Alternaria Fruit Rot

Alternaria Leaf Spot and Fruit Rot

(Alternaria spp.)
Symptoms: Leaf spot symptoms appear from March to May. Leaf spots are 1-5 mm wide, grey with a red margin. Fruit rot symptoms appear during fruit ripening. Infected berries become soft and develop a greenish-black mould on the surface.
Disease cycle: This fungus over-winters on twigs of dead branches and debris on the ground. Spores are released during cool, wet weather and are carried by the wind.

Alternaria Fruit Rot Carolyn Teasdale, ES Cropconsult

Alternaria Fruit Rot Carolyn Teasdale, ES Cropconsult

Alternaria Fruit Rot Carolyn Teasdale, ES Cropconsult

Alternaria Leaf Spot and Fruit Rot Carolyn Teasdale, ES Cropconsult

Mites

Two Spotted Spider Mite

(Tetranychus urticae) Damage: Spider mites feed on the underside of the leaves, and can be found on older leaves as well as near the shoot tips. Lightly infested leaves become speckled; heavily infested leaves become bronzed and covered with webbing. Spider mites are a sporadic pest in blueberries and are rarely seen in most fields. Mite populations build up during the heat of summer, and can be more prevalent in hot dry locations. Mites can reside on weeds within blueberry fields. Pest: Two-Spotted Spotted spider mites are yellowish-greenish with two dark spots on the back. They vary in size from near microscopic to clearly visible. These mites overwinter as orange females in the soil near the plant.

Spider Mites On Blueberry LeafCarolyn Teasdale, ES Cropconsult

Spider Mites and Eggs On Blueberry LeafCarolyn Teasdale, ES Cropconsult

Spider Mite DamageCarolyn Teasdale, ES Cropconsult

Spider Mites DamageCarolyn Teasdale, ES Cropconsult