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Factors affecting Neofuscicoccum ribis infection and disease progression in blueberry

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Abstract

Botryosphaeria stem blight is an economically important disease of blueberry worldwide. In this study, factors affecting inoculum production, infection and disease progression of Neofusicoccum spp. in blueberries were investigated. Under laboratory conditions conidia of the main three Neofusicoccum species (N. australe, N. parvum and N. ribis) were released from pycnidia at 15–30 °C and under relative humidities (RHs) of 80–100%, with greatest numbers released by N. parvum. The greatest numbers of oozing pycnidia and conidial release occurred at higher temperatures (25–30 °C) and RHs (92–100%). Inoculation of green shoots with different N. parvum and N. ribis conidial concentrations (50 μL of 5 × 104−5 × 106 conidia/ mL) caused 100% incidence but lesion lengths increased with increasing concentrations. Wound age affected N. ribis lesion development, with lesions only observed for 0–7-day-old wounds in soft green shoots and 0–4-day-old wounds for both hard green shoots and trunks. Colonisation length decreased with increasing wound age. Lesions developed on wounded shoots when plants were exposed to 20 or 25 °C and 90 or 100% RH during the early infection processes; and in non-wounded shoots spot-like lesions were observed although N. ribis colonised the stem tissue. Seasons (summer, autumn and winter) had no effect on susceptibility of wounded plants to N. ribis. External lesions only developed in summer-inoculated plants and colonisation length was lower in winter-inoculated plants. Information on host and environmental factors that affect disease development determined by the study will be used to inform the development of control strategies.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Blueberries New Zealand and Lincoln University for funding this research, and Brent Richards and Leona Meachen for maintaining the plants in the nursery at Lincoln University. Statistical advice was provided by Dr. Dean O’Connell.

Funding

Funding was provided by Lincoln University (Postgraduate research scholarship awarded to the first author) and Blueberries New Zealand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln, New Zealand

    K. M. S. Tennakoon, Hayley J. Ridgway, Marlene V. Jaspers & E. Eirian Jones

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  1. K. M. S. Tennakoon
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  2. Hayley J. Ridgway
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  3. Marlene V. Jaspers
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  4. E. Eirian Jones
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Correspondence to E. Eirian Jones.

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Tennakoon, K.M.S., Ridgway, H.J., Jaspers, M.V. et al. Factors affecting Neofuscicoccum ribis infection and disease progression in blueberry. Eur J Plant Pathol 151, 87–99 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-017-1355-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-017-1355-x

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