Abstract

MARIO ALEJANDRO, CANO T.. Biological strategies for disease management in strawberry growing (Fragaria spp.). rev.colomb.cienc.hortic. [online]. 2013, vol.7, n.2, pp.263-276. ISSN 2011-2173.

The strawberry is a crop of high economic, nutritional and medicinal value. However, it is highly susceptible to attack by pathogens; thus, one of the principal challenges in the development of crops and post-harvest fruits is the management of diseases, mostly fungi followed by bacterial problems, nematodes, and some viruses. The management of these disorders is based on the use of a broad array of products for crop protection that are commonly called pesticides, which generate high risks to humans and environmental health, affect the safety of the fruits and increase production costs. In this sense, there is a need to find alternatives for integrated disease management. One of the most-studied strategies in recent years has been the use of microbial antagonists with the aim of regulating plant pathogen populations in crops. The broad range of organisms used against various pathological targets, the possibility of including them before and during crop establishment and even during post-harvest, and their multi-functionality as not only biological control agents but also as promoters of plant growth and bio-fertilizers make the inclusion of this biological strategy in integrated disease management attractive to producers who must adapt to the demands of consumers for cleaner and safer products that increase every day.

Keywords : biological control of pathogens; induced systemic resistance; biological control agents; antagonists.

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