Recent Posts
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Posted in: Pollination -
Authors: Dr. Zilfina Rubio Ames, Assistant Professor and Small Fruit Extension Specialist, University of Georgia, Tifton Campus; Dr. Jonathan E. Oliver, Associate Professor and Fruit Pathologist, University of Georgia, Tifton Campus Background and Recent Observations Blueberry plants in southern Georgia have faced numerous unusual environmental (weather) stresses over the past year. On September 27th, 2024,…
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Plants need water to grow, but rainfall near harvest can have negative impacts on blueberries. One of these is the tendency for ripe fruit to split after rainfall (Figure 1). Rain splitting typically occurs when water is imbibed through the skin of ripe berries. Likewise, water taken up by the roots can also contribute to…
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As the UGA blueberry pathologist, I frequently get pictures of damage to blueberry fruit. Sometimes this damage is caused by a pathogen (fungus, bacteria, etc.) and sometimes this damage is caused by other factors (insects, environmental factors, or especially chemicals). The applications of blends of multiple chemicals, fertilizers, etc. are frequent in agriculture and can…
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Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene affected much of Georgia’s agriculture, including blueberries. Both wind and extreme rainfall caused their share of issues. In some parts of Georgia’s blueberry-growing region, wind damage (resulting in broken limbs, lost leaves, and blown-over bushes) seems to have caused most of the damage, while in other areas, extreme rainfall seems to have…
Posted in: Disease Management -
Hurricane/Tropical Storm Debby has brought lots of rain to southeastern Georgia in just a short time. Rainfall totals of over 5 inches were recorded across much of the blueberry growing region in southeastern Georgia in less than 48 hours this week (Nahunta – 7.8 inches, Waycross – 6.4 inches, Alma – 6.3 inches, Lake Park…
Posted in: Disease Management -
To register for this webinar, please follow this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z6DZY3p_RIGr4So-zhJXaQ
Posted in: Pest Management -
Posted in: Pest Management -
In recent days, we’ve received multiple reports of algal stem blotch on blueberry in Georgia. In contrast to the fungal, bacterial, or viral diseases that typically afflict our crop plants, algal stem blotch, as the name indicates, is actually caused by a species of parasitic alga. This, in and of itself, makes it an oddity…
Posted in: Disease Management -
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