What is the reason why the edges of strawberry leaves turn black and dry?

The nutrients needed for strawberry growth mainly come from organic matter produced by photosynthesis in the leaves, such as starch , amino acids, glucose , etc. It can be seen that leaves are very important in the growth process of strawberries, but strawberries often encounter the problem of blackening and drying of leaf edges. What causes this? Let’s learn more about it below.

What is the reason why the edges of strawberry leaves turn black and dry?

The blackening of strawberry leaves is usually caused by insect pests. There are two common reasons:

1. Thrips damage

It mainly occurs in the seedling stage. In the early stage of thrips damage, the new leaves curled and could not stretch out, the veins of the strawberry leaves turned black and dull, and the petioles also had chapped spots. In severe cases, the top leaves will be unable to unfold, the entire leaf will turn black and brittle, the plant will be short and poorly developed, or become a "heartless seedling."

2. Tarsonema mites harm

Tarsoneme mites are a common strawberry pest that mainly parasitizes on unexpanded leaves or leaf axils near the growing point, causing new leaves to deform, shrink, and turn black. New leaves can emerge normally but will also be damaged. Its occurrence pattern is different from that of red spider mites. Generally, it takes 4-5 days to complete one generation at 18-30℃ and 7-10 days at 18-20℃. The optimum temperature for individual development is 18-25℃, and the optimum humidity is 80%-90%.

How to solve the problem of black and dry edges of strawberry leaves

1. Thrips control

(1) Remove diseased parts in a timely manner and clear out dead branches and diseased leaves in the greenhouse for destruction.

(2) Taking advantage of the thrips’ tendency to attract blue colors, set up blue boards to lure and kill them.

(3) Strengthen fertilizer and water management, water at the right time, prevent drought, and create a field microenvironment that is not conducive to the survival of thrips.

(3) You can use spirotetramat, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, dimethomorph and other pesticides for prevention and control. The effect will be better if you spray the leaves and drench the roots together.

2. Tarsoneme Mite Control

(1) During the seedling raising period, the fields should be cleaned before planting, and the weeds around the seedling field should be removed to reduce the source of insects; after the seedlings are planted, weeding should also be done regularly to keep the fields clean.

(2) Use biological control to eliminate mites. Chilean Phytoseiidae and Californian Phytoseiidae can be used to eliminate tarsal mites.

(3) You can use 30% bifenazate clofibrate suspension, Fengchuang’s preferred 22.4% spirotetramat suspension, Dafengshou’s customized avermectin and other agents for rotational control.

In general, diseases and pests occur relatively frequently during strawberry cultivation, and many strawberry gardens will encounter symptoms of blackening strawberry leaves. Pay special attention to the damage caused by thrips and tarsoneme mites, and do a good job of prevention and control to effectively solve the problem of blackening strawberry leaves.