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Title: MUMMY BERRY BLIGHT RESISTANCE IN HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRY CULTIVARS

Author
item Stretch, Allan
item Ehlenfeldt, Mark
item Brewster, Vickie

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/22/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Mummy berry is a fungus disease occurring in most of the major blueberry production areas of the United States and Canada. Present control measures include environmentally sound cultural practices and the use of fungicides. Mummy berry resistant blueberry cultivars would make it possible to reduce or eliminate the use of fungicides to control this disease. In this study we evaluated over 50 highbush blueberry cultivars for resistance to the mummy berry fungus. It was found that 'Jersey', 'Elliott', 'Bluejay', 'Duke', 'Stanley', 'Darrow', 'Meader', and 'Angola' were resistant to the blight phase of mummy berry. These cultivars can be used as parents in a breeding program to develop new mummy berry resistant cultivars. The methods used to screen existing cultivars for the mummy berry disease will also be useful in screening new progeny and studying mummy berry resistance.

Technical Abstract: The resistance of 53 highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivars and selections to the blight phase of mummy berry disease (Monilinia vaccini corymbosi (Reade) Honey) was evaluted under controlled conditions. Blight levels observed in the 1993 test ranged from 1 to 78% and significant differences among cultivars were noted. In 1994, infection levels were lower and ranged from 0 to 43%, with significant differences again occurring. Several cultivars exhibited mummy berry blight resistance in both years. Ranking most resistant to less resistant were 'Jersey', 'Elliott', 'Bluejay', 'Duke', 'Stanley', 'Darrow', 'Meader', and 'Angola'. Among the cultivars observed as being consistently blight susceptible were 'Bluehaven', 'Bluegold', 'Northblue', 'Croatan', 'Northsky', 'Sierra', 'Harrison', and 'Murphy'. The consistent resistant reaction of certain cultivars indicates they would be the better r choice as parents for introducing resistance into a breeding program. Th evaluation methodology developed in these tests will also be very useful in screening germplasm for new sources of resistance and progeny from a mummy berry resistance breeding program.