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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #416839
Research Project: Knowledge Based Tools for Exotic and Emerging Diseases of Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: Identification and survey of new and emerging viruses infecting blueberry in the Pacific Northwest

Author
item TOPHAM, KATHERINE - Oregon State University
item ALVAREZ-QUINTO, ROBERT - University Of Minnesota
item Stockwell, Virginia
item Grinstead, Samuel
item Mollov, Dimitre

Submitted to: Acta horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2025
Publication Date: 11/28/2025
Citation: Topham, K., Alvarez-Quinto, R., Stockwell, V.O., Grinstead, S.C., Mollov, D.S. 2025. Identification and survey of new and emerging viruses infecting blueberry in the Pacific Northwest. Acta horticulturae. 1440:157-162. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1440.22.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1440.22

Interpretive Summary: Blueberries are an important commodity in the U.S. and the Pacific Northwest is a major production area. Blueberry plants are susceptible to plant viruses that reduce berry production and general plant health. We tested blueberry plants for seven different viruses in 14 counties in Oregon and Washington (2,735 plant samples). Each of the viruses were detected in the region. Blueberry shock virus and blueberry virus L had the highest infection rates and were found in 14 and 12 counties, respectively. The newly emerging blueberry virus S and blueberry virus M were found in three and two counties respectively. Altogether, these data indicate that viruses remain a significant production concern for blueberry growers. Understanding how the viruses spread in fields and developing effective management strategies is essential for sustainable blueberry production.

Technical Abstract: The United States is the global leader of blueberry production. About 44% of the U.S. blueberries are grown in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Diseases are a limiting factor in blueberry production, with viral diseases playing a major role in crop decline. Mixed infection of viruses in blueberries is not well understood but may play an important role in disease expression. A total of 2,735 samples were collected in the PNW from the blueberry germplasm repository, industry plots, breeding programs, and University research fields for the purpose of screening for viruses known to the region and viruses recently characterized. The viruses screened for included: blueberry latent virus, blueberry mitovirus 1, blueberry scorch virus, blueberry shock virus (BlShV), blueberry virus L, blueberry virus M, and blueberry virus S. The prevalence and distribution of each of the viruses as well as a statistical breakdown of viruses detected in symptomatic plants is reported. Amongst all samples tested, BlShV was found in the highest incidence and distribution. Amongst samples collected from symptomatic plants, BlShV was found in the highest incidence, detected in 84% of the symptomatic samples. Approximately half of all symptomatic plants infected with BlShV were detected in mixed infection.