Recent Posts
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Post-Harvest Disease Management for the 2017 Blueberry Season Renée Holland and Dr. Phil Brannen Growers have been asking questions regarding what to do about unharvested fruit in the fields and the potential for disease impact on the blueberry crop next year. Concerning mummy berry disease, unharvested fruit will not impact this disease in the next…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Ash Sial Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens GA, 30602. 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…
Posted in: Pest Management -
Posted in: Pest Management
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Posted in: Pest Management
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We have been experiencing 7 days without rain. Irrigation/rain is critical during fruit sizing and for plant growth in blueberry. Looking at past weather data from the University of Georgia Weather Network, the Alma weather station had the largest amount of rainfall in the last 7 days (April 7, 0.01 inches was recorded over the…
Posted in: Irrigation & Drainage -
By: D. Scott NeSmith, Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia Severe freeze events such as occurred in Georgia March 15-16, 2017 present multiple challenges to growers. The magnitude of the damage varies across locations, but overall in the state the damage is substantial. This is in fact the most severe crop damage I have seen in…
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With the freeze of last evening, producers are questioning what actions they should take to prevent damage from Botrytis and/or Botryosphaeria. The answers are not that simple, and it will depend on the type of blueberry and the situation encountered. I will give some immediate actions, and then I will give later actions. Immediate Actions…
Posted in: Disease Management -
Dear Blueberry Growers: ALL pyrethroid insecticides (bifenthrin, Warrior/Karate, Mustang Max, Baythroid, Asana, Permethrin, etc.) are currently undergoing registration review at EPA. Nine are specifically being evaluated, but serve as surrogates for all 19 active ingredients. The preliminary evaluation shows that all pyrethroids exceed “Levels of Concern” for exposure to aquatic invertebrates. THIS IS MAJOR. If…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Members of the Sustainable SWD Project will present a webinar online on January 25th at 12-1pm eastern time, highlighting information about control of the invasive insect pest, spotted wing Drosophila. The webinar titled “Making the Most of Your Insecticide Toolbox to Manage SWD” will cover research conducted during the first year of this project, and…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Ash Sial1 and James Jacobs2, 1Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 2UGA Extension, Pierce County The reports of blueberry gall midge infestations in Georgia blueberries have become more common over the last couple of years. Although blueberry gall midge has historically been referred to as a rabbiteye problem, recently it has been reported to…
Posted in: Pest Management