2nd Place: Assessing resistance of various southern highbush blueberry cultivars to blueberry gall midge

Monday, November 14, 2022

10:42 AM – 10:54 AM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 110

Presenting Author(s)

Marice Lopez

Graduate Research Assistant
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Co-Author(s)

Oscar E. Liburd

Professor of Agricultural Entomology
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
PM

Patricio R. Munoz

University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Florida farmers produce about 26.5 million pounds of blueberries, accounting for over 5,700 harvested acres. The blueberry gall midge (BGM), Dasineura oxycoccana Johnson (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is one of the most destructive blueberry pests in the state. Approximately 58% of blueberry farms have reported heavy BGM infestation directly linked to significant yield losses. One of the most important decisions for blueberry growers is which cultivar to grow on their farms. The establishment of blueberry cultivars that are resistant to injury from BGM may be cost-effective for growers to manage populations of BGM and stay below economic damage. The study was conducted on a conventional Southern Highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum x V. darrowii) blueberry planting in North Central Florida. Six blueberry cultivars were screened for susceptibility to BGM infestation. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four designated rows of each cultivar representing blocks and replicates. Adult and larval infestation (ovipositional activity) were assessed on a biweekly basis by exchanging clear sticky traps and conducting destructive sampling of developing floral buds. Results demonstrated that significantly more BGM preferred to congregate and oviposit in ‘Farthing’ and ‘Patrecia’ than in ‘Magnus,’ ‘Optimus,’ ‘Colossus,’ and ‘Sentinel.’ These findings indicate that replacing susceptible cultivars with those that have better resistant traits against BGM has the potential to reduce pest pressure, ultimately aiding growers in attaining higher profits for their crop in the following season.