Growers are adopting the use of garlic-based crop protection products in the fight against strawberry mildew following positive trial results reported by NIAB EMR.
According to manufacturer Solufeed, Fiveways Fruit Farm near Colchester in Essex has seen positive results from using its Garshield product in tabletop strawberry production. Another benefit is that there is no harvest interval for the group following application, something that made grower Julian Mead keen to try the product.
Garshield is applied as a foliar spray on a weekly basis from May onwards and has shown good control of mildew across a range of varieties such as Flair, Malling Centenary, Arabella and Pride.
Distributed in the UK by Hutchinsons, Garshield is made with a concentrated extract of garlic, supplemented with natural plant products. It stimulates the plants natural processes that encourage resistance to fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and botrytis. It is approved for organic production by the Soil Association and leaves no taint or flavour.
Photo Caption: Foliar symptoms of powdery mildew on strawberry
Photo Credit: Wikimedia