Summer Highbush Blueberry Management Items

It’s amazing to observe how inflation, cheap imports, and labor costs are changing the landscape of agriculture across the country regardless of the crop. The swift changes are forcing farmers to think on their feet and quickly adapt in order to stay relevant and in business. Fortunately, these are traits most farmers, especially those right here in Florida, already possess. (I could rattle off a list of all the qualities our growers exhibit, but chances are good you already know them because you’re one of them.)

Be On the Lookout for Chilli Thrips This Summer

Chilli thrips are a significant pest on southern highbush blueberries in Florida with the potential to cause heavy foliage damage from late spring through early fall. Although there are insecticides with efficacy on chilli thrips, the numbers of applications used and cost of products have become a significant management issue for Florida growers. 

Monitoring and Managing Target Spot in Southern Highbush Blueberry

Target spot, a fungal leaf disease, is caused by the Corynespora cassiicola pathogen. It was first reported in blueberry in the US (on “Jewel” in Central Florida) in 2014. Florida growers have reported significant defoliation due to target spot on many southern highbush blueberry (SHB) cultivars since then. 

Strategies for New and Mature Southern Highbush Blueberries

It’s April, which means National Blueberry Month is just three months away! The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) is gearing up for an epic celebration. 

Tips to Help Mitigate Damage From Chilli Thrips

Summer Fungal Leaf Disease Management

It is harvest season 2022, and we have already had quite a packed spring in Florida!

As I pen this in mid-March I’m not sure how the season will turn out, but I’m hopeful and as ready as I can be for what comes at harvest. Ever since Thanksgiving, our business has been steering through white waters I hardly expected to see till harvest. As growers, you know it’s been a bit of an odd year due to both the political and economic designs of our society and the inescapable influence of Mother Nature. Despite this, the Florida growers I talk to have all been working hard and figuring out how to adjust their operations to capture a good harvest.

By J. Scott Angle

Field days in agriculture are essentially show-and-tell for adults, and it’s every bit as exciting as it was when I was in school. Don’t get me wrong, the advanced principles, techniques, and subject matter are far from child’s play, but the principles remain the same: Share, learn, and grow

Your Winter Crop Survival Checklist 

… Or how Florida growers are getting squeezed between cost increases and pricing pressures.

Anthracnose fruit rot (AFR) is the most significant disease that directly affects the fruit of blueberries in Florida. In years past, AFR, also known as ripe rot, has been of minor concern for Florida growers; however, within the last three to five years, reports of substantial losses are on the rise. In this article, we will try to understand the disease cycle, factors that can promote disease, and management tools to reduce disease risk in your field. AFR is a real heartbreaker that can not only reduce the amount of harvestable fruit just as the year’s investment starts to pay out but then come back with the sucker punch of reducing the quality and quantity of the harvested berries due to fruit spoilage, lower pack-outs, and shorter shelf life. 

Nobody ever said farming was easy. There will always be anticipated trials and victories, and there will even be unexpected challenges. So it’s a good thing Florida blueberry growers are so resilient in the face of adversity. No other time has made that more evident than the past two years. Blindsided by a pandemic that left many with no way to unload their crops only to see their hard work get lost in the tsunami of cheap foreign exports, particularly from Mexico, growers faced a crucial deciding point. Some smaller farms, unable to compete with the influx, were forced to shutter operations. Still, last year marked a turning point of sorts because as it turns out, the 2021 season was pretty decent for most Florida growers. Here’s why.

As the new year gets underway, the Florida blueberry industry has much to look forward to. Blueberries have a bright future!

Control Measures for Blueberry Gall Midge 

Blueberry gall midge (BGM) is a longstanding and persistent pest of blueberries in Florida, especially in North-Central Florida and some areas of Central Florida. Adult BGM lay eggs in floral and vegetative buds as the scales begin to open, and the larvae feed on the developing tissue in the buds (Figure 1). With floral buds, this leads to damage, necrosis, and death of the buds, resulting in reduced yields. The injury from gall midge can appear as brown, dried-out buds that disintegrate and fall from the stems resulting in reduced bloom, and situations where only one or two florets emerge from a damaged floral bud instead of a more typical 5 or 6 florets. In vegetative buds, new emerging shoots and foliage are damaged and appear as black and distorted tissue. 

Basics of Blueberry Irrigation Management for Florida Growers

credit: JEFF WILLIAMSON & DOUG PHILLIPS

With health and nutrition being key benefits of blueberries, National Nutrition Month®in March is a natural fit for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) to rally around and leverage as its first “power period” of 2022.