2025 Production Updates and Seasonal Outlook for NS_ 2nd Blight Line Post_ May 5

Monday, May 5, 2025

Hello, everyone

Here is the second blight reminder for the year. Please prepare accordingly for fungicide application for blight management this week, and ensure you check with your processors on chemical requirements.

-        If you have fields in Cape Breton, Antigonish, Pictou, and Guysborough, the crop stage (40% F2) is still early for Monilinia Blight infection this week (May 4-10). I encourage you to utilize this week to complete the sprout fields’ pre-emergence herbicide application.

-        If you have fields in Southshore counties and Hants, your crop fields are in the susceptible period. Please monitor the weather forecast and spray as needed.

-        In Cumberland, Colchester, and the Musquodoboit Valley, some late fields, highland fields, or fields with late-development microclimates are still below 40% F2. Those fields will not have the infection risk this week, but things can change quickly, so please monitor your fields closely.

-        *** Some fields in the above areas will enter potential infection periods this week. Therefore, I highly recommend producers in those areas check their crop field stage and apply fungicides as needed before the next wet and warm weather system impacts the province. The forecast is calling for a wet week after Tuesday. Those areas include Advocate, Parrsboro/Kirkhill, Halfway River/Newville, Oxford, Debert, Truro, and Dean.


The wet and warm weather of the last few days created a suitable environment for mummy berries to germinate and produce cups with ascospores. When there is a suitable infection environment (wetness and air temperature, Figure 1), ascospores will infect open leaves and flower buds. The following 2-3 weeks are critical for Monilinia Blight management in most production regions. 

 

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Figure 1. Severity Rating of Monilinia Blight Infection Periods (Dr. Paul Hilderbrand, AAFC)

A note about sprout fields: Plant emergence in the central and northern regions is still early. After this point, it is recommended that you find some calm days to spray the sprout fields.

Lastly, please check the latest wild blueberry weather station GDD and crop stage (F2 %) updates below.

 

Wild Blueberry Weather Station GDD and Crop F2 stage updates

 

We selected the following 19 weather stations to report their seasonal GDD accumulations. Please compare the cumulative GDD from your weather station with local GDD recommendations on wild blueberry crop stages: https://www.novascotiawildblueberryblog.com/p/phenology-tracker.html.

 

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Figure 2. Selected Wild Blueberry Weather Stations and GDD Updates (April 1- May 4)

 

Table 1. Wild Blueberry Weather Stations and GDD Updates (April 1- May 4)

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The table below shows some available F2% information from different regions.

 

Table 2. Percentage of Wild Blueberry Floral Bud F2 stage (Figure 3)

 light green (0-20% F2)dark green (20-30% F2)yellow (30-40% F2) and red (40-100% F2)

Wild blueberry production regions, NS

The average percentage of fruit buds at F2

 

 

South West Nova Scotia

 

West Caledonia

>40% F2- May 4

East Kemptville

>40% F2- May 4

 

 

Hants County

 

Upper Rawdon

= >40% F2- May 4

 

 

Cumberland County

 

Oxford

= >40% F2- May 4

Springhill

30% F2- April 30

Mapleton

15% F2- April 30

Halfway River

35% F2- April 30

Kirkhill

30% F2- April 30

 

 

Colchester County

 

Londonderry- Baseline Rd.

20% F2- April 29

Westchester Mt.

12% F2- April 29

Debert (WBPANS office)

25% F2- April 29

East Mines

20% F2- April 29

Murray Siding

30% F2- April 28

Camden

25% F2- April 28

Portapique

25% F2- April 30

Montrose

20% F2- April 30

 

 

Halifax Regional Municipality

 

Musquodoboit Valley

= < 40% F2- May 4

 

 

Guysborough County

15-20% F2- May 4

 

 

Pictou and Antigonish County

 

New France

20% F2- May 2

Blue Mt.

20% F2- May 1

Millbrook and Lorne

25% F2- May 1

 

 

Cape Breton

< 20% F2- May 4

 

 

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Figure 3. Wild Blueberry Floral Buds in F1 and F2 stages.