Small Fruit News

The Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium posts articles and sends the SMALL FRUIT NEWS to subscribers four times annually.
 

  • Strawberries grown in the Southeast incur significant losses from fruit rot caused by fungal pathogens. Without proactive cultural practices and an effective spray program, more than 80% of strawberry flowers can be lost to Botrytis fruit rot when environmental conditions are favorable.

    Posted in:
  • Blackberry yellow vein disease (BYVD) is the most important virus disease affecting blackberry production in the southern United States.

    Posted in:
  • Phytophthora root rot, caused by the soilborne oomycete pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi, is the most frequently diagnosed disease of blueberry in Georgia and is a common disease concern in blueberry production throughout the southeastern U.S.

    Posted in:
  • Anthracnose fruit rot exhibits a latent period during which the strawberry plugs are infected without exhibiting visible symptoms, making it a suitable candidate for assessing the scalability of disease detection using spectral imaging techniques. Early detection plays a pivotal role in selecting the most suitable disease management techniques and in curbing the transmission of infections…

    Posted in:
  • The Mississippi State University Extension Service will be hosting two workshops for blueberry growers in 2024 — an in-person workshop in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on February 8 and a virtual workshop on February 15.

    Posted in:
  • The 20th annual North American Raspberry & Blackberry Conference will be held in Wilmington, North Carolina from February 27-28, 2024. NARBA is excited to partner with the North Carolina Caneberry Association on this conference, and to continue the legacy of sharing high-quality research with growers, researchers and industry.

    Posted in:
  • Caneberries are a popular crop for many insect pests. During the growing season, because of the way blackberries and raspberries flower and fruit, chemical control is complicated, given issues with preharvest intervals. At this time of year, in winter, we have the opportunity to use some cultural control measures against some important pests.

    Posted in:
  • This year’s Mid-Atlantic Strawberry Programs will be held in Virginia Beach, VA, on February 26-27, 2024. All programs are offered at no cost to the growers. RSVP is requested.

    Posted in:
  • North American Strawberry Growers Association

    Announcement and information for the 2024 NASGA Annual Meeting and Conference to be held in Hershey, PA, on January 29-31, 2024.

    Posted in:
  • Photo 1. Set up of the experimental trial at the Hampton Roads AREC, Virginia Beach. Each plot was a section of the bed comprised of 14 strawberry plants.

    Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is an alternative method for chemical fumigation that shows great promise to control diseases in strawberry production systems. Endophytic bacteria, such as Bacillus spp., are important biocontrol agents due to their capacity to reduce the growth of pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and nematodes while also promoting plant growth.

    Posted in: