ESTABLISHMENT OF PHYTOSANITARY PROCEDURES AT THE IFAPA STRAWBERRY GERMPLASM COLLECTION

The conservation and characterization of genetic resources have increasing importance as a source of variability in breeding programmes and to preserve biodiversity. In order to establish a refreshed collection free of pathogens at the IFAPA Strawberry Germplasm Collection we have initiated the detection of pathogens during the refreshment process, a sanitary control of plant material inputs and outputs, and a specific analyses of symptomatic plants observed in the in vivo collection. To isolate and identify pathogenic fungi and oomycetes, we are applying conventional techniques. Both molecular and immune-serological diagnoses are being used for detection of nematode-transmitted viruses (ArMV, TBRV, RpRSV, SLRSV) and only molecular techniques for aphid-transmitted viruses (SVBV, SMoV, SCV and SMYEV). Results show that most of the refreshed material is free of lethal fungi, oomycetes or viruses. However, on symptomatic plants, we detected the species Phytophthora cactorum and other plant pathogenic genera such as Cylindrocarpon, Fusarium, Pestalotia and Rhizoctonia, whose pathogenicity to strawberry needs to be characterised. Exceptionally, SMoV and SMYEV viruses have been intercepted in imported material. For the collection management, sanitary measures to avoid pathogen establishment and dispersal within the collection are being adopted.