This research identified tools and strategies to help protect California’s third-most valuable crop from pathogens like Fusarium. It is also developing new Fusarium- resistant cultivars to bolster strawberry production in California, which grows over 90% of the nation’s strawberry crop and employs 70,000 people.
Developing Fusarium Resistance
Strawberry production in California is vulnerable to aggressive soilborne pathogens, most notably Fusarium wilt. This disease clogs the plant’s water system, leading to stunted growth, decay and often complete crop failure. However, chemical sprays and fungicides have limited effectiveness, and their use is becoming more tightly restricted in some areas, underscoring the need to find, promote and use genetic sources of fusarium resistance to develop resistant strawberry varieties.
Developing Resistance Tools & Strategies
Through partnerships with USDA and private companies like Driscoll’s and Plant Sciences Inc., the research team identified wild strawberry genes with promising resistance. These discoveries, supported by genome-wide mapping and field trials, are being used to develop new cultivars. Researchers also developed early detection tools and strategies to reduce the pathogen’s impact, such as biological controls, soil polarization, improved irrigation and field rotations. They are collaborating with farmers to test the efficacy of these strategies.