ABSTRACT
Blueberries were harvested from 11 cultivars and four breeding selections from four locations in 1989 and 1990. Annual disease losses at harvest averaged 9.6% and were primarily due to five diseases: Mummy berry (Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi) 5.6%, phomopsis soft rot (Phomopsis vaccinii) 2.9%, phyllosticta rot (Phyllosticta vaccinii) 0.4%, ripe rot (Colletotrichum sp.) 0.4% and alternaria rot (Alternaria tenuissima) 0.2%. Phomopsis soft rot occurred both as a localized calyx-end rot and as a soft rot detectable only by feel. Phyllosticta rot is an early season disease, and 2/3 of the infected fruit were collected at the first harvest date in 1990. Significant differences in disease levels occurred among cultivars and locations. Low levels of ripe rot and alternaria rot were attributed to a 7-day harvesting interval. A previously unreported disorder in the cultivar Cape Fear resulted in soft, unmarketable fruit. [Article copies available from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678.]
