Mummy berry cups were not found at Deblois, Montegail, Jonesport or Jonesboro by Friday May 20th so the mummy berry infection season is finished for 2011.
For controlling disease in the future, it is important to know what you disease you have in your field.
Mummy berry symptoms
You will see symptoms of mummy berry blighted leaves and flowers at this time (see picture below). Any infections you see now occurred at least eight to nine days ago. Spores produced on the dead leaves and flowers will infect healthy flowers to produce the mummy berries seen at harvest. These spores cannot cause new infections that would kill leaves or flowers.
- Only some flower clusters on stem will be infected
- Open and closed flowers will show symptoms
- Only some leaves will be infected, look dead and typical in a crook shape
- Key Symptom – Gray powdery spores (in yellow circles) at base of affected flowers and leaves
Botrytis blossom blight
If your field usually gets Botrytis blossom blight, now is the time to start looking for early symptoms (see pictures below). Symptoms of dead flowers or leaves with thin black hairs sticking out of them may be found on flowers of early blooming blueberry plants and the dead leaves of red sorrel, also called Sheep’s sorrel (Scientific name: Rumex acetosella). The small dark hairs (use a magnifying glass or reading glasses to see them) are always found if you have Botrytis blossom blight. IF you have dead blossoms and they do NOT have black hairs then your flowers were likely killed by mummy berry blight. I have not recorded any frost in the past weeks, so frost is unlikely to be a cause of dead flowers.
- Only some flower clusters on a stem will be affected
- Mostly affects almost open and open flowers
- Leaves can also show disease symptoms
- Key Symptom – black hairs, some with gray tips, (in yellow circles) extend off of infected flowers and leaves
Frost damage for comparison (see pictures below)
Frost has not been recorded in any areas I am tracking this year. It is unlikely to have caused flower damage this year.
- All flower clusters on stem typically are affected
- Closed flowers not affected as much
- Leaves can be damaged, but typically only tender tissue
- Key symptom: Often all flower clusters on a stem are affected
Wow you have a lot of information about blueberry issues. My low bush blueberrys are really suffering do you think it is mummy berry? I posted some pictures on my blog any thoughts would be appreciated thanks a lot!
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.mylittlecityfoodgarden.com/2011/05/31/a-sad-day-in-the-blueberry-patch/