected plants and view them under a microscope. A. fragariae
is a long slender nematode up to 0.8 mm long, with fast whip-like
movements. The spear or stylet
(feeding tube) which runs from the
mouth is slender, about 10 mm long,
with minute but distinct basal bulbs.
A strawberry plant infected with the bud and leaf nematode. The
plant shows the typical tight crown and distorted leaves.
16
Typical of the genus, the nematode

has an obvious large, squarish
median bulb. Females and males are
both abundant. The females have a
small vulva or slit on the side of the
body through which the eggs are
fertilized and laid. The position of
this structure in nematodes is often
used to identify different species. The
males have a rose thorn spicule.
The tail of both sexes is an elongate-conoid ending in a simple blunt

spike.
Management and control of the nematode

The impact of the nematode on commercial strawberry production on
the Sunshine Coast can be minimised with good cultural practices.
Producers should maintain strict sanitation and inspection of plant
material to minimize losses. This includes the removal and destruction
of infested plants and the use of nematode-free planting material.
Excessive humidity and splashing of water on stems and leaves and
contact between plants should be avoided. Hot water treatments to ensure
clean planting material have been recommended in many situations.
An emergency use permit for the application of liquid fenamiphos
(Nemacur) into the crown of strawberry plants has been granted for
use in nurseries in southern Queensland. This is not an option for fruit
growers on the coast as there is a six-week withholding period for the
product. Further studies are required to determine the source of the
nematodes in commercial strawberry fields in southern Queensland and
their impact on production.
Further reading
Maas, J.L. (1998). Compendium of Strawberry Diseases. The American
Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States, 98 pp.
McCuiston, J. L. et. al. (2007). Conventional and PCR detection of
Aphelenchoides fragariae in diverse ornamental host plant species.
Journal of Nematology 39, 343355.
Siddiqi, M.R. (1975). Aphelenchoides fragariae. CIH Descriptions of Plantparasitic Nematodes Set 5, No. 7.
Strand, L.L. (2008). Integrated Pest Management for Strawberries.
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Publication, Oakland, California, United States, 176 pp.
A fern infected with the
bud and leaf nematode
showing the typical leaf
blotches.
A strawberry plant
infected with the bud
and leaf nematode (left)
adjacent to a healthy
plant (right).
17
Controlling crown rot in Australia

Apollo Gomez, Don Hutton, Lindsay Smith, Teresa Seijo and Natalia Peres
Overview
Crown rot caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg) and related

fungi is the main plant disease affecting strawberry fields in southern
Queensland. Visual symptoms of the disease include lesions on the petioles
and stolons, and red-brown necrotic areas in the crown. Ultimately, the
affected plants wilt and die. The pathogen is present at very low levels in
the strawberry nurseries in Brisbane and in Stanthorpe, where it causes
insignificant losses. However, there can be more serious losses of up to
thirty percent of plants in individual strawberry fields when infected
transplants are consigned to the Sunshine Coast.
It is not known why low levels of infection in the nurseries can result
in significant losses in the field on the coast. Prochloraz is routinely
applied to the nursery beds on the Granite Belt in an attempt to limit
infection of the plants and the impact of the disease on fruit production.
Pyraclostrobin (Cabrio), and cyprodinil plus fludioxinil (Switch) are
used in a resistance management strategy with prochloraz. Pyraclostrobin
is used in the tissue-culture and foundation nurseries, while cyprodinil
and fludioxinil are used in the tissue-culture, foundation and commercial
plant nurseries.
Research conducted at the University of Florida over the past five years
has shown that there are three distinct subpopulations of the main
fungi associated with crown rot in strawberry plants in Australia. This
work indicated that there were two subpopulations of Colletotrichum
gloeosporioides, a heterothallic group (Cg), and a homothallic group that
should be more appropriately referred to as Glomerella cingulata (Gc2),
and a subpopulation of C. fragariae (Cf). These results were based on
the analysis of 62 isolates of the crown rot fungi collected over 20 years
from different locations around
Australia. Samples of the fungi
were collected from the leaves,
crowns and stolons of strawberry
plants, and from alternative host
plants growing near strawberry
fields. In strawberry, samples were
collected from plants with and
without symptoms of crown rot.
Apollo Gomez isolating the crown rot fungi from strawberry plants.
18
The Gc2 (Glomerella cingulata)

genotype is the current dominant
and most important strain of the
pathogen in southern Queensland.
The Cg (Colletotrichum
gloeosporioides) strain is also
present in recent isolates, but is
not as dominant as Gc2.
The Cf (Colletotrichum
fragariae) strain
is associated with
transplants grown in
nurseries used by the
strawberry industry in
the 1990s. This strain
has not been isolated
or recovered from
strawberry plants in
southern Queensland
for more than 12 years.
We investigated
the pathogenicity
of the different
subpopulations of
Don Hutton checking strawberry plants for symptoms of crown rot.
the crown rot fungi
affecting strawberry plants in southern Queensland. Spores of the fungi
were grown in culture and used to inoculate healthy strawberry plants
growing in a glasshouse. Most of the isolates came from the Glomerella
cingulata (Gc2) genotype, with some isolates of the other two groups
(Cg and Cf) also included. In the initial tests, the different isolates were
injected into the highly susceptible Camarosa to confirm that the
particular isolate was pathogenic for strawberry.
The second part of the research examined the response of different
cultivars to the isolates that proved pathogenic in the test cultivar
Camarosa. This information was used to determine the relative
susceptibility of the major cultivars to the main pathogenic
subpopulations of the fungi found in southern Queensland.
Fungi can become resistant to fungicides when they are used routinely
over successive seasons. There is a possibility that the crown rot fungi
will become resistant to prochloraz, limiting the effectiveness of this
chemical to control the disease. Thus, we examined the extent of
resistance of the crown rot fungi to prochloraz. Various isolates of the
fungi were grown in culture that incorporated different concentrations of
the fungicide. The growth of the fungi in culture was used to determine
whether an isolate has become resistant to the chemical.
Pathogenicity of different isolates of the crown rot fungi

Thirty-seven isolates of the crown rot fungi collected from strawberry
plants and alternative host plants were tested for pathogenicity on
strawberry plants in a glasshouse at Nambour. Bare-rooted transplants
of Camarosa were grown in 100-ml pots filled with peat and sand
(1:1). After four weeks, the plants were inoculated, with about 0.1 ml of
inoculum injected into the lower crown using a 1-ml syringe fitted with
a 25-gauge needle. For each test isolate, there were six inoculated plants
and six control plants. The control plants were injected with sterile water.
19
Table 1. Summary of the pathogenicity of different isolates of the crown rot

fungi injected into healthy Camarosa strawberry plants. A suspension of fungal
spores was injected into the crowns of each plant. There were six inoculated
plants and six control plants for each test, with data collected after six weeks. An
isolate was considered pathogenic if four or more of the injected plants wilted
and died. Gc2 = Glomerella cingulata, Cg = Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and
Cf = Colletotrichum fragariae. The fungi were sampled from strawberry plants
with rotting leaf blades, leaf petioles, crowns and stolons, and from strawberry
plants without any symptoms of infection (leaf petiole samples). Samples of the
fungi were also collected from alternative host plants growing next to strawberry
fields (above-ground samples).
Type of isolate or sample
Number of isolates
that were pathogenic
Glomerella cingulata (Gc2)

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg)
Colletotrichum fragariae (Cf)
9 out of 16
3 out of 6
13 out of 15
Samples from infected crowns

Samples from infected leaf blades
Samples from infected leaf petioles
Samples from infected stolons
Samples from symptomless plants (petioles)
Samples from alternative hosts
15 out of 17
2 out of 2
5 out 6
0 out of 1
1 out of 8
2 out of 3
Samples collected from 1990 to 1999

Samples collected from 2000 to 2009
16 out of 18
10 out of 19
The plants were checked weekly for symptoms of crown rot and the time
from inoculation to the first signs of collapse or wilting was recorded for
each plant. Plants that wilted were sampled to confirm the presence of
the crown rot fungi. Isolates were considered pathogenic when four or
more of the inoculated plants died from crown rot after six weeks.
Nine out of the sixteen isolates of Gc2 were pathogenic to Camarosa
(see Table 1). Thirteen out of
fifteen isolates of the Cf strain and
three out of six isolates of the Cg
strain were also pathogenic. These
results indicated that a total of 25
out of the 37 isolates were able
to cause disease when injected
into healthy Camarosa plants
growing in a glasshouse. Thus, all
three subpopulations of the crown
rot fungi are capable of causing
disease in strawberry plants.
Nearly all of the isolates taken
from samples of rotting strawberry
leaf blades, leaf petioles and
Lindsay Smith and Don Hutton discussing the results of some of the glasshouse
crowns were pathogenic,
experiments on crown rot.
20
regardless of the genotype (see Table 1). There was insufficient

sampling of stolons to determine whether isolates from these tissues
were pathogenic or not. Only one isolate out of eight collected from
symptomless strawberry plants was pathogenic when injected into the
healthy Camarosa plants. Two out of the three isolates collected from
alternate host plants were pathogenic when injected into the test plants.
Most of the isolates from samples collected in the 1990s were pathogenic
when injected into healthy Camarosa strawberry plants (see Table 1).
In contrast, only about half the isolates collected later were pathogenic.
Most of the older isolates were classified as Colletotrichum fragariae.
Screening of strawberry cultivars for their susceptibility to the

different subpopulations of the crown rot fungi
Only isolates that were pathogenic when injected into plants of
Camarosa in the first experiment were used to assess the susceptibility
of other cultivars to crown rot. The set-up was similar to the first
experiment, except that the inoculum was sprayed onto the plants
rather than injected into the crown. This was to determine whether
some isolates were more aggressive than others under standard growing
conditions. The cultivars evaluated included Camarosa, Festival, Florida
Fortuna, Aussiegem, Sunblushgem and Suncoast Delight. The first three
cultivars are the main cultivars grown in southern Queensland. The
other cultivars are new lines recently released by DEEDI. There were six
inoculated plants and six control plants for each cultivar. At the end of
the experiment, the percentage of plants that wilted and died in each
treatment was calculated.
Thirteen out of the fourteen isolates that were pathogenic when
injected into healthy Camarosa plants were pathogenic when sprayed
onto healthy plants of the same cultivar. All the other cultivars were
susceptible to half or more of the test isolates. The plants took three to
ten weeks to collapse after the fungi were sprayed onto the crowns. This
was longer than in the first experiment when the plants were injected
with the pathogens. It was also
warmer in the glasshouse in the
initial experiment with Camarosa.
The percentage of plants dying
after they were sprayed with
inoculum of the crown rot
fungi was used to assess the
susceptibility of the cultivars to
the various pathogenic isolates
(see Table 2). When the main
fungus, Gc2 was the source of
the inoculum, Camarosa and
Aussiegem were rated as highly
susceptible, with more than eighty
percent of the plants dying. The
other cultivars were rated as
Apollo Gomez checking plants in the glasshouse after they have been
inoculated with the crown rot fungus.
21
moderately susceptible, with fifty to eighty percent of the plants dying.

When Cf was the source of the inoculum, Camarosa, Florida Fortuna,
Sunblushgem and Aussiegem were rated as moderately susceptible,
and Festival and Suncoast Delight rated as less susceptible (less than
fifty percent of plants dying).
There were also differences when Cg was the source of the inoculum,
although there were only two isolates of this strain used in the test.
Across the three different subpopulations, Camarosa was rated as highly
susceptible, and all the other cultivars rated as moderately susceptible.
An analysis across the six cultivars indicated that the Gc2 and Cg
genotypes were more of a problem than the Cf genotype.
Table 2. The susceptibility of six strawberry cultivars to the three crown rot fungi found in southern
Queensland. Data show the percent of plants wilting and dying ten weeks after the plants were
sprayed with inoculum. There were six inoculated plants and six control plants for each test. Only
isolates that were considered pathogenic in the previous experiment were used.
Cultivar
Percent of plants dying
Glomerella
cingulata (Gc2)
(n = 5)
Colletotrichum
gloeosporioides
(Cg) (n = 2)
Colletotrichum
fragariae (Cf)
(n = 8)
Overall
Camarosa
Festival
Florida Fortuna
Sunblushgem
Suncoast Delight
Aussiegem
97
79
67
70
77
93
100
60
90
83
67
83
79
31
52
54
33
65
92
57
70
69
59
80
Average
81
81
52
These experiments show that there were differences in the susceptibility

of the cultivars to the two main groups of crown rot fungi and
differences within the groups of cultivars. Overall, the plants were more
susceptible to Glomerella cingulata than to Colletotrichum fragariae.
This last mentioned genotype is common among samples collected
from transplants that were grown in the strawberry nurseries in the
1990s, and does not appear to be associated with plant losses from the
current nurseries on the Granite Belt. There were insufficient data to
determine the relative susceptibility of the cultivars to Colletotrichum
gloeosporioides.
All the cultivars were susceptible to some of the isolates of Glomerella
cingulata and some of the isolates of Colletotrichum fragariae. None of
the cultivars were resistant to all the strains of the fungi. Camarosa,
developed in California, was the most susceptible cultivar, with only
small differences in the other cultivars. Overall, the cultivars from Florida
were only slightly better than the cultivars from Queensland. These
responses should be taken into account in future breeding efforts.
There were insufficient data to indicate whether the fungi isolated from
alternate host plants are likely to infect strawberry fields in southern
Queensland. It could also not be determined whether the fungi that are
22
found on native and other plants are the original source of the fungi that
affect strawberry plants in Australia.
Screening of the crown rot fungi for resistance to prochloraz

This research examined the resistance of different subpopulations of
the crown rot fungi to the main chemical used to control the disease
in the strawberry nurseries at Stanthorpe. The experimental work was
conducted in the laboratory at the University of Florida.
Forty-one isolates of the crown rot fungi were grown on media in plastic
plates and then transferred to a plate with prochloraz (Octave) applied
in a continuous radial concentration gradient. For each isolate, the
concentration of the chemical required to give a fifty percent inhibition
of growth of the fungus on the plate was calculated. This term is called
the half maximal effective concentration or EC50. The analysis showed
that the estimated EC50 ranged from 0.001 to 0.008 g per ml, with an
average value of 0.003 g per ml (see Table 3). Prochloraz is normally
applied at a rate of 6.44 g per ml to strawberry plants growing in the
field. Thus, the effective concentration of the chemical to reduce the
growth of the fungi by half is less than 0.1% of that used in commercial
applications. These data indicate that the fungi do not appear to show
signs of resistance to prochloraz.
Table 3. Summary of the fifty percent effective concentration (EC50) for inhibition
of growth of the crown rot fungi by the fungicide prochloraz.
Species
G. cingulata (Gc2)
C. gloeosporioides (Cg)
C. fragariae (Cf)
Number
of isolates
tested
Average EC50
(g per ml)
Range in EC50
(g per ml)
23
4
14
0.003
0.003
0.002
0.002-0.008
0.002-0.005
0.001-0.005
Conclusions
Isolates of the three crown rot species (Glomerella cingulata,
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum fragariae) collected
from diseased strawberry plants were generally pathogenic to strawberry
plants. The major species affecting
transplants supplied from nurseries
located on the Granite Belt is Glomerella
cingulata. Camarosa was the most
susceptible cultivar to the major
pathogen and Florida Fortuna was the
least susceptible cultivar. There was no
evidence that the crown rot fungi have
become resistant to prochloraz, the prime
chemical used to control the disease in
southern Queensland. Future research on
crown rot should focus on Glomerella
cingulata, the main subpopulation
Tracey Lo Grasso isolating the crown rot fungi from strawberry
affecting strawberry plants in Australia. plants.
23
Profiles of team members

Chris Menzel
Chris, a principal horticulturist, has conducted research for Australian
horticultural industries for 29 years, especially on tropical fruit. He is
undertaking research to assess the performance of different planting
material for the strawberry industry and is also leader of the runner
quality and crown rot projects.
Mark Herrington
Mark is a principal horticulturist with DEEDI. He has over thirty years
experience in breeding horticultural crops, with direct involvement
in strawberry, tomato, capsicum, melon, zucchini, cucumber and
pumpkin. Mark has released more than 26 cultivars and breeding
lines, and published 90 refereed and conference papers. He leads the
subtropical component of the Australian strawberry breeding program,
where he is focussing on delivering cultivars accepted by growers,
marketers and consumers.
Louella Woolcock
Louella has worked with the strawberry team at Maroochy since 1999,
and provides technical assistance to the breeding program. Louella
is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the breeding work,
including maintenance of the parent material used in crossing, along
with the pollination and germination of new seed. She collects yearly
data on the yield and quality of the new seedling lines and potential
new cultivars, along with information on the performance of the
current industry standards.
Lien Ko
Lien is a scientist with a degree in Horticulture and experience in plant
molecular markers and tissue culture. She has over 20 years experience
in the application of these techniques to improve the production
of ornamentals, sugarcane, cereals and tropical fruit. Lien has been
instrumental in developing the first genetically-engineered pineapples
with blackheart resistance and controlled natural flowering. She is
currently involved in the assessment of these new pineapples in the
field, and is assisting the strawberry plant breeding team develop new
cultivars, and the pathology group to better diagnose plants with lethal
yellows.
Jonathan Smith
Jonathan has worked as an experimentalist at Maroochy for more than
ten years, supporting research on the biology, ecology and control of
pests and beneficial insects in citrus, passionfruit, custard apple, mango
and grape. His main focus has been on the control of mites and scales
affecting citrus orchards in Queensland, and he has been involved in
24
the evaluation of numerous species imported from overseas to control

these insects. Jonathan also has experience in the pests of strawberry
fields, having assisted crop consultants working with the industry on
the Sunshine Coast. He has worked closely with Don Hutton on lethal
yellows and other strawberry diseases.
Don Hutton
Don is a senior experimentalist with DEEDI. He has conducted research
on plant pathology for over 40 years. Dons primary interest has
been in integrated disease management of strawberries where he has
developed control strategies for the main diseases, including black
spot, grey mould and powdery mildew, and also for managing crown
rot in the nursery beds. He has assisted strawberry growers adopt soil
fumigants that are alternatives to methyl bromide, which was phased
out for most sections of the industry in 2005.
Apollo Gomez
Apollo is an experimentalist, and has over 10 years experience in
research and development with DEEDI in Nambour and Cairns, and
the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
in Darwin. He has provided technical assistance across a range of
disciplines within horticulture, including breeding, propagation,
orchard and nursery management, crop protection, diagnostics,
quarantine and eradication. Apollo has worked on a variety of crops,
including strawberry, macadamia, mango and cashew. Apollo currently
provides technical support for glasshouse and field research on
strawberry diseases at Maroochy.
Natalia Peres
Dr Peres has been an Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology at the Gulf
Coast Research and Education Center at the University of Florida since
2004. Natalia earned her Ph D degree in Plant Pathology, M Sci degree
in Horticulture, and B Sci degree in Agronomy from the Sao Paulo
State University in Botucatu in Brazil. Her research and extension
programs have focused on improving our understanding of strawberry
and citrus diseases. Of particular interest has been the development of
models to assist growers in scheduling fungicide applications for the
control of major diseases in these crops. Natalia has developed models
to predict the development of anthracnose and botrytis (grey mould) in
strawberries.
Dr Peres has advised two M S students at the University of Florida
and served as a member of the committee for two Ph D students.
She has also provided training for many international students and
visitors to Florida. Natalia is an active member of the American
Phytopathological Society (APS). She is helping Don Hutton and the
Plant Pathology team at Maroochy to develop strategies for the control
of crown rot and other diseases in strawberry plants.
25
Loraine Chapman
Loraine has 20 years experience in publications as a designer, desktop
publisher and editor for DEEDI. She has published more than 35
Agrilink crop information manuals and numerous crop field guides
on growing and marketing of horticulture crops. Other publications
include scientific reports, presentations and CDs for Maroochy research
and extension staff. She has also developed web sites, and edited/
published agricultural books, manuals and reports for international
projects, ICRAF, FAO (United Nations) and the Department for
International Development, UK (DFID).
Lindsay Smith
Lindsay has been working at Maroochy Research Station as a Technical
Assistant since the early 1990s. Initially, he worked on a project
examining options for the control of banana weevil borer with Dan
Smith and others. For many years, Lindsay helped with research on the
control and management of insect pests in citrus, working with Dan,
Jonathan Smith and Chris Freebairn. More recently, he has contributed
to the strawberry program at the centre, and has been helping with
the collection of yield data in trial plots. He has also been assisting
with efforts to control the main pests and diseases affecting strawberry
crops, including the work on lethal yellows and crown rot.
Mary Grace
Mary has been a Technical Assistant for the strawberry R&D team
at Maroochy since 2005. Her main focus has been to help Mark
Herrington and Louella Woolcock in the breeding program. Mary
has been assisting with the regular harvesting and assessment of the
breeding lines, along with the propagation of the new material and has
also contributed to the agronomic and plant pathology research.
Warwick Grace
Warwick works as a Technical Assistant to the strawberry program
at Maroochy, and has been a member of the team for more than
five years. He has been responsible for the maintenance of field and
glasshouse plants in the breeding experiments. Warwick has also
helped out with the research to improve nursery quality and the impact
of crown rot and other diseases on strawberry production. Warwick
has Certificates in Horticulture and the Application of Chemicals,
and enjoys living on the Sunshine Coast where he also does contract
mowing and spraying for strawberry growers and others.
Michelle Paynter
Michelle started work at Maroochy Research Station in Emerging
Technologies, after completing three months work experience with
the University of Queensland. She graduated in 2007 with a B Appl
Sci degree in Environmental and Horticultural Production. Michelle
joined the strawberry team in 2008 to provide technical assistance in
26
the breeding program. Her duties at Maroochy include the pollination

of selected parents to produce the new breeding lines and germination
of the new seed. Michelle is responsible for virus-indexing of the new
material and for maintaining the breeding lines that are kept in tissue
culture. She has also undertaken research into the screening of new
cultivars for their tolerance or resistance to wilt caused by Fusarium
oxysporum.
Sam Price
Sam graduated from the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2006 with
a B Sci degree (Hons in Marine Ecology). He started at Maroochy in
2007, assisting research on the agronomy of persimmon, stonefruit and
custard apple. Recently, he joined the strawberry breeding program
and has helped assess the two new cultivars Florida Radiance and
Parisienne Belle for approval for Plant Breeding Rights (PBRs). Sam
has investigated various technologies to increase the capabilities of the
breeding program.
Sharon Anning
Sharon completed a Dip Appl Sci with the Moreton Institute of TAFE
in 2002. After graduating, she worked in a laboratory assisting with
studies to improve the production of peanuts. Sharon has been helping
the strawberry research team at Maroochy over the last couple of years,
mainly working with the plant breeding and pathology groups.
Tali Grace
Tali is currently undertaking a school-based traineeship. She is enrolled
for a Certificate II in Horticulture at the TAFE in Nambour. Tali likes
working outdoors, and has been helping with the strawberry breeding
program at Maroochy, assisting with planting, growing, harvesting and
assessment of the new lines.
Geoff Waite
Geoff Waite has over 40 years experience as an entomologist. In 2007,
Geoff retired from his position at Maroochy, but is still involved in the
various strawberry programs at the centre. Over the past few years,
Geoff has helped out with the editing and production of the Strawberry
R&D Update.
Edward Woolcock
Edward completed his high school studies in 2009, and has been
working at Maroochy for the past two years as a casual Technical
Assistant for the strawberry breeding group. He has been involved in
planting, harvesting and assessment of the new selections. Edward has
also provided help in the propagation and maintenance of the new
planting material. Part of his time over the last few strawberry seasons
was spent collecting data on fruit colour, rain damage and fruit shape.
27
Jenny Cobon
Jenny is a Senior Experimentalist and has worked as a Nematologist
for DEEDI for the past 18 years. She has conducted research on
plant-parasitic nematodes, with special focus on diagnostics and crop
management, nematode ecology and soil health. Part of this research
has involved chemical and non-chemical methods of control of
these parasites and the biodegradation of nematicides in soil profiles.
Jenny has extensive experience working on the burrowing nematode
(Radopholus similis) and the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne species).
She recently received a scholarship to travel to Scotland to study
techniques used to identify the potato cyst nematode which affects
crops in Australia. Jenny manages the Nematode Diagnostic Laboratory
located at the Ecosciences Precinct at Boggo Road in Brisbane.
Wayne ONeill
Wayne is a Plant Pathologist and has worked for DEEDI for 19 years.
His main areas of interest have included research on nematodes,
Fusarium wilt and soil health, especially in banana crops. Wayne
has been involved in numerous studies on nematodes, including
the use of biological control agents, rotation crops and integrated
crop management systems. He co-manages DEEDIs Nematode
Diagnostic Laboratory which first identified the bud and leaf nematode
(Aphelenchoides fragariae) in Queensland strawberry plants. Wayne has
been involved in studies aimed at improving our understanding of the
distribution and ecology of this new pest.
28
Industry extension
Queensland Strawberry Growers Association Meetings. Members of the
strawberry team attended the industry meetings held in February, May,
July and October and provided local growers with an update on project
activities.
Mark Herrington reported to the National Strawberry Varietal
Improvement Steering Committee (NSVISC) in February and October,
where he gave an overview of the latest breeding efforts. Mark also
attended The North American Strawberry Symposium at Tampa in
Florida in February 2011. Areas of interest included strengthening the
link between the two subtropical breeding programs at Nambour and
Wimauma.
Don Hutton and Apollo Gomez visited Florida in February 2011 to
attend the North American Strawberry Symposium and to meet with
collaborating scientists from the University of Florida. The industry in
Queensland shares many similarities with the industry in Florida. During
the visit, Dr Peres from the University committed to further research on
the control of diseases affecting strawberry fields in Australia. Laboratory
techniques to test for resistance of the crown rot and grey mould
fungi (Colletotrichum species and Botrytis cinerea) to fungicides were
proposed. These techniques will allow us to better screen chemicals used
to control these diseases in Australia. Don and Apollo also learnt about
new strategies to control crown rot, grey mould and powdery mildew
from presentations at the Symposium. These strategies have potential
application for the strawberry industry in Australia.
Don Hutton and

Larissa Bartel
at Maroochy.
Larissa provides
administrative
support to the berry
research program at
the centre.
29
Rod Edmonds, Don Hutton and Noel Vock at Maroochy. Rod co-ordinates external funding
applications for berry researchers at the centre. Noel edited the first Strawberry R&D
Update in 2005.
Former and current members of the berry research team at Maroochy.
30
Publications
Cobon, J.A. and ONeill, W.T. (2011). Aphelenchoides fragariae a foliar
nematode on strawberries in south east Queensland. Proceedings of
the 18 th Australasian Plant Pathology Society Conference, Darwin,
Australia, p. 105.
Gomez, A. and Hutton, D.G. (2011). Strawberry cultivar response to the
four genotypes of Colletotrichum spp. associated with crown rot in
Australia. Proceedings of the North American Strawberry Symposium,
Tampa, Florida, p. 16.
Gomez, A.O., Hutton, D.G., Seijo, T.E. and Peres, N.A. (2012).
Pathogenicity analysis of isolates of four Colletotrichum spp.
genotypes from strawberry and alternative hosts in Queensland.
Seventh International Strawberry Symposium, Beijing, China
(Abstract).
Gomez, A., Hutton, D.G., Smith, L. and Menzel, C.M. (2011). Recent
studies on controlling crown rot in strawberry plants. Simply Red
(Queensland Strawberry Industry Promotions Council) 23, 4-5.
Herrington, M.E. (2011). National strawberry varietal improvement
program subtropical regions. Horticulture Australia Limited
Strawberry Industry Annual Report, p. 2.
Herrington, M.E., Hardner, C., Wegener, M., Woolcock, L.L. and Dieters,
M.J. (2011). Rain damage to strawberries grown in southeast
Queensland: evaluation and genetic control. HortScience 46, 832837.
Herrington, M.E. and Price, S. (2010). Fragaria xananassa. Redgem. Plant
Varieties Journal 23 (3), 99.
Herrington, M.E. and Price, S. (2010). Fragaria xananassa. Suncoast
Delight. Plant Varieties Journal 23 (3), 100.
Herrington, M.E. and Price, S. (2010). Fragaria xananassa. Aussiegem.
Plant Varieties Journal 23 (3), 102.
Herrington, M.E. and Price, S. (2010). Fragaria xananassa. Sunblushgem.
Plant Varieties Journal 23 (3), 103.
Herrington, M., Wegener, M., Hardner, C., Woolcock, L.L. and Dieters,
M.J. (2012) Influence of plant traits on production costs and
profitability of strawberry in southeast Queensland. Agricultural
Systems 106, 23-32.
Hutton, D.G., Cobon, J., ONeill, W. and Gomez, A. (2010). Bud and leaf
nematode in Queensland strawberry fields. Simply Red (Queensland
Strawberry Industry Promotions Council) 20, 1-3.
Hutton, D.G., Gomez, A. and Mattner, S. (2011). Some experiences with
Macrophomina phaseolina and its association with strawberry crown
rot in Australia. Proceedings of the North American Strawberry
Symposium, Tampa, Florida, p. 15.
31
Hutton, D.G., Gomez, A., Smith, L. and Menzel, C.M. (2011). An update
on efforts to control plant and fruit diseases in strawberry fields in
Queensland. Simply Red (Queensland Strawberry Industry Promotions
Council) 22, 12.
MacKenzie, S.J., Gomez, A., Hutton, D. and Peres, N.A. (2010). Molecular
characterization of Colletotrichum populations causing crown rot of
strawberry in Australia. Phytopathology 100 (Supplement), S75-S76.
Menzel, C.M. (2011). Controlling crown rot in strawberry fields. Horticulture
Australia Limited Strawberry Industry Annual Report, p. 3.
Menzel, C.M. (2011). Improving the quality of strawberry transplants.
Horticulture Australia Limited Strawberry Industry Annual Report, p. 5.
Menzel, C.M. (2011). Update on strawberry projects. Department of
Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 1 p.
Menzel, C.M. and Smith, L. (2011). The relationship between cropping and
the size of nursery material in strawberry. Simply Red (Queensland
Menzel, C.M. and Smith, L. (2011). Small Florida Fortuna plants again
this season. Simply Red (Queensland Strawberry Industry Promotions
Council) 23, 7-8.
Menzel, C.M. and Smith, L. (2011). Effect of time of planting, plant size
and nursery-growing environment on the performance of Festival
strawberry in a subtropical environment. HortTechnology 21, 56-66.
Menzel, C.M. and Smith, L. (2011). Transplant quality affects the production
of Festival and Florida Fortuna strawberry plants growing on
the Sunshine Coast. Simply Red (Queensland Strawberry Industry
Promotions Council) 26, 7-9.
Menzel, C.M. and Smith, L. (2011). The protected culture of strawberry
plants growing under plastic tunnels. Simply Red (Queensland
Menzel, C.M., Waite, G.K. and Chapman, L. (2010). Strawberry R&D Update.
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation,
Nambour, 36 pp.
Pavan, W., Fraisse, C.W. and Peres, N.A. (2011). Development of a webbased disease forecasting system for strawberries. Computers and
Electronics in Agriculture 75, 169-175.
Peres, N.A., MacKenzie, S., Fraisse, C. and Pavan, W. (2011). A disease
forecast system for control of anthracnose and botrytis fruit rots.
Proceedings of the North American Strawberry Symposium, Tampa,
Florida, p. 15.
Smith, J., Neave, M., Hutton, D. and Gibb, K. (2012). First report of
rickettsia-like bacterium associated with strawberry lethal yellows
detected in leafhopper, Austroagallia torrida (In preparation).
32
Acknowledgements
This update includes summaries of research conducted from the
Horticulture Australia Limited strawberry Projects BS06005, BS09013 and
BS10008.
We thank Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL), Queensland Strawberry
Growers Association, Strawberries Australia, Florida Strawberry
Growers Association, Sweets Strawberry Runners, Red Jewel Nursery,
Perry Strawberry Runner Growers, Tasmania Highland Strawberry
Runners and Toolangi Certified Strawberry Runner Growers Co-operative
Limited. Special appreciation is extended to Lourens Grobler and Jennifer
Rowling, and the farm staff from Maroochy, Bundaberg and Redlands
Research Stations. We also thank Vance Whitaker and Craig Chandler
from the University of Florida.
This edition of the update was edited by Chris Menzel and Geoff Waite,
and typeset by Loraine Chapman.
33
Team members
Plant breeding
Mark Herrington, Louella Woolcock, Sam Price, Michelle Paynter, Lien
Ko, Mary Grace, Tali Grace, Warwick Grace, Edward Woolcock, Sharon
Anning, Amanda Westacott, Kathy Parmenter and Denis Persley
Agronomy
Chris Menzel and Lindsay Smith
Entomology
Jonathan Smith, Don Hutton, and Matthew Neave and Karen Gibb
(Charles Darwin University)
Plant pathology
Apollo Gomez, Don Hutton, Lindsay Smith (DEEDI), Teresa Seijo and
Natalia Peres (University of Florida), and Jenny Cobon and Wayne ONeill
(DEEDI, nematodes)
Administration support
Larissa Bartel, Rod Edmonds, Debby Maxfield and Loraine Chapman
For more information contact:
Chris Menzel
Phone: + 61 7 5453 5945
Facsimile: +61 7 5453 5901
Email: chris.menzel@deedi.qld.gov.au
On 26 March 2009, the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
was amalgamated with other government departments to form the
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation.
The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development
and Innovation, 2009.
Except as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968, no part of the work may in any form or by any
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any other means be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior written permission of the
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. The information contained
herein is subject to change without notice. The copyright owner shall not be liable for technical
or other errors or omissions contained herein. The reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility
for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this
information.
Enquiries about reproduction, including downloading or printing the web version, should be directed
to ipcu@dpi.qld.gov.au or telephone +61 7 3225 1398.
Not all the chemicals mentioned in this report are currently registered for use on strawberry runner
or fruit production fields. Please check current registrations for strawberries before using any of the
chemicals. The product label is the official authority and should be used to verify all data relating to
the use of a chemical.

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2011 Edition

Evaluation of new cultivars by commercial growers

Mary and Tali Grace sorting berries

These cultivars continue to show promise

Grant Bignell checking the quality of some

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Three other selections from 2007 to 2009

Early generation selections

Plants in the glasshouse used for cross-pollination.

Collaboration with Florida

The resistance or tolerance of strawberry cultivars to plant

Michelle Paynter isolating specimens of Fusarium.

Sam Price writing a report on the breeding program.

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Healthy nursery transplants growing at Stanthorpe.

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

consignments of Festival and Florida Fortuna, the two dominant

Optimum planting systems for Florida Fortuna transplants on the

The plants for each

There was no consistent

Planted in late March

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Average plant dry

Planted in early April

Frost during winter at

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Transplants of Festival and Florida Fortuna had lower yields when

The variation in the quality of transplants from individual

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

In both cultivars, there was no clear effect of digging date on plant

About eighteen percent of the Festival transplants had crowns smaller

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Controlling strawberry lethal yellows

Strawberry plants growing on the Sunshine Coast affected by lethal yellows.

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

We also investigated the effectiveness of the current insecticide used to

Identification of the suspect leafhopper

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Populations of the leafhoppers in the nurseries at Stanthorpe

Checking strawberry nursery plants at

Populations of leafhopper can vary quite

Jonathan Smith checking plants in the nursery at Maroochy for

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

However, the number of

samples were collected. We suspect that the hoppers originate in areas

Presence of the disease organism in different hopper populations

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Leafhoppers were introduced into each of the cages on three occasions.

Native plants growing at Stanthorpe. Some

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Austroagallia torrida, a leafhopper common and

The control of the bud and leaf

The lifecycle of the nematode

at -2C. The pest is an endoparasite on ferns and ornamentals, and enters

Symptoms of the nematode and impact on commercial

Identification of the nematode

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Typical of the genus, the nematode

The tail of both sexes is an elongate-conoid ending in a simple blunt

Management and control of the nematode

Strawberry R&D Update 2011

Controlling crown rot in Australia

Crown rot caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg) and related

Strawberry R&D Update 2011