blueberries

Discoloration in blueberry leaves: what does it mean?

Photo by Western Arctic National Parklands, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Adapted from Cornell’s Berry Diagnostic Tool

 

If you’ve noticed unusual colors, mottling, or spots on your blueberry leaves, chances are the plant is suffering from one of these common issues or pathogens.

 

Pale green leaves

This may indicate a nitrogen deficiency, which is common in blueberries. The uniform light coloring may be accompanied by a reduction in shoot growth, number of new canes, and yield. Nitrogen-deficient leaves may develop early fall color and drop.

 

Yellow leaves

If the yellow is interveinal, and there isn’t browning, this indicates iron deficiency. It begins in young leaves, and caused by high soil pH (greater than 5.2), which results in the blueberry plant’s inability to use iron and subsequently produce chlorophyll.

 

Yellow leaves with browning

If the leaves show interveinal yellowing and browning, it may indicate cane death or dieback. If the canes are not dying, it may be related to herbicide injury, Botrytis stem and leaf blight, mummyberry shoot blight, potassium deficiency, overfertilization, or drought stress.

 

Splotchy yellow leaves, possibly accompanied by pink and pale green

This patchwork pattern is most often caused by ophiovirus. The leaves may appear crinkled, and the discoloration can vary from branch to branch.

 

Reddish-purple or maroon leaves

As a response to cooling temperatures, blueberry leaves turn maroon in the fall. But they may develop a reddish-purple color in the spring if the weather is cold. The discoloration usually disappears as the weather warms up. A darker purple hue is attributed to phosphorous deficiency, but this is rarely observed in the field, as blueberries have a low phosphorus requirement.

 

Red leaves

If the reddening is interveinal, suspect magnesium deficiency, which is common in acidic soils, or viral diseases like blueberry scorch and Sheep Pen Hill disease (SPHD). The latter are more common on the West Coast and in New Jersey, but are typically observed in the spring following blossom blight.

 

Red spots on the upper leaf surface

Red ringspot virus is the culprit when the leaves appear to have red spots on the upper surface and only on young shoots.

 

Purple-brown leaves and stems

Gleosporeum infection causes twig dieback and canker. The fungus can also cause necrotic lesions on leaves and succulent stems.

 

Purple-brown mottling, with crinkled leaves

Ringspot viruses, such as tomato ringspot and tobacco ringspot virus may cause crinkling, without obvious discoloration. Before suspecting a virus, confirm that other causes of leaf discoloration are not to blame. Viruses can only be definitively confirmed with a lab test.


Purple-brown at margins and unusually narrow

This “straplike” leaf shape, accompanied by purple-brown discoloration, usually means blueberry shoestring virus. Before suspecting a virus, confirm that other causes of leaf discoloration and deformation are not to blame. Viruses can only be definitively confirmed with a lab test.

 

Whitish leaves

More common on the undersides of leaves, powdery mildew can also form a whitish film on the tops. More commonly, it will cause red or brown spots on the upper surface.

 

For more information and photos of each of these blueberry plant ailments, visit Cornell’s Berry Diagnostic Tool.

What You Need to Do for a Successful Blueberry Harvest This Summer

Fresh, juicy blueberries in a basket on top of a wooden bench

Our friends at Cornell Cooperative Extension have shared these important tips for ensuring the success of this season’s blueberry crop.

Blueberry harvest is underway and looks surprisingly good in most places – despite the May freeze, early drought, and occasional hail events around the region. Fruit is sizing very well and plant growth is great – these plants LOVE all this rain! But unexpected weather is when you will discover how effective your disease management program was.

 

Anthracnose fruit rot (Colletotrichum acutatum) is widely apparent in plantings. This disease should be prophylactically sprayed before and during bloom. You can spray now in hopes that you can thwart the spread of the disease, but look carefully at the REI and days to harvest all chemicals.   

This disease will present as a sunken spot on the fruit. In this humid weather, you will undoubtedly see the pink-orange fruiting spores that will grow on the sunken areas. Make a note to focus on next season to control this disease.

Mummyberry (Monilinia vacinii-corymbosi) is less widely apparent, but definitely out there. Mummyberry spores can be moved by pollinators, so even if you’ve never dealt with this disease before, there is always a chance. That is why we encourage growers to manage for it, despite the history in your own patch. This disease is controlled at the vegetative green tip – so pretty early in the spring. 

Blueberry tip borer moth (Hendecaneura shawiana) is a pest that we are seeing much more frequently than in the past. The pest doesn’t damage the fruit from this season. But the overall impact is more significant. The moth lays eggs in the tip of the newest canes, causing the cane to abort vertical growth and branch much lower than it normally would. This means that there is less opportunity for overall growth, the fruiting wood is too low, and over time the plant becomes less productive due to the architectural change. 

The small brown moth lays eggs in June, which hatch in July. The larvae drill down several inches, causing distortion and then death of the shoot tip. This flagging can look something like canker, but it’s more localized to the top 6” of the shoot. There are no labeled conventional insecticides. Use azadirachtin and pyrethrin products at petal fall for control.  

Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) have started feeding on blueberry foliage. I’ve yet to get a report of fruit feeding, but that is when they become a problem worthy of spraying. Despite the foliar damage, they usually don’t do lasting damage to the plant. There are many pesticides that can be used on this insect, but don’t pull the trigger unless you really need to and make sure to read the label for Days to harvest. 

Canker diseases (Fusicoccum putrefaciens and Phomopsis vacinii) are exhibiting the tell-tale cane flagging. New shoots will wilt rapidly and die back from the tip towards the crown. Healthy vigorous canes will wilt and collapse. When you see this happen in an otherwise perfectly healthy plant, the likelihood is high that it’s canker. Fusicoccum canker forms bulls-eye type lesions on the stem, which is another diagnostic help. Prune the dead out as it appears and make a note to use a delayed dormant spray next spring.  

135+ organizations call for farm and food business technical assistance in the Farm Bill 

Rows of farm crops under the golden light of late afternoon sun

By American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust (AFT), the Agricultural Viability Alliance, and a national coalition of agricultural organizations, service providers, non-profits, businesses, lending institutions, and government entities, today sent a letter to leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees calling for dedicated funding for business technical assistance and farm viability in the upcoming Farm Bill.

“As you begin the process of developing a new Farm Bill,” the letter, signed by over 135 organizations, writes, “[we] urge you to include dedicated funding for one-to-one business technical assistance for small and midsized farm and food businesses. These investments in farm viability are critical to achieving a more just, secure, resilient food supply chain, growing our rural economies, and helping farmers and food businesses weather periods of uncertainty, high input costs, and market disruptions.”

“Congress begins work on a new Farm Bill at a time when the agricultural economy and food system face a number of urgent, overlapping challenges,” said Tim Fink, Policy Director for AFT. “From historic inequities and systemic barriers for underserved producers, to rising input costs and vanishing margins, to generational transfer of farmland – business technical assistance has proven an effective and cost-efficient way of addressing these challenges and building capacity on the ground.”

The call for dedicated Farm Bill funding builds on work that AFT, in partnership with the Agricultural Viability Alliance (the Alliance), began in 2021 requesting USDA to set aside a portion of Coronavirus relief funding for one-to-one business technical assistance. More than 110 organizations joined AFT and the Alliance in urging USDA to prioritize this type of technical assistance to small and mid-sized farm and food businesses. In addition, 50 Members of Congress similarly encouraged USDA to support business technical assistance. USDA responded to this request with its establishment of two new initiatives: the Farm Service Agency’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program, and the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Regional Food Business Centers.

“The entrepreneurs we serve face barriers to becoming financially viable, so we support them to develop financial management skills, access capital and land, and build resilient businesses,” said Benneth Phelps, Executive Director of the Agricultural Viability Alliance. “We do this by providing information, training, skill-building, and capital, within a carefully crafted ecosystem of support, and funding for this work in the Farm Bill is critical.”

Business technical assistance covers a wide range of one-to-one services offered to farm and food businesses by nonprofit organizations, state agencies, private consultants, and extension services. Customized to meet the unique needs of individual businesses, these services include coaching, skill development, and planning related to financial and labor management, marketing and business strategies, farm transfer and succession, and access to land and capital. BTA has proven effective at creating jobs and supporting local economies. This work is also critical to addressing historic and systemic barriers facing farmers and food entrepreneurs of color, who have been structurally denied opportunities to access capital, land, technical support, USDA programs, and broader professional advancement for generations.

2021 Berry Production Workshop

using+exclusion+netting+on+blueberries.jpg

September 15, 2021, Kennedy
October 5, STEPHENTOWN
4:00pm-6:00pm

2021 season review of SWD management techniques
Free; register here.

Note: Due to severe weather, the Stephentown workshop was postponed until October 5. Sign up using the link above, then join us at The Berry Patch, 15589 State Rt. 22, Stephentown.

Join researchers, growers, and expert speakers for a two-hour review of Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) management techniques. We’ll cover the basics of SWD monitoring of adult and larvae populations and also discuss implementing a pesticide program.

This free program will focus on what has been learned about designing an exclusion netting support system that provides long-term control of SWD and maximum utility for berry farmers.

Exclusion netting is being used on field blueberries where it controls SWD while also excluding birds and moderating impacts of hail and heavy rain. Raspberries and strawberries also benefit from exclusion netting on the sides of high tunnels.

1.5 DEC credits available in categories 1A, 10, and 22.

AGENDA - STEPHENTOWN

4:00 pm | Welcome, Introductions & NYS DEC credit sign-up – Laura McDermott, CCE ENYCHP

4:05 pm | Brief Overview of SWD – Laura McDermott, CCE ENYCHP . Insect monitoring, fruit infestation monitoring, insecticide management and cultural management techniques will be discussed.

4:20 pm | Overview of Exclusion Netting – Dale Ila Riggs, The Berry Patch, and Ted Storozum, TekKnit, Quebec. Brief review of work undertaken and effectiveness of netting in open field and high tunnel systems. Discussion of adaptations made to netting material and the need for structural design.

4:50 pm | Structural Considerations When Installing Exclusion Netting – Chris Callahan, University of Vermont, and Paul Lucas, Gintec, Ontario, CA. The past two seasons has provided lots of new information about designing the support structure for Exclusion Netting. Gintec owner Paul Lucas has played a critical advisory role in this portion of the project and has decades of experience with protected agriculture systems. Cost information for the SWD exclusion netting and structure will be included. 

5:20 pm | Exclusion Netting on Fall Raspberries – Dale Ila Riggs, The Berry Patch. Research on using field netting for fall raspberries and incorporating it into a high tunnel system.

5:30 pm | Views from Other Growers – TBD. Growers that have adopted exclusion netting will share their successes and struggles with the netting. 

5:45 pm | Hands-On Removal of Netting – Attendees will watch and assist with removal of netting panels to better understand the requirements and ease of using netting. Netting storage and winter care will be discussed.

6:00 pm | Adjourn

AGENDA - KENNEDY

4:00 pm | Welcome and Introductions & NYS DEC credit sign-up – Anya Osatuke, CCE Harvest NY.

4:05 pm | Brief Overview of SWD – Greg Loeb, Cornell University. Insect monitoring, fruit infestation monitoring, insecticide management and cultural management techniques will be discussed

4:20 pm | Overview of Exclusion Netting – Greg Loeb and Stephen Hesler, Cornell University. Brief review of work undertaken and effectiveness of netting in open field and high tunnel systems. Discussion of adaptations made to netting material and the need for structural design.

4:50 pm | Structural Considerations when Installing Exclusion Netting – Stephen Hesler, Cornell University, and John Abers, Abers Acres. The past two seasons has provided lots of new information about designing the support structure for Exclusion Netting, but every farm is unique and Abers Acres owner will discuss how they installed the netting. Cost information about the SWD exclusion netting and structure will be included. 

5:20 pm  |  Exclusion Netting on Fall Raspberries – Greg Loeb, Cornell University. Research on using field netting for fall raspberries and incorporating it into a high tunnel system.

5:30 pm | Views from Other Growers – TBD. Growers that have adopted exclusion netting will share their successes and struggles with the netting. 

5:45 pm | Hands-On Removal of Netting – Attendees will watch and assist with removal of netting panels to better understand the requirements and ease of using netting. Netting storage and winter care will be discussed.

6:00 pm | Adjourn

 

Blueberries Offer a Host of Health Benefits, Including Improved Cognitive Function

New York State berry growers health benefits of blueberries

Blueberries Offer a Host of Health Benefits

It’s no secret that a colorful fruits, especially blueberries, offer a variety of health benefits. From reduced risk of debilitating diseases to improved complexion and hair, blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse that have significant positive effects on human health. And new studies are showing that blueberries can even enhance cognitive function. With summer—and fresh berries—due to arrive in farmers’ markets and on farm stand shelves in a little more than a month, there’s never been a better time to incorporate fresh, local blueberries into your diet. 

Blueberries are chock-full of many health-promoting vitamins and compounds, including anthocyanins, a flavonoid that has been linked to protection against free radical damage and a decreased risk of cancer, obesity, and diabetes. The blueberry is also known to support heart health, with high levels of fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Likewise, this humble fruit’s high levels of potassium, calcium, and magnesium all help to decrease blood pressure. Blueberries are also high in vitamin K, which improves calcium absorption—a low intake of which has been linked to an increased risk of bone fracture. Some studies even suggest that regular eating of blueberries can promote healthy skin and hair, increase energy, and contribute to weight loss.

Recent studies have demonstrated the blueberry’s positive effect on cognitive function. A pair of 2014 studies found that consumption of blueberries can improve short-term memory loss and motor coordination, and in patients with the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson’s disease, consumption of blueberries has been linked to a reduced risk of cognitive decline.  Another study found that blueberries (in a freeze-dried powder form) may also have an effect on the onset of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. “The blueberry group demonstrated improved memory and improved access to words and concepts,” concluded lead author Robert Krikorian.

The latest study, published in March 2017 in the European Journal of Nutrition, provided more evidence that blueberry consumption improves cognitive function. The authors found that adults age 60 to 75 who consumed 24 grams of freeze-dried blueberry powder (the equivalent of one cup fresh berries) daily showed significant improvement in verbal memory, repetition, and task switching over their placebo-group counterparts.

New York State berry growers local berries health benefits blueberries

Blueberry Nutrition at a Glance
A 1-cup serving of blueberries contains:

  • 84 calories
  • 3.6 grams of dietary fiber (14% of daily requirement)
  • 0 grams of cholesterol
  • 1.1 grams of protein
  • .49 grams of fat
  • 21 grams of carbohydrate
  • 24% of an adult's recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, 5% of vitamin B6, and 36% of vitamin K
  • Iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, manganese, zinc, copper, folate, beta-carotene, folate, choline, vitamin A, vitamin E
  • Phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity, including anthocyanins, quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin and chlorogenic acid