What’s Being Done To Address Major Disease Threat in Strawberries

Neopestalotiopsis is a growing threat to strawberries. Multiple industry stakeholders are looking to take action in quelling the fungal foe. Ohalo Genetics Inc. has entered into a groundbreaking development and commercialization agreement with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Florida Foundation Seed Producers Inc., and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association to address neopestalotiopsis.

Currently, there are no commercially available public strawberry varieties resistant to neopestalotiopsis. Growers have relied on fungicides and field management practices to mitigate the disease’s effects, but these methods come with increased costs and limited effectiveness.

In response to this challenge, Ohalo leveraged its advanced breeding technology platform with genetic resources from UF/IFAS to develop a novel trait that makes a strawberry plant resistant to neopestalotiopsis and integrated that trait into existing University of Florida strawberry varieties. These new, resistant varieties will enter non-commercial, experimental trials in 2025.

This partnership aims to deliver significant advantages for Florida’s strawberry growers:

• Mitigating Crop Losses: Neopestalotiopsis has been responsible for substantial yield reductions, with affected fields experiencing severe damage. By introducing resistant varieties, growers can markedly decrease these losses, leading to more stable and increased yields.
• Reducing Production Costs: Currently, managing neopestalotiopsis relies on the use of fungicides and rigorous field management practices, which can be costly, have limited efficacy, and are labor-intensive. The adoption of resistant varieties will lessen dependence on these measures, resulting in cost savings on chemical inputs and labor.
• Enhancing Fruit Quality: Healthier plants are better positioned to produce high-quality fruit. By mitigating the stress and damage caused by neopestalotiopsis, the new resistant varieties can lead to improvements in fruit size, shelf life, and overall marketability, benefiting both growers and consumers.
• Promoting Sustainable Farming Practices: The development and adoption of disease-resistant varieties align with sustainable agriculture goals, offering a long-term, environmentally friendly approach to disease management.

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Funding for this initiative comes from across the Florida strawberry industry, reflecting the unified commitment to safeguarding this vital crop.

“This is a vital partnership to achieve a timely solution for the benefit of our industry that would not have otherwise been possible,” says Vance Whitaker, Professor of horticultural sciences at UF/IFAS.

For more information, visit Ohalo.com.