Efficacy of metalaxyl, fosetyl-aluminum, and straw mulch for control of strawberry leather rot caused by Phytophthora cactorum

TLDR: Straw mulch between the rows was equally or more effective than fungicides for controlling leather rot, with no significant difference between fungicide rates.

Abstract: Chemical and cultural controls for strawberry leather rot, caused by Phytophthora cactorum, were compared in replicated plots on a commercial farm near Wooster, Ohio. Straw mulch, applied uniformly for winter protection, was removed in early spring from between the rows of all check and fungicide treatment plots. Supplemental straw mulch was applied to other plots to achieve a level of approximately 9 t/ha. Overhead irrigation, which caused the soil to puddle, was provided on alternate days during rain-free periods to promote disease development (58, 66, and 73% incidence in check plots for 1993, 1994, and 1995, respectively). Foliar sprays of fosetyl-Al, applied weekly from bloom through preharvest at rates (a.i.) of 2.24 and 4.48 kg/ha, provided 88 to 96% control, with no significant difference between fungicide rates. Metalaxyl (1.17 kg/ha), applied either once or twice as a soil drench from early growth through fruit set, provided 82 to 94% control. Straw mulch alone provided 95 to 99% control. Thus, straw mulch between the rows was equally or more effective than fungicides for controlling leather rot.