Blueberry Pest Management Oscar E. Liburd, Ph.D. Professor of Fruit & Vegetable Entomology Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida
Brevipalpus yothersi Chronological Order of Blueberry pests Blueberry gall midge Flower thrips Blueberry bud mite Tenuipalpidae Spotted wing drosophila Flea beetle
Flatheaded Borer Metallic Wood-boring beetle (Family: Buprestidae) Likely Chrysobothris species (identified by Kyle Schnepp at DPI) Related to the Pacific Flatheaded Borer and Flatheaded Apple Tree Borer Pacific Flatheaded Borer Flatheaded Appletree Borer Ken Gray, OSU Phil Nixon, Illinois
Blueberry gall midge, Dasineura oxycoccana Female male
Blueberry gall midge
Detection of blueberry gall midge
Management of blueberry gall midge Monitoring for adult emergence Inverted Bucket traps Insecticides Delegate 3-6 oz per acre (Biological Insecticide) Malathion (organophosphate) Exirel (Cyazpyr) (Anthranilic diamide) **Assail (Neo-nicotinoid) Organic insecticide Entrust, Pyganic
Flower thrips (left); Chilli thrips (right) (Scirtothrips dorsalis)
Size of thrips populations in relation to flower phenology 250 Percentages of opened flowers 1 10 70 90 20 Average # of Thrips captured 200 150 100 50 0 x column 1 vs y column 1 Col 1 vs Col 2 0 5 10 15 20 25 Days after blooming
Oviposition preferences on blueberry tissues a b c c P < 0.001
Flower Thrips, Frankliniella bispinosa Ovipositional Injury Travel along wind currents Multiple generations per year
Chilli thrips Scirtothrips dorsalis Adult Phillip Harmon larva
Injuries resulting from chilli thrips
Symptoms of Chilli thrips infestation Severe leaf curling in heavy infestation Implicated in transmission of a few virus diseases Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV ), and Yellow Spot Virus in peanuts
Average increase in thrips population Comparison of various insecticides in southern highbush blueberries for thrips management 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Assail SpinTor Novaluron GF968 Knack Calypso Malathion Assail Delegate Novaluron GF968 Knack Calypso Untreated Insecticides
Management of thrips Monitoring for adults White sticky boards floral tapping on white paper Insecticides Delegate 3-6 oz per acre (biological Insecticide) Malathion (organophosphate) Assail (Neo-nicotinoid) Imidacloprid (Admire) Organic insecticide Entrust
Blueberry bud mite, Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer) Feeds on the under-scale of buds The mite is whitish, elongate and very small (1/125 of an inch long)
Blueberry bud mite injury Bud scale under dis Mcro.
Blueberry bud mite injury Confused with frost damage Fewer fruits with Pimpeling Green fruit with rusetted bud mite injury
Management of blueberry bud mite Removal of infected branches through pruning Pruning old canes Post-harvest application insecticide/miticides such as malathion and sufur Summer oils
Brevipalpus yothersi Tetranychus urticae Plant feeding mites in blueberry Tenuipalpidae Tetranychidae
Tenuipalpidae Blueberry symptoms associated with tenuipalpid mite
Management of tenuipalpid and tetranychid mites Insecticides (Pyrethroids) Danitol Mustang Malathion Organic Sulfur use of predatory mites
http://extension.psu.edu/vegetable-fruit/factsheets/spotted-wing-drosophila Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) Male SWD Family Drosophilidae Vinegar flies Fruit flies Pomace flies Female SWD Male Dark spots on wings Two bands on forelegs Female Serrated ovipositor No wing spots
Mean total SWD per trap Captures of SWD in various traps and baits in blueberry 250 ab a 200 150 ab bc 100 50 d d d d cd 0 Trap/Bait treatment
Management of Spotted Wing Drosophila Monitoring for adults Insecticides Mustang Malathion Exirel Imidan Delegate Organic Insecticide Entrust Monitoring trap for SWD
Larval monitoring for Spotted Wing Drosophila Yeast-Sugar Bait Solution Recipe: 2 teaspoons of bakers yeast 4 teaspoons of sugar 2 cups of water Mix and pour 1 ½ inches of yeast bait into cup
Flea beetles in Blueberry Blueberry leaf beetle Colaspis pseudofavosa Damage
Flea beetles in Blueberry Red-headed flea beetle Systena frontalis Damage
Mean # of Adult Flea Beetles Population of Adult Flea Beetles on blueberries 0.3 0.25 a 0.2 0.15 ab a 0.1 bc bc 0.05 0 c Mustang Imidan Malathion SpinTor Provado Control
Management of flea beetles Monitoring for adults Conventional Insecticide Assail Mustang Organic Insecticide Entrust Monitoring for flea beetles
Acknowledgements Small Fruit and Vegetable IPM Lab Florida Blueberry Growers Association for our funding research oeliburd@ufl.edu