Blueberry and fungal development will speed up starting Saturday

Plant development

Most plants are not ready yet. From the farthest south I have heard from, around Dresden Mills, there are some fields that are close to being ready. The phenology tracker report shows only about 1 to 8% of flower buds at F2 (crown stage and susceptible) which is what I saw in Ellsworth and Aurora on Tuesday, April 21.

Mummy berry development

Mummy berry cups (apothecia) that can produce spores have been found in Waldoboro and West Rockport on Saturday April 18, but the fungus will also have slowed its development with this cooler weather. We did not see cups yet in Aurora.

Chance of infection by the Monilinia fungus (cause of mummy berry disease)

We are getting warmer weather during the day starting on Saturday April 25th. This will speed up plant and fungal development. From weather forecasts, it looks like we will not have wet weather until possibly Tuesday April 28th in the midcoast fields and not until Tuesday night in Hancock and Washington counties. So far there is only about a 40 to 50% chance of rain, so we may not get long enough rain for Monilinia infection.

New and Improved AgriNet app with Instant Alerts and Forecasts

The AgriNet App and website provides information on possible freezing conditions, and infection periods for Mummy Berry Blight and Botrytis Blossom Blight.  It has had an upgrade and now has new features.

How to access AgriNet.

You can reach the App website on the web through the Wild Blueberry Cooperative Extension website.  The app is available for Android or iOS and is searchable in app stores under “AgriNET” Tuctronics. For accessing the website, a Chrome Web Browser is required.

• YOUR AgriNET LOGIN (case sensitive): BB
• YOUR AgriNET PASSWORD (case sensitive): Grower

New Feature: Past conditions for disease or cold temperatures are reported automatically 

The icons for a specific location will change to show disease or cold temperature, as soon as weather conditions occur to produce temperatures below 35F or possible infection conditions for mummy berry or Botrytis blossom blight, respectively. This is using eight weather stations put out in Midcoast, Ellsworth, Blue Hill, Aurora and at Blueberry Hill Farm. 

New Feature: Forecasts for disease or cold temperatures two days ahead provided 

Each weather station in a field (eight stations) and six other locations now have an icon in the app map providing a two day forecast for disease or below 35 F conditions.  These forecasts are using National Weather Service data. For forecasting disease, leaf wetness is predicted if the probability of precipitation is greater than 60%. Please check local weather stations for actual weather.

New Feature: Individualized Real-time Alerts to your Cellphone

You can receive real-time text alerts to your cellphone for diseases or cold temperature conditions for specific weather stations for both real-time reports and/or for forecasts from those stations.

– These alerts can be sent as soon as conditions occur. How often and when you want to block off not getting alerts can be set up to your preference.

– The alerts can be set up to occur as often as you want: such as, once per hour, to longer periods between alerts, such as once per day.

– Your alerts can also be turned off for times you do not want to be disturbed, so they will not come in the middle of the night.

Please click on this sentence to go to the Disease Alert Contact Form

Or use the QR Code below to reach the Alert Setup form.