THE MAIN FUNGAL DISEASES IN STRAWBERRIES CROP- REVIEW

Strawberry cultivation is one of the most important fruit crops in the world from a commercial point of view, but it is constantly threatened by fungal pathogens, which cause significant economic losses. The decline of strawberry plants is also seen as a severe threat to strawberry production in Romania. Due to recent restrictions on pesticide use and the lack of effective and efficient alternatives, achieving consistently high yields has become difficult. The most important diseases that cause significant economic losses are: Botrytis cinerea, Phytophthora cactorum, Colletotrichum fragariae. They affect all parts of the plant: flowers, fruits, leaves and roots causing significant annual losses: 40% for Phytophthora cactorum attack, 50% for Colletotrichum fragariae and up to 80% for Botrytis cinerea attack. This review provides an overview of the latest studies on the main fungal pathogens, the measures and control strategies currently available, the risk factors influencing the development of pathogens and what strategies we can address to limit the economic losses of the strawberry crop.