Figure
1. Blooming Wild Blueberry Field
Good afternoon, everyone,
The photo above (Figure 1) likely provides an accurate
snapshot of the current stage of the blueberry crop and the most critical
activity in Nova Scotia's wild blueberry fields: the bloom and pollination
season.
The key crop-year management activities are now
wrapping up as fields rapidly progress into the late-bloom and petal-fall
stages. This period also marks the appearance of key disease symptoms, allowing
for a better assessment of this year's pest pressure and a more accurate
prediction of 2026 crop potential.
We have been observing Monilinia blight symptoms since
early June. Although infection windows were limited and the susceptible crop
stage was relatively short, symptoms continue to be found in crop fields across
multiple production regions. Missed or delayed fungicide applications may be
contributing factors to the increased incidence observed this year. Please see
the photos below, which show typical Monilinia blight symptoms at this time of
year (Figures 3-5).
To date, I have not observed any Botrytis blossom
blight infections; however, Septoria leaf spot has been identified in several
late-bloom and petal-fall fields near Truro (Figure 6).
Most sprout fields across the province have reached
60–70% plant emergence or higher. Plant emergence and development are generally
progressing normally despite concerns about the impacts of last year's drought
on the current cycle. Growers are encouraged to continue granular fertilizer
applications and post-emergence herbicide treatments, including Callisto,
Venture L, Poast, and Clethodim products, where permitted by their processors.
Lastly, please save the date for July's virtual wild
blueberry production update meeting. Additional details and registration
information are available on the event page: July
Wild Blueberry Grower Meeting.
Have a great week!
Hugh
June 8, 2026
Figure
2. July Wild Blueberry Grower Meeting
Figure
3. Monilina Blight Infection on Flowers
Figure
4. Monilina Blight Infection on Flowers
Figure
5. Monilinia Blight Infection on Flowers
Figure
6. Septoria Leaf Spot
Table 1. Wild Blueberry Weather Station GDDs Updates
