By Maegan Beatty
Florida’s blueberry growers are embracing excellent crop conditions and a strong market with peak harvest expected in late February or early March, according to Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Blueberry Extension Coordinator.
Producers must still be mindful, though, of the presence of flower thrips and anthracnose fruit rot impacting this year’s crop.
Flower thrips are small insects that can cause significant damage to blueberry blooms, leading to reduced yields. Florida’s warm climate provides an ideal growing environment for the pest. The impact could result in deformed flowers, misshapen fruit and brown streaking on petals.
Anthracnose fruit rot, a fungal disease, is one of the most serious post-harvest diseases for Florida blueberry farmers. Primary symptoms include orange masses on infected fruit, shriveled berries and dark spots on leaves.
“Growers should be scouting for flower thrips and doing preventative fungicide sprays for anthracnose fruit rot. They should also be scouting for leaf rust and mites, especially in the evergreen system,” Phillips said.
UF/IFAS has provided blueberry growers with an app resource they can refer to for assistance. It is called the UF/IFAS Blueberry Growers Guide. This app has a scouting guide, a monthly management calendar, detailed information on UF/IFAS blueberry cultivars and a module with pesticide information.
This resource is available for growers to download.