Cooperative Extension: Maine Wild Blueberries

5.10.15 Mummy Berry Infection period, Starting May 10

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Knox, Lincoln and Waldo Counties

I have reports of cups still be present in fields in Appleton on Friday and drying up cups in Liberty on Saturday.  In West Rockport, the cups are gone and plants are starting to bloom.   Conditions are varying among growers and fields.  If you have a slower or wetter field, you may still have cups in your area.   There were conditions for an infection period overnight reported from the weather stations in Dresden Mills and Belfast but not in Appleton and West Rockport weather stations.

Hancock and Washington Counties

Cups were present in fields last week and I am guessing they are still present.  I would like to hear from anyone who has a mummy berry plot on what they are seeing.

There were conditions for an infection period reported at our Ellsworth, Eastbrook and East Machias weather stations, but not at Deblois, Columbia, and Love lake.

Please let me know how your mummy berry plots are doing AND if your plants are in bloom.  We may be coming to the end of the mummy berry and the beginning of Botrytis season

If you have applied fungicides within seven to ten days (May 2 to May 4) before Sunday, May 10 your plants were protected during the infection period over Saturday night.  If you have not applied fungicides, you have until the evening of Wednesday, May 13, in most areas to apply fungicides (propiconazole or fenbuconazole) to kill any infection.  If you are applying a second application of propiconazole, it would be a good idea to switch to a different fungicide with a different mode of action to help prevent resistance to propiconazole developing in your field (Please see the 2015 Maine Wild Blueberry Pesticide Chart (Fungicides) (PDF)).   Other fungicides should be applied as protectants and before infection periods occur.