– It is disappointing, says berry farmer John Elling Vereide. Every summer there are rows of strawberries in his fields in Gloppen in Vestland. In those days he would drive around and sell the sweet and fresh berries in buckets and pails. But this summer he hardly has anything to sell. The cause is the plant disease red marrow. So far, the disease has killed 90 percent of his strawberry plants. Usually he plans to sell berries for several million from the 30 acres he has of strawberry fields. – But this year it will be bad, says Vereide. There are no compensation orders for farmers who are injured, he says. The disease has caused farmers to stop berry production. Has spread to the whole country The plant disease red marrow was discovered in Norway in 1995 and attacks the roots of the plant and kills it. – This is a dreaded disease that can destroy large parts of the strawberry plants, says Brita Toppe of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Red marrow has spread to the whole country, she says. This is what it looks like in the majority of John Elling Vereide’s strawberry fields in Gloppen. Photo: John Elling Vereide Previously, farmers had to destroy diseased plants, but the Norwegian Food Safety Authority stopped ordering this in 2013. In 2012, 22 production sites had this disease. The reason why red marrow is not followed up in the same way as before 2013 was that the disease had spread in too large an area of the country, Toppe explains. Strawberry producers who get the disease on their berries must report it to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. But despite the reporting obligation, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority does not know how many berry farmers have reported. According to senior adviser Helén Ihlebekk Hauger, they have not prioritized following up on the reporting obligation. Rather, they prioritize ensuring that the plant material that is traded is fresh. This includes control of certified production of strawberry plants, says Ihlebekk Hauger. Today, it is forbidden to spread red marjoram, and there are strict requirements for imported material and Norwegian production. Most serious disease The disease spreads through soil. It can last up to 15 years. – Red pith is the most serious disease you can get in strawberries, says Synneve Øien Frøyen, fruit and berry adviser at the Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Service. – Then there are few measures against it. It can be difficult to handle and get rid of once you have got it in a field, she says. The disease is not new in Norway, but it was first detected in Nordfjord last year. Øien Frøyen says the disease does not spread quickly, and that there are a few new cases every year. The biggest threat to Norwegian berries is not Raud marg, but increased costs and poorer profitability. This leads to fewer strawberry producers, believes Norsk Landbruksrådgiving. Photo: Mette Vollan For the berry farmer in Gloppen, this means he has to cultivate new berry fields on his farm. It may take a couple of years before it bears fruit again. John Elling Vereide is unsure where the disease has come from. Now he is careful so that he does not spread it further. Another berry farmer in Gloppen has also got red pith on his strawberries. Don’t worry about strawberry shortages Gartnerhallen SA is the country’s largest supplier of Norwegian fruit, berries, vegetables and potatoes. Organization manager Gunn Jorunn Sørum believes there should be a compensation scheme for the farmers who are injured. But even if the consequences could be great for each individual producer, Gartnerhallen does not fear that the disease could lead to a shortage of Norwegian berries. – As far as we know, few new cases have been detected in recent years. Overall, we believe that there is control, with available measures that can help reduce the risk of spreading.
ttn-69
The dreaded plant disease red marrow is spreading – news Vestland
