Crops
Strawberries
Strong development of the sector over the past 30 years
Crop specifications
Morocco:
5th worldwide strawberry producer with 7% of global production
Cultivated areas:
3 300 ha
Crop:
small Nantes tunnels, under large greenhouse or multi-chapel shelters
Irrigation:
majority drip
Mainly cultivated in the North of Morocco in 2 sub-regions:
Loukkos and Gharb
Focus on a major issue in strawberry cultivation: Botrytis / gray mold
DESCRIPTION:
Botrytis, commonly known as gray mold, is a disease of primary economic importance in strawberries. It is caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea.
FAVORABLE FACTORS:
The disease develops if the humidity is very high or even saturated, and the temperatures are between 15 and 20 ° C.
SYMPTOMS:
The disease manifests itself at the end of flowering, on naturally dried petals. These necrotize and become covered with brown spots and gray down, hence the name gray mold. The fruits are then affected with the same symptoms, then they dry up and mummify.
IMPACTS AND DAMAGES:
Loss of returns and economic losses.
BIOLOGY:
Botrytis cinerea can invest all dead plant tissue. When conditions are favorable, the spores are released and contaminate the flowers and buds. The fungus spreads through wind and rain (or water) and through infected personnel or farm equipment.
PROPHYLACTIC MEASURES:
Crawl space and disinfection before implantation, rotation, healthy and resistant plant material, greenhouse ventilation, removal of plant debris, leaf stripping.