2023 Wild Blueberry Pest Guide, New Perennia Farm Data Tools Platform (farm weather map for GDDs) and IT Tips to Quickly Access Perennia’s Wild Blueberry Resources

Hello, everyone

 

Before you receive 2023’s first production enewsletter update, I want to send this separate post to update you on a couple of things and I hope they are helpful to gear you up for another successful year!

 

2023 Wild Blueberry Pest Guide

Please find the newest guide here: https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Wild-Blueberry-Management-2023.pdf.

Please follow product labels and your processor’s approved product guide before purchasing chemicals and applying products to fields.

 

New Perennia Farm Data Tools Platform (farm weather map for GDDs)

 

Perennia is excited to release its Farm Data Tools Platform and it offers a lot of great potential for future farm tool development. As for now, this platform offers a “Farm Weather Map” which includes all 100 weather stations under the weather station assistance program. The weather map shows the current weather information from the station and a “Growing Degree Days Calculator” to obtain GDDs for each station.

Below, I will share resources to set up your account (FREE!) and use the GDD calculator under the farm weather map. If you have any trouble, please let me know.

 

Steps:

1.       Perennia’s Farm Weather Tools Platform: https://farmdatatools.ca/. This is the home page for this platform.

2.       Please quickly read the farm weather map page before you set up your account: https://farmdatatools.ca/services/farm-weather-map/.

3.       Under step 2’s link, you will see resources about GDD and two very useful resources to help you set up and access the map and the GDD calculator:

-          Farm Weather Map video tutorial: https://farmdatatools.ca/services/farm-weather-map/.

-          Farm Weather Map Quickstart guide: https://farmdatatools.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/04/Quickstart-farm-weather-GDD.pdf.

IT Tips to Quickly Access Perennia’s Wild Blueberry Resources

 

I received some feedback about the difficulties to access Perennia’s wild blueberry resources and here are some quick IT tips to help you access those links.

I recommend growers either bookmark those pages on their computers or save them to their home page on their smartphones.

Recommended links to save:

-          Perennia’s Wild Blueberry Page: https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/wild-blueberries/?portfolioCats=87.

-          Perennia’s Wild Blueberry Blog: http://www.novascotiawildblueberryblog.com/.

-          Perenina’s new Farm Data Tools Platform: https://farmdatatools.ca/.

 

On Computers:

Open the links you want to save, simply hit “Ctrl+D” shortcut key combination to save pages. This tip works for any computer browser.

 

On Smartphones:

This method is strongly recommended as you can still access resources in the field and in a simple summary, this tip allows you to save the page into the home page and it acts like an “APP” icon. So, whenever you click on the icon, it will take you to the links right away.

 

iPhone:

 

 

Android: https://www.howtogeek.com/667938/how-to-add-a-website-to-your-android-home-screen/. 

2022 NS Guide to Pest Management in Wild Blueberry

Perennia's NS Guide to Pest Management in Wild Blueberry 2022 is now available for download at: https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Wild-Blueberry-Pest-Guide-2022_FINAL.pdf. 

Are you ready for a new field season? 2021 Wild Blueberry Pest Management Guide is now available!

Hello everyone, 

We are starting to see bud swelling in fields near the Truro area. In early fields and fields down in southwest Nova Scotia, we might be able to see further plant development. However, I am still waiting for reports from growers in different regions to give you a clear update. Through the blight season, I will give at least one update each week on this blog and Twitter (@NSWildBlue). Please check back here for updates.

Growers should begin checking their crop fields for bud development and potential winter damage due to little snow coverage this past winter. If you would like to share the plant development stages and field conditions with me from your fields and regions, please contact me at 902-890-0472 or email: hlyu@perennia.ca. I appreciate your information and contribution!

Lastly, we updated the wild blueberry pest management guide (2021) and it is available on Perennia’s website: https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Wild-Blueberry-WEED-INSECT-DISEASE-GUIDE-2021-WEB.pdf. While you are using this guide for your pest management, please don’t forget to check with your processor or buyer to confirm what products are allowable for their markets.

Updated Pest Management Guide for 2020

The Wild Blueberry Pest Guide for 2020 has been update on our website.  Click the link below to take a peek.  As a reminder, this guide lists products registered for use in Canada, Always check with your buyer to see which products are allowable for their markets!!

https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Wild-Blueberry-Pest-Guide-2020.pdf

The wild blueberry industry has a wide selection of pest control products.  But most farms only use of small fraction of the products that are registered.  Now is a good time to read up and get to know the products you plan on using.

You can get more detailed information by looking at the product label. Go hear to read the individual labels. PMRA product label search https://pr-rp.hc-sc.gc.ca/ls-re/index-eng.php

1) Look at the application rates and specific timings required
2) Look at application instructions for each product (spray volumes, buffer zones, mixing instructions etc.)
3) Look for safety instructions (REIs, Personal Protective Equipment required)

2018 Wild Blueberry Pest Management Guide and Pesticide Charts

As we approach the growing season, I have updated Perennia's Pest Management Guide and three Pesticide Charts.  Click here to find the documents Pesticide Guide and Charts

As always check with your processor or buyer to see what is allowable for their markets. We sell our berries in a global market and allowable products in other countries can change from season to season.

Stay tuned next week for the first Monilinia update!

10th Monilina Update for Nova Scotia - May 24th, 2017

The risk for new Monilinia infections has past for most of Nova Scotia.  If there are very late fields in Cape Breton that have not been treated some consideration should be given to making an application before the rain on Friday.  Although there could be some late infections on some late fields in mainland Nova Scotia, the risk of significant crop loss is now very low.

Most of Nova Scotia is moving rapidly into bloom and consideration should now be given to protecting against Botrytis infections.  If you are 20 to 30% open flower or beyond, and your field has a history of Botrytis infections, a treatment should be applied before the rainfall event forecasted for Friday.

Botrytis controls can be expensive so it is important to consider what your yield potential is before an application is made.

Refer to the Wild Blueberry Pest Management Guide 2017 for product options

http://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Wild-Blueberry-Pest-Guide-2017.pdf

As always, check with your processors to see which products are allowable for their markets.

Updated Wild Blueberry Pest Management Guide

Not a whole lot has changed from last year's guide but we have made a few changes.

Click on the link below to see the updated guide for 2017

http://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Wild-Blueberry-Pest-Guide-2017.pdf

First Blight Update!!

Well, it appears that the season is starting to move along.



There are field sites in three south western counties that are showing fruit bud development

Annapolis county is at 1% F2

Digby County is at 11% F2

Queens County is at 14% F2

South West Nova is typically a week or two ahead of early areas in central NS, but it wouldn't hurt for growers with typically early fields to check and see fruit bud development early next week.

I will begin making regular blightline (phone and Blog next Tuesday)

Also... we have made several updates to our production guides

Our Fungicide, Herbicide and Insecticide charts have been updated.  (Remember to always check with your buyer or processor to see what is allowable for their markets)

Fungicide Chart
Herbicide Chart
Insecticide Chart

I've also updated the BMP web Directory with new links

Wild Blueberry BMP Web Directory

Finally, our full pest guide has been updated. You can find it at the bottom of the wild blueberry section on our website.

Wild Blueberry

Pesticide guides and other things

There is a bunch of new information on-line. Good rainy day reading!!

Don't forget to check the beeline if you need pollinators (http://perennia.ca/beeline.php)

The Nova Scotia Guide to Pest Management in Wild Blueberries 2015 is posted. 2015 Wild Blueberry Pest Guide

New Pesticide Charts!

I have added a second way to look at pesticides for blueberry growers.  It is based on the pesticide chart that has been developed by the University of Maine, but it has been adapted for Canadian registered products.  There are three pesticide charts that list registered products for use in wild blueberries.  This will be updated on an annual basis.

Remember to always read the product label before use and check with your buyer or processor to make sure those products are allowable for their markets!

They can be printed on 11x17 paper and posted on the wall of your office or in your workplace as a quick reference. Click on the links below to take a peak.

Fungicide Chart
Herbicide Chart
Insecticide Chart

I have also updated the links on the Nova Scotia Wild Blueberry Best Management practices web directory http://perennia.ca/BlueberryBMP/blueberrybmps.html

Finally, New Brunswick has been pulling together a great Wild Blueberry IPM Weed Management Guide for quite a few years.  Gavin Graham just sent along a link to the 2015 version.
http://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/10/pdf/Agriculture/WildBlueberries-BleuetsSauvages/C420-E.pdf

Updated Weed, insect and disease guide posted.

We have updated our pest management guide. Click on the link below to take a peak


Perennia - Weed, Insect and Disease Guide for Wild Blueberry


We've adjusted it this year, so everything is in one guide. It includes registered herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.


Updates will be made as new registrations come in.  I haven't included SWD emergency registrations yet and will send a separate sheet that will detail those products, later in June.