COLUMBUS — With the Neopestalotiopsis fungal disease — commonly called “Neo-P”— affecting strawberry supply chains and crop yields, Ohioans may notice a shortage of locally grown strawberries and higher prices this year, said Melanie L. Lewis Ivey, associate professor of fruit pathology in the Department of Plant Pathology at Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
With limited fungicide options and no resistant strawberry varieties available, growers are turning to CFAES for guidance. Neo-P, which was first identified in Ohio in 2021, has made it increasingly difficult for growers to obtain healthy transplants, said Lewis Ivey, who is also a fresh produce safety specialist with OSU Extension.
“The primary challenge growers have faced is purchasing disease-free transplants,” she said. “Most Ohio producers now plant in the fall for a spring/summer harvest, but last fall, nurseries were unable to supply transplants due to Neo-P.”
The disease is particularly problematic for greenhouse and high tunnel growers, as there are even fewer fungicide options available for controlled environment agriculture than for field production.
As a result, many growers are struggling to maintain their production levels.
OSU Extension is now providing essential education, research and disease management recommendations. Lewis Ivey has received funding through the CFAES Internal Grants Program and the Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association to study the disease’s impact and potential control strategies.
Researchers are evaluating the ability of the pathogen to overwinter in Ohio soils and identifying the disease early enough to prevent the introduction of the fungus in new plantings.
OSU Extension specialists are keeping growers informed through Ohio Fruit News, presentations at grower meetings and digital resources. Disease reference sheets and management recommendations are also available to help growers develop effective spray programs for the season.
Additionally, Ohio State’s C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic offers free disease diagnosis for commercial fruit and vegetable crops. Funded by OPGMA, this service helps growers identify infections early on.
The disease has also affected research efforts at CFAES’ Controlled Environment Agriculture Research Complex and at the CFAES Wooster campus, as transplants come from the same nurseries as field growers.
In some cases, infected plants have had to be destroyed, and entire greenhouse cleanouts have been required. However, the outbreak has provided a unique research opportunity, allowing the university to study the disease in controlled environment agriculture systems.
Despite these challenges, ongoing research aims to mitigate the disease’s long-term impact. “With all plant diseases, host resistance is the first line of defense,” Lewis Ivey said.
She and Jonathan Fresnedo Ramirez, an associate professor in the CFAES Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, have submitted a Specialty Crop Block Grant proposal to the Ohio Department of Agriculture to identify commercial cultivars and accession lines that show tolerance to Neo-P infections.
For more information, visit the Ohio State Fruit Pathology Program website at u.osu.edu/fruitpathology.
(This information was provided by Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
