Blueberry gall midge: a new pest of rabbiteye blueberries.

摘要

Natural infestations by Dasineura oxycoccana on rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) were studied in Florida and southeastern Georgia for 3 flowering seasons (1992-94). If high populations of adult midges were present when the flower buds were beginning to expand, many rabbiteye cultivars suffered 50-100% crop loss. In southeastern Georgia, adult midge populations normally remained low through the period when flower buds were most susceptible to damage, probably because of cool winter temperatures. From Gainesville south in Florida, midge populations were normally high at the time blueberry flower buds passed through the vulnerable stages from January to early April. Rabbiteye cultivars varied greatly in susceptibility of the flower buds to the midge. Premier and Windy were highly susceptible. Powderblue and Brightwell were highly resistant. Flower buds of most southern highbush [V. corymbosum X V. darrowii X V. ashei] cultivars were highly resistant. Sprouting blueberry vegetative buds were also infested and killed by the midge. On highly susceptible rabbiteye cultivars in Florida, this greatly delayed full foliation in the spring. In northern Florida, the midges appeared to undergo multiple generations between early January and early June, and then to make no new bud infestations until the following winter.