Brown strawberry spotting is a disease that does not arise from pests, but from fungal infection. Manifested in the form of dark spots on flowers, petioles, mustache and directly berries. But the most susceptible are still the green shoots and leaves. Having noticed the first signs of this disease, the grower must intervene as soon as possible in order to be able to save the tasty sweet berry.
Brown Spot: a brief description of the disease
The causative agent of this disease is the fungus Marssonina petontillae. Brown spotting is considered one of the main diseases of strawberries and usually manifests itself during the fruiting period. That's when the summer resident can notice brown strawberries in his garden.
Did you know? Strawberry is the only berry in the world, the seeds of which are located outside, not inside.
From August to October, the activity of the disease is at its peak. It able to attack from 60% and more hardwoods, with most of the foliage area dying off. As a result, the plant loses the ability to feed on oxygen, photosynthesis processes are crumbling.
High humidity activates the development of this fungal disease. Reproduction of brown spot can begin at any air temperature above zero. With severe frosts, the fungus does not die, but remains at rest. In this regard, in the next season, the yield may be significantly reduced.
See also other varieties of strawberries: "Queen Elizabeth", "Maxim", "Gigantella", "Marshal", "Lord", "Asia", "Elsanta", "Russian Size", "Masha", "Malvina", " Festival "," Zenga Zengana "," The Queen "," Chamora "Turusi". Remontant varieties are especially popular: "Fresco", "Elizabeth 2" and "Albion".
First signs
The main symptom of the disease - the presence of spots on the surface of strawberry leaves. Dark purple spots that can later change shade, becoming brown or red.
This may be a problem for beginning gardeners, since other similar diseases of the red berry have the same symptoms. Therefore, you should pay attention to the presence of white dots in the center of dark spots. With brown spot, there are no such points. If the spots begin to increase in size, the next step will be the drying of the foliage and the subsequent dying off.
Did you know? As part of the strawberry fruit contains all the vitamins from group B, and therefore this berry is considered a natural antidepressant. Eating 150 grams of this delicious delicacy every day, you can forget about the stresses and strengthen your nervous system.
Not only brown leaves will tell about the diseased strawberries, but also gradual spreading spotting on all organs and tissues of the bush: stems, berries, stems, sepals. Slowing or stopping of growth, drying of the stalks, small, dark-colored fruits - all these are obvious symptoms of the progression of brown spot.
Difficulties may arise in those gardeners who, due to any reason, were unable to observe strawberries at the initial stage of the disease.
The fact is that at a later stage there appears the appearance of "recovery" of the bushes: the old, diseased leaves begin to grow, and the fact that the dimensions are not what they should be, is perceived as the usual nutritional deficiency.
And, most importantly, fungal pads disappear. In such cases, you need to be prepared for the fact that after a while the brown spot may begin to progress with a new force on the young, just emerging green shoots.
Strawberries can be grown in a variety of ways: in the open field, in a greenhouse, on vertical beds (ampel varieties will fit), pyramid beds, at home, using hydroponics.
Causes
The reasons for the formation of fungus can be attributed to several factors. One of them - dampness. The fact is that fungal spores develop very well and grow precisely in a humid environment, in water. Insects and pests that inhabit the site can also carry spores. Other causes are thickening and vegetation debris.
How to protect strawberries from "brown disease"
As soon as the first signs of strawberry appear in strawberries, it is necessary to urgently treat the plant.
Transfer
The first step is complete destruction of all diseased bushes. You should not feel sorry for them, because if at least one diseased plant remains, the fungus will again spread throughout the site to all healthy bushes. After that, you need to carry out sanitary cleaning of the beds and make feeding for strawberries in the form of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizers in this case should be avoided, since they only can increase the foliar mass. You must also try to eliminate moisture in the garden.
Important! It is necessary to conduct regular transplants of strawberries to new areas in order to reduce the threat of destruction. If there is little available territory, the plant should be planted, dividing the planting into sectors, one of which should be freed each year to allow the soil to rest.
Drug treatment
Regarding the treatment of strawberries with drugs, copper oxychloride and Bordeaux mixture (1%) are recommended for use. To treat the plant with these means should be at the stage of growth of leaves, before the flowering of the berries and after the fruits are collected.
It is necessary to ensure that the bushes of red berries did not grow much, because thickening promotes the spread of fungus. You also need time to get rid of weeds in the area.
If the defeat is not a single, but a massive one, you can apply fungicides, such as "Oksihom", "Skor" or "Ridomil Gold."
Important! Treat with drugs you need not only the top of the foliage, but also the lower part.
Disease prevention
As you know, the disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Therefore, in the cultivation of strawberries a significant place is disease prevention:
- To avoid the occurrence of brown spot, you need to regularly clean the beds from dry leaves and weeds, which are the main primary sources of this disease.
- Also, be sure to remember about strawberry transplants, because the fungus tends to remain in the soil for a long time and infect new plants that will be planted there.
- Planting material must be healthy and of high quality, regardless of whether it was grown on its own or was purchased in a store.
- Today on the market there are varieties of strawberries that are resistant to brown spot. It is recommended to choose them for planting.
- After harvesting, it is necessary to thin the plant, remove excess leaves and whiskers.
In order to prevent the mass emergence of weeds, strawberries are planted under the covering material or mulched.
Did you know? Strawberries taste sweet, but there is less sugar in it than in lemon. In this regard, she is happy to use wishing to lose weight girls and people who suffer from diabetes.
Gardener's mistakes when fighting with brown spot
The main mistakes when growing strawberries and the fight against brown spotted can be considered the following:
- Wrong location for landing. These include beds where there is clearly a high level of humidity, where water usually accumulates after rain.
- Weeds If you do not follow the cleanness in the garden, do not get rid of debris and weeds, the probability of occurrence of the disease increases dramatically.
- Growing in one place. It is necessary to look for the opportunity to change the place of strawberry sprouting from time to time in order to get rid of the infection and give the opportunity to feed on macroelements from the accumulated soil forces.
- Lack of prevention. If you carry out preventive actions correctly, you will not have to fight the disease at all.
To fight with brown spot of strawberries can and should be. The main thing is to regularly monitor the condition of this plant in order to be able to take the necessary measures in time.
