Efficacy of Four In Vitro Fungicides for Control of Wilting of Strawberry Crops in Puebla-Mexico

Strawberry wilt is an established disease of strawberry crops caused by fungus Fusarium solani. In Mexico, strawberry cultivation represents an important productive activity for several rural areas; however, wilt disease affects producers economically. The objectives of this research were: (a) to identify and morphologically characterize strain MA-FC120 associated with root rot and wilting of strawberry crops in Santa Cruz Analco, municipality of San Salvador el Verde, Puebla-Mexico; (b) to evaluate the potential of single and multiple applications of four broad-spectrum fungicides used against F. solani in vitro. Plant tissue samples were collected from strawberry crops in Puebla-Mexico with presence of symptoms of desiccation and root rot. Strain MA-FC120 was identified as F. solani, being the causal agent of wilt and root rot in strawberry plants from Santa Cruz Analco. Fungicide Benomyl 50(R) showed the highest percentage of inhibition on F. solani (100%) under in vitro conditions. The fungicide Mancosol 80(R) and Talonil 75(R) at low concentration (600 and 450 mg L-1) showed no toxicity, being harmless to strain MA-FC120. However, fungicide Talonil 75(R) showed slight toxicity at the dose recommended by the manufacturer and moderate toxicity in high concentration (1350 mg L-1). Likewise, Captan 50(R) in its three concentrations evaluated showed slight toxicity, obtaining around 50% on the classification scale established by International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC).

Automated summary

Strawberry wilt, caused by Fusarium solani, is a harmful disease impacting strawberry cultivation in Mexico. This study aimed to identify and characterize the strain MA-FC120 associated with root rot and wilting of strawberry crops, as well as evaluate the efficacy of four broad-spectrum fungicides against F. solani. The results showed that Benomyl 50(R) had the highest inhibition percentage, while Mancosol 80(R) and Talonil 75(R) were non-toxic to strain MA-FC120 at low concentrations.