Recent Posts
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Dear blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry growers and industry professionals: A national team of researchers led by Dr. Ash Sial (UGA) with representatives from multiple states across the United States is planning a project to develop sustainable management of thrips including flower thrips and chilli thrips in small fruit crops. In order for us to develop […]
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Advances in Behavior-Based Tactics for Management of Spotted-Wing Drosophila Dec 8, 2022 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) Sustainable SWD Management SCRI Project team is is organizing their second annual webinar on December 8, 2022 at 12pm Eastern. This webinar will focus on the advances in behavior-based tactics for management of SWD. Please use the link […]
Posted in: Uncategorized -
It has been almost 30 days since we have had appreciable rainfall across much of the blueberry growing region in southern Georgia. While most locations in the southern half of the state are not technically in a “drought” (see https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/), it has certainly been dry for the past month. (At my house in Tifton, for […]
Posted in: Disease Management -
Georgia blueberry growers are invited to attend an upcoming Blueberry Fruit Quality Webinar on Thursday, October 13th @ 7PM. Members of the UGA Extension Blueberry Team including Dr. Jonathan Oliver, Dr. Zilfina Rubio Ames, and Dr. Angelos Deltsidis will provide a brief overview of factors affecting blueberry fruit quality, highlight recent efforts to elucidate the […]
Posted in: Grower Meetings -
University of Georgia Extension and the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium hosted the first Blueberry IPM Academy for county and area extension professionals in the southeastern U.S. during fall 2021. This event featured presentations by blueberry extension specialists from the Southeast on numerous topics including: Cultural Practices and Fertility, Harvesting and Management, Insect Management, Disease […]
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Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD, Drosophila suzukii) is an invasive pest of soft skinned fruit in the United States and has been detected throughout the southeast. Infestations were observed in some blueberries. SWD damage is similar to blueberry maggot. Female flies lay their eggs in ripening and ripe fruit, and larvae develop internally. SWD larvae are much smaller […]
Posted in: Pest Management -
The spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive and economically important pest of many soft-skinned fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and other. Since its first detection in California in 2008, SWD spread rapidly across the United States. It was first found in Georgia in 2010 and since then this small […]
Posted in: Pest Management -
Following the damage to blueberries in Georgia caused by recent freezes, the threat exists for subsequent damage from fungal pathogens. On tissues already damaged by the freezes, two fungal pathogens of particular concern are Botrytis and Botryosphaeria. BotrytisThe fungus Botrytis cinerea causes Botrytis flower blight and fruit rot on blueberry. Cold-damaged blooms, shoots, and fruit can readily […]
Posted in: Disease Management -
While the upcoming forecasted freeze event is understandably foremost on the minds of those connected to the Georgia blueberry industry right now, diseases associated with bloom remain a concern. Many growers in the southern region of Georgia have initiated sprays for mummy berry disease already, but growers who haven’t already done so are reminded to […]
Posted in: Disease Management -
Current Situation Wet weather across Georgia’s blueberry production belt during 2021 has led to some usual and some unusual disease issues in recent months. Through mid-September, 2021 rainfall in Alma, Georgia is running about 12 inches above normal, and rainfall in Homerville, Georgia is over 16 inches above normal. Phytophthora root rot is one […]
Posted in: Disease Management