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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #242187

Title: Virus and Virus-Like Diseases in Blueberry

Author
item Martin, Robert

Submitted to: International Conference on Graft Transmissible Diseases of Fruit Crops
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/4/2009
Publication Date: 2/15/2010
Citation: Martin, R.R. 2010. Virus and virus-like diseases in blueberry. International Conference on Graft Transmissible Diseases of Fruit Crops.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Over the past 15 years, blueberry production has increased dramatically in hectares grown and in the number of countries producing blueberries. It should be expected that as blueberry cultivation continues to expand into new areas, the plants will become exposed to viruses that have not been observed in blueberry previously. Most blueberries are grown in North America and that is where most viruses of the crop have been described. Blueberry scorch, an aphid-transmitted Carlavirus, can be very devastating and is the virus of greatest importance, in terms of management and quarantine. Blueberry red ringspot (BRRSV), a Caulimovirus, has been spreading in the Mid and Southern Atlantic States, but spread has not been observed in the Pacific Northwest. Blueberry shock, a pollen-borne Ilarvirus, is interesting in that it causes a 100% crop loss for one year, and then plants recover to full production in subsequent years with no apparent loss in yield or fruit quality. The nepoviruses Tomato and Tobacco ringspot can be important in some areas, but Peach rosette mosaic has only been observed in experimental blocks. Blueberry shoestring is still an important virus in Michigan, but less so in other areas. Blueberry leaf mottle appears to almost have vanished, or at least has not been detected in the past five years. A new ringspot of blueberry in the southeastern United States has been observed since 2008 and several viruses have been partially cloned from dsRNA extracted from symptomatic plants, a Tobamo, Poty and possible Cilevirus. Whether any of these viruses individually or a in combination cause the disease is still unknown. There is also a phytoplasma, Blueberry stunt that occasionally affects blueberry. Cranberry, another widely planted Vaccinium, has two additional viruses reported, Tobacco streak and Cucumber mosaic. At this point, CMV is associated with a funky flower disease in cranberry.