Determination of the fungal agents causing disease on strawberries grown in Antalya province

The aim of this study was to determine the fungal pathogens causing disease in strawberry cultivation areas in Antalya province. In the scope of the study, 28 strawberry greenhouses from 8 districts of Antalya, where strawberry cultivation is common, were visited. Surveys were performed at two periods; first one, two weeks after transplanting (September-October), and second one at the beginning of harvest period (March-April). In the greenhouses, besides soil samples, leaf and fruit samples were also taken from the plants showing disease symptoms. As a result of isolations made from the plant and soil samples, 13 species of fungi were determined. As a result of the isolations made from the soil samples, Rhizoctonia solani was the most common fungus species with 96.43% prevalence rate and Fusarium spp. with 75% and Pythium sp. with 35.71% followed it. Gliocladium roseum, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp., Rhizopus stolonifer, Botrytis cinerea and Verticillium sp. were the other fungi found in soil samples with low rates. On the leaf samples, Alternaria alternata was the most common fungus with the prevalence rate of 96.43%, while Mycosphaerella fragariae followed it with 71.43% and the prevalence rate of Cladosporium cladosporioides was 3.57%. Botrytis cinerea was the most common fungus in the isolations from the fruit samples with 85.71% prevalence rate, and Penicillium sp. with 35.71% and Aspergillus niger with 10.71% were the other fungi isolated from the rotten fruits. In the pathogenicity tests performed under laboratory conditions all fungi caused typical symptoms on healthy strawberry plants. According to these results, A. alternata, M. fragariae and B. cinerea were found as the most important pathogens of strawberries grown in Antalya province, while some other soil borne pathogens like R. solani, Fusarium spp., Pythium spp., Verticillium spp. may also cause significant losses.