In vitro effectiveness of commercial biofungicides in controlling Botrytis cinerea on strawberrirs and raspberries

Abstract

Gray mold on strawberries and raspberries is caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. Infection occurs during the flowering period, and symptoms appear in the form of fruit brown rotting spots and velvety gray coating. It represents a major problem in all production regions in Montenegro, causing fruit deterioration during production and after harvest in the storage. Disease control is mainly carried out by applying synthetic fungicides, but one of the problems is the increasing occurrence of pathogen resistance. Also, great public concern has been expressed about the residual effect of synthetic fungicides, which is why more environmentally friendly solutions are necessary. One of the solutions is the potential application of biofungicides. During field activities in 2024, samples of strawberry and raspberry diseased fruits were collected from several locations in Montenegro. The pathogen Botrytis cinerea was isolated on PDA in the phytopathology laboratory of Biotechnical Faculty in Podgorica. The obtained isolates were used in directly in vitro tests to examine the efficacy of three commercial biofungicides, Vintec® (Trichoderma atroviride SC 1), Taegro® (Bacillus amyloliquefacies strain FZB24) and Serenade ASO (Bacillus subtilis strain QST 713). The tested biofungicides reduced the growth of isolate Botrytis cinerea from strawberries by 54,55% for Vintec®, 53,59% for Taegro® and 66,67% for Serenade ASO, respectively, compared to the control. Similar results of reduction were achieved by the tested biofungicides against Botrytis cinerea isolate from raspberries; Vintec® (49,69%), Taegro® (53,23%) and Serenade ASO (65,30%). Statistical analysis of the data confirmed the effectiveness of the tested biofungicides against Botrytis cinerea isolates from strawberries and raspberries in regard to untreated control, but that there was no statistically significant difference in their effectiveness between them. The results obtained indicate the potential possibility of including the biofungicides Vintec®, Taegro® and Serenade ASO in strawberry and raspberry protection programs against Botrytis cinerea