BLUE FOCUS NEWSLETTER- June 2025

 

Hello everyone,

I hope you have a great blueberry season so far. The harvesting season is fast approaching, but the fruit stages are not as early as last year. We are experiencing a regular blueberry development season, so we expect to start harvesting around the traditional timings, typically towards the end of the first week in August in the central regions. The crop fields look promising because of the decent growing conditions we received this year, particularly during pollination season. The next few weeks are critical, especially for fruiting insect management and fruit health monitoring, which will be our focus for the next few weeks. This month’s production updates will discuss the latest GDD accumulations, NS wild blueberry mid-season crop updates, and upcoming activities.

I wish all of you a successful and fruitful harvesting season!

 

Hugh Lyu

Wild Blueberry Specialist, Perennia

hlyu@perennia.ca; 902-890-0472

June 30, 2025

 

Table of Contents:

 

GDD Updates (April 1- June 30)

Nova Scotia Wild Blueberry Mid-Season Crop Updates

Upcoming Events

 

 

 

GDD Updates (April 1- June 30)

 

Below are the latest GDD updates from several wild blueberry weather stations. This update covers the last 3 months’ accumulating growing degree days, from April 1 to June 30.

Figures 1 and 2. GDD accumulations from April 1 to June 30 on selected weather stations.

 

At this point, we can expect green fruits to be sizing up and colours changing around the top of berries (Figure 3). Soon, we will see red fruits, especially after the next forecast rain event across the province, which is needed for blueberries.

Figure 3. Wild blueberry fruit development stages (UMaine).

 

Nova Scotia Wild Blueberry Mid-Season Crop Updates

 

The wild blueberry industry has experienced production challenges over the last few years, primarily due to severe and unseasonal weather events, such as drought, low snow coverage and polar vortex, unfavourable pollination weather, and unevenly distributed field moisture. On the plant development side, warmer and earlier spring resulted in earlier and faster crop development and a shift in the wild blueberry management schedule in Nova Scotia.

Conditions in wild blueberry fields have been favourable over the last 12 months. So far, Mother Nature has blessed us. Pollination has been completed, and fruit sets are visible, so it is a good time to check pollination efficiencies and yield potentials. The wild blueberry crop looks promising so far, but, as mentioned, we need adequate moisture levels for berry development and favourable harvesting conditions over the next two months. Below are some observations and highlights in the wild blueberry fields for the current crop.

1.      Mid-summer and fall 2024 (July to November)

·        In 2024, the sprout fields improved in growing environment, compared to the summer of 2023, when we had an extended period of rain, contributing to secondary and new regrowth of sprout stems, which delayed tip dieback and impacted fruit bud development. Last summer, sprout blueberry plants performed well, and fruit buds were formed in a timely and even manner.

·        This past fall’s weather conditions were also desirable, reducing leaf disease infection levels and supporting fall blueberry growth and management.

 

2.      Overwinter period (December to February)

·        During winter, we had decent snow coverage and winter conditions in wild blueberry fields and many production regions.

·        Unlike some unusual warm winter periods in the past few winters and early springs, the overwinter period’s air temperature was desirable. For most regions, winter kill damage in crop fields was minimal during field scouting, but severe winter damage was observed in winter kill-prone areas and fields that lacked snow coverage.

 

3.      Spring (March to May)

·        It felt like a standard Maritime spring for this blueberry season. A few warm days in early March did not contribute to early blueberry development this season. We had a regular and steady crop development in the spring.

·        During the Monilinia Blight season, we experienced a higher infection year due to the extended period of fruit bud stages, and the suitable weather conditions that brought wetness and warmth to favour disease infections.

·        Frequent and high wind conditions continue to bring challenges during the wild blueberry field spraying season.

 

4.      Early summer (June)

·        Bloom development. We did not experience an early or fast bloom season this year. The bloom and whole pollination period was around 2.5 weeks. During this time, we received good moisture and sunny days, which were very helpful in pollination efficiency.

·        However, there are concerns about a long bloom and pollination period. Some fields could have uneven bloom stages and crop development, which reduces pollination efficiency and fruit set. A long flowering period also contributed to the increased risk of infection by Botrytis blossom blight.

·        Botrytis blossom blight infection. As mentioned, the blooming period was a little longer and accompanied by good infection weather, so we also had high Botrytis blight this season. This year, our weather advantage was having ideal spraying conditions during bloom for fungicide applications, which effectively helped reduce Botrytis infections.

·        Frost. We were fortunate to miss major frost events during the flowering season.

·        Pollination. As discussed above, it was an ideal pollination year for wild blueberries in most crop fields. During this period, we observed active pollinator activities, including wild pollinators. However, we should expect regional pollination efficiency variations, depending on the fields’ bloom stages and full bloom pollination weather conditions.

 

Upcoming Events

 

1.      July 9, 8:30- 9:30 AM. Perennia Virtual Grower Meeting.

*** In this meeting, we will have a special session from Dr. Rachel Rix to discuss SWD and Blueberry Maggot management.

Dr. Rachel Rix is the Small Fruit Entomologist with AAFC in Kentville. She will join the next virtual meeting to discuss SWD and Blueberry Maggot in wild blueberries, focusing on both insects’ identification, life cycles, monitoring techniques and action thresholds. Please register using this link, under “Registration for the July 9- July 23 Sessions Here!”: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/wild-blueberries-virtual-grower-meetings-2025/edate/2025-04-09/.

 

2.      July 16 at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Grounds in Bible Hill. WBPANS Annual Field Day.

***Registration is required, and the deadline is JULY 4. Here is the registration link: https://s48wt88ab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tEXrgm7nUJuwOhrZOYnWRRWUEpFBtYrImvfR4_peUrwbZtNXjvl9qMqdGNDqcU6HSVdu3oqCv1H8NAWoN4k7qABo2JQAFqfKqI0Fyr2Cdhp6BsqkTdckPrqS-Dpk9mxOXtvRg701yeLrp80zs77yLcaw0HGwlDlMpy8V-VAcwmZvIxLIrJkfNg==&c=iTp_JVa2HfxjU2pjgyOPAx8nzD3JrQWUprG_Qtj7lgWdTWVI5Sdj1g==&ch=uaFicb_c-MnN8SRwB-va8q80PpmnYvM8MVV1fsm_5lgJnbwlw3rucQ==.

 

3.      July 24, 12-3 PM in Canning. Perennia in-person event: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/smart-farming-in-action-using-precision-ag-and-drone-technology-for-site-specific-field-management/edate/2025-07-24/.

 

Smart Farming in Action: Using Precision Ag and Drone Technology for Site-Specific Field Management.

 

Session Description 

Data-driven decision-making is key to optimizing agricultural performance. Applying this approach in your fields, vineyards, and orchards can improve operational efficiency and reduce input costs. On July 24, we’ll demonstrate how drone imagery and soil mapping tools can detect spatial variability in soil and nutrient levels—supporting the development of site-specific management zones for more targeted and effective input application.

2025 Production Updates and Seasonal Outlook for NS_ 9th Blight Line Post_ June 20

 

Hello, everyone

As we approach the end of June, this year’s blueberry pollination season will be wrapped up soon. Most of the time, the weather is favourable in the province during this year’s pollination period. The dry and warm weather brought some ideal flying days for pollinators, and pollination activities were active this season in blueberry fields. The dry weather during the bloom period also reduced the risk of Botrytis infection for this year, compared with higher Botrytis infections in the last couple of bloom seasons. As soon as green berries are formed, the crop fields are no longer required to undergo blight management; therefore, this would be the last blight update for the season. We will continue to provide updates on blueberry management in this blog.

In the last blight line post, I want to update the following items:

1.     2025 wild blueberry blight management summary

2.     Field Management Recommendations

3.     GDD updates (April 1- June 20)

 

 

 

1.    2025 wild blueberry blight management summary

 

This year, the wild blueberry crop development in Nova Scotia is back to the regular schedule. In the early spring, a few warm periods pushed fruit buds to develop and break earlier, but we also had cool and wet weather that slowed down bud development. This year’s fruit bud development, as well as blooms, progressed steadily.

 

Monilina Blight (Mummy Berry)

During the bud development period, especially after F2, crop development slowed due to cool and wet weather. Most crop fields experienced a longer bud period this year, which increased the crop’s susceptibility to blight infections. We also encountered a couple of infection periods that posed a high risk of blight infections to crop fields.

Based on field scouting and the growers’ feedback, we had higher Monilinia Blight infections in the current season. In unsprayed fields, higher infections and more obvious blight symptoms are expected.

With this year’s conditions, we also observed more secondary infections on blooms from Monilinia Blight, which is a concern as those blossoms might develop into mummy berries and become infection sources (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Monilinia Blight (Mummy Berry) infection on blossoms (Dr. Paul Hildebrand)

 

 

Botrytis Blossom Blight

As mentioned in the introduction, we didn’t have a wet bloom season, which helped reduce the risk of infection from Botrytis blight. This year, we didn’t have the same botrytis infection scales as in the last few seasons, meaning there will be fewer infected blossoms and more healthy flowers for pollinators. Ultimately, we can expect to see more green berries if they get pollinated.

 

2.    Field Management Recommendations

 

Crop Fields

During berry development, we need to reduce crop field activities, particularly events requiring larger machines or risky products. We recommend that growers only perform necessary and mandatory activities, and here are some recommendations:

a.      Assessing pollination efficiency and fruit set. Once bees are moved and green berries are formed, checking fruit set and understanding your fields’ pollination efficiency is ideal.

b.      Spot weed management. It is an ideal time to spot control weed patches by cutting or spot spraying. This recorded presentation by Dr. Scott White could give you tips on that topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5AXDUqBKc&t=1025s.

c.      Insect monitoring and spraying.

We are also in insect season and must monitor and control two insects: spotted wing drosophila (SWD) and Blueberry Maggot.

On July 9, we will have a guest speaker, Dr. Rachel Rix, join the virtual grower meeting to refresh us on SWD and Blueberry Maggot, including their life cycles, identification, and trapping techniques. The virtual meeting starts at 8:30 am on July 9. Here is the registration link: https://perennia.zoom.us/meeting/register/jw0VYQHbRfaKWeaf3tWFUQ#/registration.

https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/wild-blueberries-virtual-grower-meetings-2025/edate/2025-04-09/

 

Sprout Fields

Sprout fields are around 80-90% plant emergence. Some early new sprouts reached the tip-dieback stage, when blueberry plants start to produce fruit buds for the following year. Over the next few weeks, growers can focus more on sprout fields, especially the following areas:

a.      Fertilization. If you are using granular fertilizer, it is recommended that you fertilize your sprout fields within the next week or two before the weather gets too hot.

b.      Post-emergence broadleaf and grass weeds. After Chikra, Ignite, Spartan or other pre-emergence herbicides, some fields might require a second broadcast spray, using Callisto and/or Venture L. The ideal time to apply those chemicals is also in the next two weeks or before the air temperatures exceed 28 °C.

c.      Spot cutting and spraying weed control. Spot weed control could effectively and economically manage late-growing weeds, such as goldenrods, spreading dogbane, vetch, late grasses, etc. Again, I encourage you to watch Dr. White’s presentation to learn how to control spot weeds effectively. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5AXDUqBKc&t=1025s.

d.      Wild blueberry leaf disease management. This is crucial to ensure that sprout blueberry plants are healthy and productive to form next year’s fruit buds. It is still early, so we will discuss this topic more next month.

 

3.    GDD updates (April 1- June 20)

 

We have selected 19 weather stations to report their seasonal Growing Degree Days (GDD) accumulations. Please compare the cumulative GDD from your weather station with local GDD recommendations on wild blueberry crop stages: https://www.novascotiawildblueberryblog.com/p/phenology-tracker.html.

 

Figure 3. Selected Wild Blueberry Weather Stations and GDD Updates (April 1- June 20)

 

Table 1. Wild Blueberry Weather Stations and GDD Updates (April 1- June 20)