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Pathogens
Volume 15
Issue 1
10.3390/pathogens15010010
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Article

Identification of Neopestalotiopsis spp. from Strawberry Leaf, Fruit, and Crown Tissues in North Carolina

by
Swarnalatha Moparthi
1,*,
Michael J. Bradshaw
1,
William Cline
1,
Michael J. Munster
1,
Mark Hoffmann
2,
Diana Ramirez Segovia
1,3,
Uma Crouch
1,
Chunying Li
1,
Christie Almeyda
1,
Jhoselin Salazar
1,4 and
Matthew A. Bertone
1
1
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
2
Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
3
Departamento de Protección Vegetal, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador 1101, El Salvador
4
Departamento de Fitopatologia, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima 15024, Peru
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pathogens 2026, 15(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15010010 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 26 November 2025 / Revised: 17 December 2025 / Accepted: 19 December 2025 / Published: 21 December 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

North Carolina is a leading fresh-market strawberry producer in the southeastern United States, with increasing cultivation driven by consumer demand. In recent years, Neopestalotiopsis-associated diseases have emerged as a major threat to strawberry production, yet limited information is available on their distribution, species diversity, and pathogenic variation in the region. This study investigated the occurrence and characterization of Neopestalotiopsis species associated with strawberry crown rot samples submitted to the North Carolina State University Plant Disease and Insect Clinic during 2023–2024. Crowns of diseased plants collected from 27 counties, representing 17 cultivars, were cultured. Neopestalotiopsis was the predominant genus (n = 114), represented by N. hispanica (n = 67), species from the N. rosae complex (n = 44), N. clavispora (n = 1), N. scalabiensis (n = 1), and N. longiappendiculata (n = 1). Greenhouse pathogenicity assays confirmed that the tested Neopestalotiopsis isolates were able to cause disease on the strawberry cultivar ‘Fresca’. These findings provide the first comprehensive overview of Neopestalotiopsis species associated with strawberry crown rot in North Carolina and highlight their genetic and pathogenic diversity, contributing to improved understanding and management of this emerging disease.
Keywords: Neopestalotiopsis spp.; strawberry; North Carolina; greenhouse studies Neopestalotiopsis spp.; strawberry; North Carolina; greenhouse studies

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MDPI and ACS Style

Moparthi, S.; Bradshaw, M.J.; Cline, W.; Munster, M.J.; Hoffmann, M.; Segovia, D.R.; Crouch, U.; Li, C.; Almeyda, C.; Salazar, J.; et al. Identification of Neopestalotiopsis spp. from Strawberry Leaf, Fruit, and Crown Tissues in North Carolina. Pathogens 2026, 15, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15010010

AMA Style

Moparthi S, Bradshaw MJ, Cline W, Munster MJ, Hoffmann M, Segovia DR, Crouch U, Li C, Almeyda C, Salazar J, et al. Identification of Neopestalotiopsis spp. from Strawberry Leaf, Fruit, and Crown Tissues in North Carolina. Pathogens. 2026; 15(1):10. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15010010

Chicago/Turabian Style

Moparthi, Swarnalatha, Michael J. Bradshaw, William Cline, Michael J. Munster, Mark Hoffmann, Diana Ramirez Segovia, Uma Crouch, Chunying Li, Christie Almeyda, Jhoselin Salazar, and et al. 2026. "Identification of Neopestalotiopsis spp. from Strawberry Leaf, Fruit, and Crown Tissues in North Carolina" Pathogens 15, no. 1: 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15010010

APA Style

Moparthi, S., Bradshaw, M. J., Cline, W., Munster, M. J., Hoffmann, M., Segovia, D. R., Crouch, U., Li, C., Almeyda, C., Salazar, J., & Bertone, M. A. (2026). Identification of Neopestalotiopsis spp. from Strawberry Leaf, Fruit, and Crown Tissues in North Carolina. Pathogens, 15(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15010010

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