Whiteflies
Impact Strawberries
According to Surendra Dara, Strawberry and Vegetable Crops Advisor and Affiliated IPM Advisor, UC
Cooperative Extension, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties Greenhouse
whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) is the predominant species of
whiteflies on strawberries in the Central Coast.
“What used to be a
pest causing yield loss through direct damage has now emerged as a vector of a
devastating viral disease called pallidosis-related decline of strawberries,”
Dara explained
In addition to
strawberries, greenhouse whiteflies have a wide host range that includes
important commodities such as avocados, caneberries, grapes, lettuces, peppers,
tomatoes, and ornamentals grown in the Central Coast. All these crops serve as
a source of infestation to each other and increased the threat of whiteflies
not only to agricultural fields, but also to nurseries, and home gardens in the
recent years.
Agricultural
Commissioners’ offices in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties and UCCE
office received calls this year from strawberry growers, nursery producers, and
the ornamental industry to address the whitefly issue.
In response to
this issue, UCCE unit serving these two counties increased the outreach about
whiteflies, their feeding damage, and disease vectoring potential through
extension meetings and publications.
Some fields in the
Santa Maria and other areas which suffered from heavy whitefly infestations
early in the production season later developed symptoms of pallidosis-related
decline.
Diagnostic tests
conducted by CDFA and USDA laboratories in Salinas and Corvallis (Oregon)
identified multiple viruses that cause the decline. Extent of infection varied
from mild disease symptoms in some fields to total dieback. Corresponding
damage also varied registering up to 65% yield reduction in some fields.
Labels: California Ag Today, Surendra Dara, Surendra Dara Farm Advisor, Whiteflies Strawberries
