Strawberries wilting and dying

Question: Hi - I have something going on in my strawberry patch. It is similar to what I saw last year but looks like the area is growing. There is a patch and line through the main patch that is getting wilted leaves and dying. I attached pictures of the area and leaves. The whole patch was vigorous and looked great, flowered, and is fruiting, but now this area is dying. What do you think the cause is? I dug up a plant and didn't find white grubs. It doesn't look like verticillium wilt or leaf blight. Is there a treatment I can use while it's fruiting or should I just dig out the dead plants before it spreads further? Thanks

responder: Answer Line answer@iastate.edu Iowa 800-262-3804 and Minnesota 800-854-1678  Replied May 24, 2023, 3:40 PM EDT
response: These symptoms can be caused by a number of potential issues. From what I can see in the photos, it is not clear what maybe causing the problem. It  looks similar to Phomopsis leaf blight, but the timing is not well  aligned with what we would expect. Typically the symptoms show up later in the growing season after harvest. They also don’t align exactly  with what I would expect for this particular disease.   Unfortunately, it is not possible to confirm a disease from photos alone. If interested, you can send a sample to the Iowa State University Plant  and Insect Diagnostic Clinic to confirm what disease you are trying to  manage. It would be best to start with an email and some photos so the clinic  staff can advise on the best time and method for collecting and  submitting a sample based on the most likely issue. More information on how to collect and submit a sample can be found here: https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/pidc/plant   The other thing to investigate are the environmental conditions. Is this  area more compacted (because it was a walking path, for example)? Could there be an inconsistent application of water leaving this area drier?  Strawberries are relatively shallow rooted and susceptible to drying  out easily. Overly compacted soils may inhibit root growth (making it  more difficult to take up water) or dry conditions could also cause  wilting like this. It would be beneficial to investigate the site and  see if this area is different in some way the surrounding area causing  the wilting.   --Aaron   Aaron Steil Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist Department of Horticulture | Iowa State University   https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 24, 2023, 3:49 PM EDT
response: Thanks for the quick response. We have a heavy clay soil, so compaction is an issue, but this isn't an area we've walked through in two years. I have been keeping good moisture on them since they are putting on fruit. The roots I dug up had plenty of moisture in the soil but it wasn't overly wet/muddy. Would it help to take a broadfork in the bed and try to loosen the soil? I may contact them to send a sample in and appreciate the info.  On Wed, May 24, 2023 at 2:40 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answer Line answer@iastate.edu Iowa 800-262-3804 and Minnesota 800-854-1678  Replied May 24, 2023, 4:23 PM EDT
response: If the soil is heavy, it would be beneficial to incorporate organic matter  into the top 6 to 10 inches of soil the next time you replant the area. Reaching out to the Plant and Insect Diagnostic clinic would be beneficial.   --Aaron    --  Aaron Steil  Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist  Department of Horticulture | Iowa State University   he / him / his   https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/