By Clint Thompson
Ralstonia research is one of the topics highlighted at this summer’s blueberry meetings hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
While it is not as problematic as other blueberry diseases as Florida growers contend with every year, it has the potential to wreak havoc on one of the state’s major fruit crop, says Phil Harmon, professor and Extension plant pathologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
“We’re going to do everything we can to prevent it, but that’s why we’re as concerned as we are about it, even though right now, it represents a fairly minor concern and a minor problem,” Harmon said. “We’re losing some plants across the farms that are growing. It’s Arcadia primarily, but it’s not something that the growers have, I would say, at the top of their list in the annual survey that we do. It is something in the back of their mind, back of our minds, that we don’t want to see get any worse.”
Background
Ralstonia was observed a little less than 10 years ago for the first time in Florida in 2017. It had been reported once previously five or six years before that on a northern highbush variety in one field.
Ralstonia solanacearum leads to bacterial wilt in Florida southern highbush blueberries. The pathogen can cause rapid wilting, leaf margin burn and crown discoloration. UF/IFAS researchers found that varieties like ‘Arcadia’ are highly susceptible.
Ralstonia research has yielded positive results over the years.
“Things that we’ve learned have included which varieties are most susceptible and where to look for the disease first. We’ve learned that the phytophthora or that the phyte fungicides can be used as a drench to prevent death and losses where we know susceptible varieties like Arcadia are being grown in the presence of Ralstonia,” Harmon said. “And then we’ve also tested some of our newer varieties that are coming down the pipe, but also those that are recently released to make sure that we don’t have any that are super susceptible. And so far, that hasn’t been the case.
“We know that this is an adaptable pathogen that in the past with other crops has been able to overcome resistances and has changed and adapted and caused more serious problems as time move forward. So, we’re keeping an eye on that, we’re keeping a research focus on it,” Harmon added. “Just because it does have that potential to be a nasty problem for us. We don’t want to let it get to that point where we can.”