By Clint Thompson
The monthly blueberry updates administered by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) serves as a reminder for Florida growers of what needs to be done from a management standpoint. Even following the recent harvest, producers have important tasks to complete if they want to have another productive season the following year.
Doug Phillips, UF/IFAS blueberry Extension coordinator, focuses on the importance of these monthly reminders.
“Most of the growers know what to do, but really what we try to do with these monthly management strategies is just let them be a reminder,” Phillips said. “The growers have so many things going on, it’s just a reminder that, it’s the month of June, remember for diseases to look for these things. For insect pests look at these. We send it out as an email to the growers that we have in our database each month.
“Also, as part of the blueberry growers guide app that we have out, that monthly management calendar is there. For users of that guide, they’ll get a reminder that pops up as a notification on the first of every month. ‘Hey, remember to look at this month’s management calendar.’ It’s got the same information in there, but it also lets you click into management suggestions, those chemical controls, summary data on those pesticides that are suggested.
“It’s a good reminder we think for growers, for things to look at each month, keep on top of them as we get into the post-harvest season here.”
This month’s management strategies include the importance of scouting for algal stem blotch and selectively prune out canes infected with algal stem blotch, Botryosphaeria stem blight and dead canes. Producers should scout for flea beetles, larval citrus root weevil, larval flatheaded borer, chilli thrips and southern red mites.
Growers should also sample leaves to be collected for tissue nutrient analysis.