Biocontrol of strawberry diseases using antagonistic bacteria

This two-year study investigated the effect of antagonistic rhizospheric bacteria on the incidence of gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp) in strawberry fruits. The experiment, conducted under a completely randomized design, evaluated 12 bacterial strains and two fertilizer controls on the Chandler strawberry variety. The results showed that specific bacterial strains significantly reduced the incidence of both diseases. For gray mold, treatments with ABS5:RCA7, ABS4:HCA61 and APS4:HMR25 consistently provided the lowest disease incidence compared to control groups. Similarly, for anthracnose, the bacterial strains ABS4:HCA61 and ABS5:RCA7 proved to be the most effective. The study’s findings demonstrate that these antagonistic bacteria are highly effective biocontrol agents, offering a promising, eco-friendly alternative to conventional chemical treatments for managing major strawberry diseases.