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Strawberries: Red stele root rot

Red Stele Root Rot is caused by the fungus Phytophthora fragariae and usually occurs on poorly-drained sites and in older plantings.

Note black lesions on root surfaces.

Dug up strawberry plant with black, giraffe-like spotting on tan roots.
Red stele infection causing symptomatic black lesions on roots.

The root core is reddish-brown when the outer epidermis is scraped away.

Tan-beige strawberry roots with outer surface scraped away vertically, revealing a veinlike strip of rust color at the center of the root.

 

Straw mulched strawberry field with brown, small strawberry plants next to a healthy, lush green field.
Field infected with red stele.
Straw mulched strawberry plants with leaves curling upwards. Infected plants are smaller in overall size than healthy plants.
Plants beginning to wilt and collapse from red stele.

 

Varieties differ in susceptibility. See the Strawberry Production Guide for the Northeast, Midwest, and Eastern Canada for a list of resistant varieties.

More red stele information:

Use these resources if you need additional help with diagnosis and to find solutions to your problem.