Blueberry
-
Written By: Dr. Ash Sial, Department of Entomology, University of Georgia Scales are a large group of insects (superfamily Coccoidea) in order hemiptera that are minute to small in size and sexually dimorphic – males and females are distinctly different in appearance (Daly et al. 1998). They have unusual lifecycle; females have incomplete metamorphosis (egg-immatures-adult),…
-
Written by: Ash Sial, Department of Entomology, University of Georgia Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD, Drosophila suzukii) is an invasive pest of soft skinned fruit in the United States and has been detected throughout the southeast. Infestations were observed in some blueberries. SWD damage is similar to blueberry maggot. Female flies lay their eggs in ripening and ripe…
-
Ash Sial1, James Jacobs2, Zack Williams3, and Renee Allen31Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 2UGA Extension, Pierce County, and 3UGA Extension, Bacon County Although blueberry gall midge has historically been referred to as a rabbiteye problem, recently it has been reported to be a concern in some southern highbush fields. The majority of the highbush…
-
Written by: Emily Cabrera, IPM Communications Coordinator Expert/Source: Ash Sial, Blueberry Entomologist Blueberry growers got up close and personal last week at a special blueberry insect IPM learning session in Alma, Georgia. Over the past few years, a range of blueberry insects have battered the industry in the southeast, so learning to recognize pests at…
Posted in: Blueberry -
A new in-service training series is set to begin this fall that will provide Extension agents in the southeast with the latest information on integrated pest management within various commodity areas. Trainings will be led by specialists from the University of Georgia with invited speakers from institutions within the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium (SRSFC).…
-
Written By: Ash Sial, University of Georgia Blueberry Entomologist The spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive and economically important pest of many soft-skinned fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and other. Since its first detection in California in 2008, SWD spread rapidly across the United States. It…
Posted in: Blueberry, Chemical control, Commercial, Cultural control, Insect pests, Monitoring, Organic -
Written By: Emily Cabrera, UGA IPM Communications CoordinatorExpert Source: Ashfaq Sial, UGA Blueberry Entomologist Native to North America, blueberries are the most recently commercially domesticated fruit in the United States. Just a little over a century ago researchers began studying this wild berry with an intent to develop improved varieties for commercial cultivation. Fast forward…
-
Ash Sial, Department of Entomology, University of Georgia;Renee Holland, UGA Extension, Bacon County I have recently received reports of slug infestations in Georgia blueberries. A number of slug species including Limax spp., Arion spp., and Deroceras spp. are known to infest blueberries. Slugs are soft-bodied mollusks without a shell. They can be 0.25-10 inches long.…
-
Written By: Jonathan Oliver, Fruit Pathologist Organic food sales topped $50 billion in the United States in 2018. Statistics from the Organic Trade Association tell part of the story of this growing market: Fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops combined to make up 36.3% of total organic sales up 5.6% from the previous year. Naturally,…