North American Strawberry Growers Research Foundation
2013 Research Grants
Determining critical temperature thresholds for managing strawberries in high tunnels.
Brent Black and Tiffany Maughan. Utah State Univ., Logan, UT.
Objectives: (1) Determine the threshold temperature for initial damage to photosynthetic activity of cold-acclimated strawberry leaves; (2) Determine the extent to which cold-damaged strawberry leaves recover photosynthetic activity: and (3) Determine the effect of leaf age on sensitivity to and recovery from cold temperature exposure.
Requested: $4,985. Funded, $4,985.
Early detection and management of spotted wing drosophila (SWD) in strawberry and other berry crops in NY. (Second year of a 2-year study)
Greg Loeb, Cornell Univ., Geneva, NY.
Objectives: (1) Evaluate relationship between first adult SWD capture and fruit infestation for different lures and trap placement in strawberry plantings; and (2) Efficacy of labeled insecticides against SWD in strawberry.
Requested: $6,749. Funded, $6,749.
Optimizing nitrogen fertilization and spider mite management of extended season strawberry production under high tunnels.
M. Elena Garcia and Donn Johnson. Univ. Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.
Objectives: (1) Determine the effects of different nitrogen fertigation rates on yield and incidence of spider mites in winter-produced strawberries grown in a high tunnel:
(2) Develop economic injury level and economic threshold based on the deleterious effects of cumulative spider mite days on total strawberry fruit yield and soluble solids; and (3) Determine the best adapted predatory mite species for management of TSSM on strawberry during extended season high-tunnel production in Arkansas.
Requested: $6,979. Funded, $6,979.
Vermicompost and mycorrhizal (AMF) interactions for reduction of spider mite populations in short-day strawberry cultivars.
Amanda McWhirt, Michele Schroeder-Moreno, Gina Fernandez, and Yasmin Cardoza, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC.
Objectives: (1) Compare the growth responses of short-day strawberry cultivars Chandler, Albion, Sweet Charlie and Camarosa for differences in spider mite populations and damage; (2) Examine interactive effects of vermicompost and AMF on strawberry growth, nutrient uptake, and spider mite populations; and (3) Compare interactions of vermicompost, AMF and cultivar on strawberry growth, nutrient uptake, and spider mite populations.
Requested: $4,080. Funded, $4,080
Producing strawberries throughout the growing season in low tunnels. (First year of a 2-year study)
Steve Poppe and Emily Hoover, Univ. of Minnesota, Morris, MN and St. Paul, MN, respectively.
Objective: By establishing low tunnel strawberry plots at the West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN, we will determine if newer day-neutral strawberry cultivars will produce higher yields and improved fruit quality compared to older cultivars.
Requested: $6,202 (year 1) and $6,228 (year 2). Funded, $6,202.
The identification and characterization of a virus-like agent in commercial strawberry.
Thanuja Thekke-Veetil and Ioannnis Tzanetakis, Univ. Arkansas, Fayetteville, AK, and Vance Whitaker, Univ. of Florida, Wimauma, FL.
Objectives: (1) Identify and characterize the causal agent of the virus-like disorder; and (2) Develop detection protocols that will be used to survey fields and map areas infected by this agent.
Requested: $7,000. Funded, $7,000.
Simple sequence repeat marker evaluations of strawberry cultivars to resolve discrepancies in Colletotrichum acutatum resistance testing.
Brian Kreiser, Univ. of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, and Barbara Smith, USDA-ARS, Poplarville, MS.
Objectives: (1) Screen a subset of currently published SSR loci to determine which ones will best discriminate among the cultivars in our study (Aiko, Sequoia, Chandler, Selva, Senga Sengana, Salinas, Scott, Dover, Earliglow, Elsanta, Ovation, Sweet Charlie, Surecrop, Treasure, and Pelican); and (2) Perform PCR on subsamples of DNA from the same plant to determine if the banding patterns are reproducible.
Requested: $5,000. Funded, $5,000.
Evaluation of fungicide resistance in Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum acutatum in strawberries in Michigan.
Annemiek Schilder, Michigan State Univ, East Lansing, MI, and Guido Schnabel, Clemson Univ., Clemson, SC.
Objectives: (1) Assess fungicide resistance status of Botrytis cinerea from strawberry in Michigan; (2) Assess fungicide resistance status of Colletotrichum acutatum from strawberry in Michigan; and (3) Confirm resistant strains with molecular and fruit bioassays.
Requested: $4,757. Funded, $4,757.
“Detection of strawberry viruses in Mid-southern states.” Akhtar Ali, Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK.
Objectives: To determine the incidence and identities of viruses in several mid-southern states. (1) To index the source materials for plant viruses in approximately 23 strawberry farms located in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. (2) To detect, identify, and determine the incidence of viruses in the field during the growing season.
Viruses will be identified using dot-immunobinding assays kits for 10-12 common viruses and extraction of total nucleic acid for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for samples showing symptoms but testing negative for dot-immunobinding assays.
Requested: $7,000. Funded: $7,000.
“Mitigating the threat of anthracnose crown rot in strawberry: understanding disease epidemiology and developing disease management strategies.” Tika Adhikari,
Center for Integrated Pest Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
Objectives: (1) Determine the temporal and spatial dynamics of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in strawberry nurseries; (2) Quantify the nursery occurrences of C. gloeosporioides using paraquat and real-time PCR assays, and (3) Assess the potential risk associated with plug production from infected tips collected from nursery or mother plants and test plugs with novel fungicides to manage crown rot severity.
Requested: $7,000. Funded $7,000.
Total funding of strawberry research for 2013: $59,752.