<\/p>\n
Researchers at North Carolina State University are expanding efforts to improve the management of Neopestalotiopsis (Neo-P), a fungal pathogen that has affected strawberry production since it was first confirmed in North Carolina in 2022 after earlier outbreaks in Florida.<\/p>\n
The pathogen can remain undetected in nursery plants before symptoms appear in production fields, making disease management difficult. According to growers, crop losses can occur rapidly after infection. Austin Wrenn of Wrenn’s Farm said strawberry growers often have invested between US$8,100 and US$12,200 per hectare before harvest begins, increasing the financial impact of disease outbreaks.<\/p>\n
NC State researchers are focusing on integrated pest management (IPM), disease diagnostics, resistance breeding, and nursery sanitation. Strawberry specialist Mark Hoffmann said research-based management strategies are already helping growers adapt.<\/p>\n
“We have an IPM protocol for Neo-P, and while it’s certainly not 100% there, it helps,” Hoffmann says. “It’s a lot more work for the grower, but there’s a lot of research taking place that should yield even more options.”<\/p>\n
A recent review by NC State researchers Susmita Gaire, Frank Louws, Tika Adhikari, and South African plant scientist Norman Muzhinji calls for integrated disease management beginning with pathogen-free nursery plants and extending through sanitation, crop rotation, and resistance breeding.<\/p>\n
The researchers note that advances in molecular diagnostics have improved early detection, while efforts are underway to identify sources of genetic resistance for future breeding programs. They also identify knowledge gaps related to the pathogen’s biology and host interactions.<\/p>\n
Another research project is applying artificial intelligence to disease detection. Orlando Arguello-Miranda, working with Adhikari and Gaire, is developing an AI-based live-cell microscopy system capable of detecting and tracking fungal spores without destroying samples. The system combines portable microscopy, microfluidic chips, and image analysis algorithms to identify the pathogen and measure fungal growth.<\/p>\n
According to the researchers, the technology could eventually be adapted for use in nurseries and production systems through portable microscopes linked to smartphones, allowing growers to identify infections earlier and target disease management measures.<\/p>\n
Growers continue to emphasize that long-term management will require multiple approaches. “While chemical pest control is an important tool, simply spraying our way out of it is not going to work; it will take a multipronged approach,” Wrenn says.<\/p>\n
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