Common Pests in Blueberry Cultivation and Their Control Methods
What pests need to be controlled in blueberry cultivation? What are their main damages? We also ask knowledgeable readers to help explain the common pests of blueberries, which mainly damage leaves, stems, root systems, flowers and fruits, causing hindered tree growth and development, reduced yield, reduced fruit commercial value, or even loss of commercial value. Therefore, Zhongdi Web has compiled...
What pests need to be controlled in blueberry cultivation? What are their main damages? We also ask knowledgeable readers to help explainThe common pests of blueberries mainly damage leaves, stems, root systems, flowers and fruits, causing hindered tree growth and development, reduced yield, reduced fruit commercial value, or even loss of commercial value. Therefore, Zhongdi Web has compiled the pests that need to be controlled during blueberry cultivation, and the following is a detailed list for readers' reference.
I.Pests that mainly damage blueberry flowers and buds:
1. Blueberry bud mite,is one of the most important pests damaging unopened blueberry buds. The mite body is extremely small, difficult to see with the naked eye, and blueberry bud mites spend most of their time inside the buds. The occurrence of bud mites can be identified by their damage symptoms: part of the bud becomes rough, with wart-like growths accompanied by reddening, and sometimes red spots appear on young fruit. In severe cases, the buds die and yield declines.
The control method is to spray 0.62kg malathion per hectare in 1200L of water solution after fruit harvest, then spray once more after 6~8 weeks, or apply malathion oil solution after fruit harvest.
2. Cutworm and inchworm,their main damage symptom is boring holes in flower buds, causing flower buds to turn red or die. Generally, these two pests cause relatively light damage and are unlikely to cause yield loss.
The control method is to apply pesticides such as 2000 times diflubenzuron or 1500 times beta-cypermethrin before blueberry flowering.
3. Cranberry weevil,is one of the common pests in northern blueberries, with a body length of about 3.15cm, dark red. In early spring when buds just begin to swell, it emerges from the buds to cause damage. It mainly causes flower buds to fail to open and leaf buds to produce abnormal clustered leaves.
The control method is to spray the tree canopy with 50% phoxim 1000 times or 40% isocarbophos 1000-1500 times when blueberry leaf buds turn green and flower buds show white, both of which have good control effects.
II. Pests that mainly damage blueberry fruit:
1. Blueberry maggot,is the most serious and most common pest damaging northern blueberry fruit. Adults lay eggs under the skin of ripe fruit, making the fruit soft and loose and losing commercial value.
Because the adult blueberry maggot has a relatively long occurrence period, insecticides need to be sprayed frequently. Using trapping methods to monitor larval numbers is effective for determining spraying time and frequency. Foliar or soil application of phosmet, malathion and Guthion has relatively good control effects on blueberry maggot.
2. Plum curculio,is another important pest damaging blueberry fruit. The adult is about 0.4cm long and bores a crescent-shaped depression on the surface of green fruit and lays one egg. One adult can lay 114 eggs. The larvae bore into the fruit and feed on the flesh, causing the fruit to ripen prematurely and drop. The main features for identifying plum curculio occurrence are crescent-shaped depression marks on the fruit surface and wilted fruit dropped on the ground before the fruit ripens.
The control method is, after pollination, when the fruit develops to about 0.4cm in diameter, apply parathion.
3. Cranberry fruitworm,lays eggs at the calyx end of green fruit. The larva bores into the fruit from where the pedicel connects to the fruit and seals the entrance until the flesh is completely consumed. Then it bores into another fruit to continue damaging. One larva can damage 3~6 fruits. Damaged fruits may be full of frass at the larval entrance, and damaged and undamaged fruits are often bound together by silken threads. Damaged fruits often ripen prematurely and wilt.
Parathion, Guthion and phosmet can be used, with relatively good effects on controlling cranberry fruitworm.
4. Cherry fruitworm, is a pest damaging blueberry fruit. The larva is born in the calyx of the fruit and feeds on the fruit until half mature, then moves to adjacent fruit to continue damaging. During this transfer process the larva is not exposed, ultimately causing the two damaged fruits to stick together.
Spraying parathion or phosmet can effectively control this pest.
III. Pests that mainly damage blueberry leaves:
The most common and most serious leaf pest of blueberry is the leafhopper. The leafhopper is brownish gray, wedge-shaped, with a body size of about 0.074cm. The direct damage of leafhoppers to blueberry leaves is relatively light, but the pathogens they carry and transmit can cause serious poor growth. The first spray of pesticide for controlling blueberry maggot can control leafhoppers, but a second spray is needed to control the occurrence of the second and third generation larvae.
Leaf rollers and leaf tiers cause relatively small economic losses to blueberries, and mainly two species have been found so far. Their damage is mainly that the larvae roll up the leaves they damage. Spraying pesticides used for controlling fruit pests can effectively control leaf rollers and leaf tiers.
IV. Pests that mainly damage blueberry stems:
1. Scale insectsare the main pests damaging blueberry stems. Scale insects can cause tree decline, reduced yield and shortened lifespan. If pruning is not timely, infestation is often severe.
The control method is to spray 3% oil solution before blueberry buds sprout.
2. Another pest damaging blueberry stems is the stem tip borer.It lays eggs at the stem tips of branches, and the larvae feed on the stem tip tissue, causing the growing point to die. Spraying pesticides used for controlling fruit pests can effectively control adult stem tip borers.
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