Blueberry IPM in Florida Oscar E Liburd Ph

Blueberry IPM in Florida Oscar E. Liburd, Ph. D Associate Professor Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida

Chronological Order of Blueberry pests Flower thrips Blueberry gall midge Cranberry fruitworm Spotted wing drosophila Blueberry bud mite Flea beetle

Flower Thrips, Frankliniella bispinosa Ovipositional Injury • Travel along wind currents • Multiple generations per

Size of thrips populations in relation to flower phenology Percentages of opened flowers 1 10 70 90 20

Flower thrips (left); Chilli thrips (right) (Scirtothrips dorsalis)

Injuries resulting from chilli thrips

Management of thrips § Monitoring for adults White sticky boards floral tapping on white paper § Conventional insecticides Delegate 3 -6 oz per acre (biological Insecticide) Malathion (organophosphate) Assail (Neo-nicotinoid) § Organic insecticide

Blueberry gall midge, Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson)

Blueberry gall midge

Management of blueberry gall midge § Monitoring for adult emergence Bucket traps § Conventional insecticides Delegate 3 -6 oz per acre (Biological Insecticide) Malathion (organophosphate) **Assail (Neo-nicotinoid) § Organic insecticide Entrust, Pyganic

Blueberry bud mite, Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer) Feeds on the under-scale of buds The mite is whitish, elongate and very small (1/125 of an inch long)

Blueberry bud mite injury Confused with frost damage Fewer fruits with Pimpeling Bud scale under dis Mcro.

Management of blueberry bud mite § Removal of infected branches through pruning § Pruning old canes § Post-harvest application insecticide/miticides such as endosulfan § Summer oils

Cranberry Fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii R

Cranberry Fruitworm Larvae are light green with a dark head capsule Mature larvae are about ½ inch in length Silk webbing deformed

Management of cranberry fruitworm § Monitoring for adults Conventional Insecticide Delegate Assail Confirm 2 F (tebufenozide) Organic Insecticide Entrust Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

Blueberry maggot

Management of blueberry maggot §Monitoring for adults Conventional Insecticide Assail Imidan Organic Insecticide Entrust Monitoring trap for BMF

Spotted Wing Drosophila § Several generations per year § Larvae develop inside fruit § Fruit becomes soft and un marketable

Management of Spotted Wing Drosophila §Monitoring for adults Conventional Insecticide Delegate Mustang Organic Insecticide Entrust Monitoring trap for SWD

Bait Solution Spotted Wing Drosophila Yeast-Sugar Bait Solution Recipe: 2 teaspoons of bakers yeast 4 teaspoons of sugar 2 cups of water Mix and pour ≈1 ½ inches of yeast bait into cup

Flea beetles in Blueberry leaf beetle Colaspis pseudofavosa Damage

Flea beetles in Blueberry Red-headed flea beetle Systena frontalis Damage

Management of flea beetles §Monitoring for adults Conventional Insecticide Assail Mustang Organic Insecticide Entrust Monitoring for flea beetles

Common Beneficial Insects Coleoptera - Coccinellidae; lady beetles Aphids thrips - Carabidae; ground beetles Weed seeds Lepidoptera eggs

Common Beneficial Hemiptera Insects Bigeyed bug, Geocoris spp. Minute pirate bug, Orius spp.

Common Beneficial Insects Neuroptera Diptera Green lacewings Hover or Flower flies

Acknowledgements Small Fruit and Vegetable IPM Lab Florida Blueberry Growers Association for our funding research oeliburd@ufl. edu (352) 273 -3918 http: //entnemdept. ufl. edu/liburd/fruitnvegipm/