"Strawberries Are in Big Trouble. Scientists Race To Find Solution."

EPA is trying to phase out the soil fumigant methyl bromide, on which the commercial strawberry crop has been dependent. Methyl bromide damages the ozone layer of the atmosphere. But the effort to find an adequate substitute has scientists scrambling.

"It's no surprise that delectable strawberries are highly sought after — and not just by humans. Rodents, insects, fungi and bacteria all like to pig out on the crop.

That's why the strawberry industry is facing a major obstacle now that the most commonly used pesticide is being phased out, and why researchers have put in millions of dollars in the race to come up with an alternative.

Farmers have long used methyl bromide to treat strawberries, since the pesticide was introduced in the early 1960s. But scientists identified the chemical as a contributor to ozone depletion, and in response, the Environmental Protection Agency mandated that it be phased out in 2005."
 
Robert Gebelhoff reports for the Washington Post August 4, 2015.