Advisory For Southeastern NC Blueberry Growers
Cold Damage and Wet Weather Creating Ideal Conditions For Gray Mold
Date: February 25, 2020
Dear Blueberry Growers,
The risk of Botrytis flower blight (gray mold) is high. Recent cold damage to emerging flowers and fruit in southeastern NC has been followed by wet weather, creating ideal conditions for this disease. The fungus infects via dead tissue on cold-damaged flowers, and under wet conditions can colonize and blight entire fruiting twigs.
If you have not already done so, consider making a fungicide application specifically targeting this disease.
Labeled fungicides with activity against Botrytis include Pristine, Switch, Elevate and CaptEvate. Captan also has some protectant activity.
Bill Cline
Researcher and Extension Specialist
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
North Carolina State University
Horticultural Crops Research Station
3800 Castle Hayne Road
Castle Hayne, NC 28429
bill_cline@ncsu.edu
office 910-675-2314
cell 910-620-4502
Gray mold on lowbush blueberry – Photo by Caleb Slemmons, National Ecological Observatory Network, Bugwood.org –
Published under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License.
