Articles
Diseases and insects of economic importance affecting blueberry fruit in North Carolina
Article number
1357_33
Pages
229 – 234
Language
English
Abstract
North Carolina (NC) is located on the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States within the native range of several Vaccinium species, including highbush blueberry.
The main commercial production area is in the coastal plain of southeastern NC. Coastal plain production of northern highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) is limited by soils and by lack of sufficient winter chilling, thus most commercial fields are devoted primarily to southern highbush (V. corymbosum) and to a lesser extent rabbiteye (V. virgatum). Southern highbush cultivars grown in NC vary widely in chill requirement and bloom time, complicating the timing of control measures for diseases and insects of fruit.
Major fungal diseases of fruit include mummy berry (Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi), exobasidium leaf and fruit spot (Exobasidium maculosum), anthracnose fruit rot (Colletotrichum spp.) alternaria fruit rot (Alternaria tenuissima) and botrytis flower blight and fruit rot (Botrytis cinerea). Major insect pests of fruit include blueberry maggot fly (Rhagoletis mendax), cherry fruitworm (Grapholita packardi), cranberry fruitworm (Acrobasis vaccinii), plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) and spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii).
The main commercial production area is in the coastal plain of southeastern NC. Coastal plain production of northern highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) is limited by soils and by lack of sufficient winter chilling, thus most commercial fields are devoted primarily to southern highbush (V. corymbosum) and to a lesser extent rabbiteye (V. virgatum). Southern highbush cultivars grown in NC vary widely in chill requirement and bloom time, complicating the timing of control measures for diseases and insects of fruit.
Major fungal diseases of fruit include mummy berry (Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi), exobasidium leaf and fruit spot (Exobasidium maculosum), anthracnose fruit rot (Colletotrichum spp.) alternaria fruit rot (Alternaria tenuissima) and botrytis flower blight and fruit rot (Botrytis cinerea). Major insect pests of fruit include blueberry maggot fly (Rhagoletis mendax), cherry fruitworm (Grapholita packardi), cranberry fruitworm (Acrobasis vaccinii), plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) and spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii).
Publication
Authors
W.O. Cline, H.J. Burrack
Keywords
southern highbush, mummy berry disease, blueberry maggot fly
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