Performing Department
BLUEBERRY AND CRANBERRY RESEARCH CENTER
Non Technical Summary
On farm profitability and environmental quality are both affected by overuse of pesticides. Through biological studies of pathogen and insect life histories as well as identification of the genetic basis of plant resistance opportunities for pesticide use reductions will be identified.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
60%
Developmental
20%
Goals / Objectives
Objectives: The overall objectives of this project are to: 1) develop cultural and precision management methods that reduce losses to cranberry and blueberry crop production due to disease, insect and climatic factors while minimizing the use of pesticides, and 2) increase levels of genetic resistance to insects and diseases, improve fruit quality and productivity through genetic enhancement. The following are the specific objectives in the major areas of research: Breeding and Germplasm Enhancement 1) Develop blueberry cultivars with improved productivity, winter-hardiness, high fruit quality, disease and insect resistance, and machine harvestability, through breeding, evaluation and selection cycles. 2) Develop cranberry cultivars with improved levels of productivity, enhanced phenolic profiles, anthocyanin production and increased levels of field resistance to root rot and fruit rot, through breeding, evaluation and selection cycles. 3) Identify genetic variation
involving the cranberry flavonoid pathway for genetic modification of anthocyanin and phenolic profiles for enhanced disease and insect resistance, and health attributes. Disease Management 1) Develop a precision agriculture program for blueberry and cranberry utilizing GIS, GPS and remote sensing techniques for disease detection, yield loss prediction and crop management. 2) Elucidate the inoculum sources and timing of infection by fungi causing cranberry fruit rot, a disease complex. Specifically, the research under this objective is aimed at a) optimization of timing of fungicide applications to better coincide with pathogen(s) infection periods, b) to test new fungicides that have reduced environmental risks. 3) Investigate the environmental and edaphic factors that increase development of Phytophthora root rot in the field and test the genetic variability to Phytophthora root rot in the feld. 4) To characterize important components of the epidemiology of the blueberry anthracnose
pathogen, Colletotrichum acutatum. 5) Identify the causal agent of Black Shadow a new, emerging disease of blueberry and assess the crop loss that results from infections casued by this disease. Insect Management 1) Measure rate of blueberry maggot adult dispersal in forests with blueberry understory, abandoned blueberry fields, and in greenhouses using mark-release-recapture strategies. 2) Evaluate Vaccinium spp. and inter-specific hybrids for resistance against aphids, Illinoia pepperi and Ericaphis sp. 3) Determine infestation patterns on different varieties and the seasonal lifehistory of plum curculio. 4) Evaluation of biological and reduced-risk insecticides for the control of major pests of blueberries and cranberries.
Project Methods
Experiments aimed at investigating blueberry and cranberry insects, diseases and breeding will be conducted using both traditional and nontraditional field techniques, as well as laboratory and greenhouse studies. Typical replicated field experiments will be used to test insect and disease control options. These experiments involve a rcbd design and evaluations include direct measurement of the target pathogen or insect as well as evaluations of yield impacts. Typically the impact of specific treatments on the final yield are calculated and available for the decision making process. Remote sensing data is analyzed using a ground truth sampling procedure and high density samples are taken to create yield maps. Breeding experiments are conducted with large numbers of progeny. In the initial sreening process progeny in single nonreplicated plots are evaluated for several factors. Subsequently, selections are made and planted in replicated field trials for further
evaluations.