CA temperature treatment for pest and nematode control and strawberry propagation

Until 2008 methyl bromide (MeBr) was used in The Netherlands for fumigation of strawberry runners, intended as mother planting stock, to make them free of infestation by strawberry tarsonemid mites (Phytonemus pallidus). As an alternative of MeBr fumigation a 48h Controlled Atmosphere Temperature Treatment (CATT) was developed and scaled up by Wageningen UR in cooperation with the plant propagating association Plantum. This results in an excellent de-infestation and a mortality of 99.8 % of the strawberry tarsonemid mite. This method provides a healthy production of highly qualified strawberry runners in the field. From 2009 CATT is up scaled to a commercial level and widely applied by Dutch nurseries. In 2011 this CATT method was successfully modified to eradicate also root knot nematodes Meloidogyne hapla (>99.7% mortality), which was not effectively controlled by MeBr fumigation. For an effective killing of the root knot nematodes, temperature must be raised to 40?C. In several experiments the optimum for a high mortality of both tarsonemids and nematodes was studied. This leads into an adapted CATT of 20 hours at a temperature of 35?C and 50% CO2 followed by 20 hours at a temperature of 40?C. In 2012 this adapted CATT was successfully upgraded and tested under field conditions. In pilot experiments in 2013 it was confirmed that CATT can be used for sustainable treatment of insect, mite and nematode (Q)-pests in the chain of the international trade of plant materials and fresh products. Pictures1 - Production of runners from motherplants for trayplants2 - Runners after frigo storage just before CATT, plastic bags removed plants placed3 - Opening special CA-controlled climate cell after 48h CATT at 35?C4 - CATT ofmotherplants in boxes in CA-controlled climate rooms5 - Treated runners Original title, complete list of authors, and sourcesCATT: A NEW AND NON-CHEMICAL PEST AND NEMATODE CONTROL METHOD IN STRAWBERRY PLANTING STOCKvan Kruistum, G1, Verschoor, JA2, Hoek, J1gijs.vankruistum@wur.nl1Applied Plant Research, Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands2Food & Biobased Research, Wageningen UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands ?IHC 2014, International Horticulture Congress, 17-22 August 2014, Brisbane, http://www.ihc2014.org/ The pictures and the article "CATT: a new method for the de-infestation of strawberry planting stock" (the pdf below) were kindly sent by Gijs van Kruistum. Key words Fresa???? frutilla?? strawberry strawberries????????????? aarbei?? ????????????????????? ?????????????????????? fraise??? ?????????????????? ????????????????????????? aardbei??????????????? fragola? truskawka????????? morango???????????? ?????????????????? ?ilek?????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?