Cooperative Extension: Maine Wild Blueberries

Possible Mummy berry infection April 25th to April 26th

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Most blueberry fields with weather stations had conditions for a Monilinia infection period from the afternoon of Sunday April 25th to the morning of April 26th.  If you had an infection period in your field depends upon whether the plants were at 30 to 40% crown stage and if there were mummy berry cups present.  I think many fields are starting to develop cups  after this rainfall.  We were seeing pinheads in  many fields last week.

There is wet weather predicted on Wednesday April 28th night to Friday April 30  of this week which will likely produced a Monilinia infection period in most blueberry growing areas if your plants are far enough along.

Applying fungicides before a probable infection is a good way to protect your plants.  If you have a field with plants at the right stage, mummy berry cups and no applications of fungicides yet, you have until the evening of April 28th to apply fungicides with some kickback activity to get some protection against this last infection period.

Please follow the recommendation of the 2021 Fungicide recommendations for wild blueberries found at here under 2021 Disease Management chart.

If you have any reports on mummy berry plots or questions, you can contact me at sannis@maine.edu or 207-581-2621.

Seanna Annis