CATT: a New and Non-Chemical Pest and Nematode Control Method in Strawberry Planting Stock

As an alternative to MeBr fumigation a 48h Controlled Atmosphere Temperature Treatment (CATT) was developed and scaled up by Wageningen UR in cooperation with the Dutch plant propagating association Plantum. This results in an excellent de-infestation and 99.8 % mortality of the strawberry tarsonemid mite (Phytonemus pallidus). This non-chemical and sustainable 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 the root knot nematode 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 ºC. In several experiments the optimum conditions 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 ºC and 50 % CO2 followed by 20 hours at a temperature of 40 ºC. In 2012 this adapted CATT was successfully upgraded and tested under field conditions. Additional research in 2013 leads to the conclusion that cross infection of plants by the bacterial Q-disease Xanthomonas fragariae during CATT treatment is unlikely