Resistance and off-odour variation in strawberry cultivars infected by Phytophthora cactorum

Abstract: Crown rot and leather rot of strawberry are both caused by Phytophthora cactorum, but there is little or no information about possible correlation in cultivar resistance to the two diseases. Screening of 10 selections from a Norwegian strawberry breeding program and 3 cultivars for resistance showed a high degree of variation, but no correlation in resistance between leather rot and crown rot resistance. The major problem with leather rot is that infected berries develop a very unpleasant taste and smell. Results from a sensory panel showed a significant difference in off-odour between the cultivars, and there was a high correlation between off-odour and the amount of aroma components. This indicates that high amounts of aroma components may contribute in masking the bad smell of leather rot.