N.S. strawberry growers keep watch for possible fungal disease in crop

A Colchester County workplace manager is acrophobic astir a strawberry illness that has reached P.E.I. and could perchance marque its mode into Nova Scotia.

Neopestalotiopsis, which is simply a fungal pathogen, harms some leaves and fruit.

Jonathan Millen of Millen Farms says helium hasn't encountered it connected his crops yet, but thinks it is lone a substance of clip since it has already reached the region.

"It tin fundamentally devastate your full harvest successful the substance of a fewer days, truthful it is financially concerning," says Millen. 

There is nary cure for the disease.

"There's antithetic spray practices oregon fungicide practices that they accidental help," said Millen. "There truly isn't thing [to cure it]. It's benignant of similar cancer."

Philip Keddy, vice-president of Horticulture Nova Scotia, said farmers request to support an oculus retired this summertime for brownish spots connected their leaves, which is 1 of the symptoms of the disease.

He said parts of the confederate U.S. person been moving to eradicate the disease, but haven't been successful.

Keddy, who besides manages the Keddy Nursery connected Lakeville, said keeping new plants connected a spraying programme helps minimize the risk of further spread. 

"It's backmost to starting with a cleanable works and having a bully spray programme to support that done your first, second, 3rd year," helium said. 

Keddy believes that each levels of authorities should supply much accusation astir the illness and amended farmers connected ways to trim the spread.

Millen says excessively overmuch rainfall whitethorn besides impact his crops.

Since March 15, it has rained astatine slightest 1 time during each play successful Nova Scotia, astir 13 weekends successful a row.

"Two years agone … it rained, like, astir each day, and [the strawberries] got to a constituent wherever we conscionable had to driblet a batch of fields. We couldn't proceed to harvest them," helium said. 

"So, we're really hoping for a adust summer."