UPDATED FORECAST FOR DOWNEAST Wednesday April 29, 2009

UPDATE:
There was a infection period due to heavy fog in the Downeast area, (Deblois, Cherryfield, Jonesboro, Jonesport) on Monday night. The fog started in most areas around 9pm and lasted to around 7am on Tuesday morning.

Mummy berry cups are present and producing spores in this area.
Please check your field to see if you have enough susceptible plants (more than 40% of random stems with flower buds are in the flower bud crown stage) to make an application of fungicide cost effective.

To control this disease you should apply fungicide within 72 hours of the START of the rain/fog period in your field. For example if you choose to apply fungicide, you have until 9pm on Thursday April 30 to control any fungus that got into the plant on Monday night. If you apply fungicide on Thursday, the fungicide will also provide protection through the predicted storm this weekend.

Remember whether infection did occur in your field will depend upon 1) how far along the plants are in your field, 2) the actual temperature during, and length of time of rain or rain and fog in your field, and 3) of course, have you had mummy berry disease in your field in previous years .

Please check Factsheet #217 at the Wild Blueberry extension site (http://wildblueberries.maine.edu) for more information on the chance of infection depending upon temperature and length of leaf wetness. Please see Factsheet #219 for recommended disease control methods.