If fruit rot occurs, remove all infected fruit at each harvest. To prevent spread of the disease, pickers should never move from an infected to a noninfected field. Strawberry varieties resistant to anthracnose are currently being developed. Gray mold, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea , is a common and serious problem wherever strawberries are grown. The fungus is widespread and is often found in new plantings.
Infections first occur on fruit tissue under the calyx.
Fruit infections appear as soft, light brown, rapidly expanding spots. Both green and red fruit are susceptible to infection, but ripening fruit rot faster. Spores of the fungus can be spread by the slightest touch or by wind. Pickers handling infected fruit often spread the disease. Early season temperatures between 70 o and 80 o F and wet weather are ideal for disease development.