Botrytis cinerea can be managed through cultural, chemical, and biological practices.
There are no resistant species to the gray mold rot. Gray mold can be culturally controlled by monitoring the amount and timing of fertilizer applications to reduce the amount of fruit rot. Excessive application of nitrogen will increase the incidence of disease while not improving yields.
[3]
Planting
cultivars that don’t have an upright or dense growth habit can reduce disease as these limit airflow and are favorable for the pathogen. Spacing of plants so they are not touching will increase airflow allowing the area to dry out and reduce the spread of disease.
Pruning or purposeful removal of diseased, dead, or overgrown limbs on a regular schedule can also help to improve air movement.
[4]
Sanitation by removing dead or dying plant tissue in the fall will decrease inoculum levels as there is no debris for the sclerotium or mycelia to overwinter. Removing debris in the spring will remove inoculum from the site. Disposal of berries during harvest that have signs and symptoms of gray mold will reduce inoculum for the following year.
Biochar, a form of charcoal, can be applied as a
soil amendment to strawberry plants to reduce the severity of the fungal disease by stimulating defense pathways within the plant.
[16]
Gray mold can be chemically controlled with well-timed fungicide applications starting during the first bloom. Timing can reduce the chance of resistance and will save on costs.
[3]
Biological controls or
microbial antagonistsused for disease suppression, have been successfully used in Europe and Brazil in the form of fungi-like
Trichoderma harzianiumRifai and
Gliocladium roseum Bainier.
[16]Trichoderma species especially, have been shown to control gray mold.
