Anthracnose Fruit-rot Resistance in Highbush Blueberry Cultivars

Abstract

Thirty-three Vaccinium corymbosum selections and cultivars were artificially inoculated with spores of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in the green fruit stage. Fruit was harvested when ripe and incubated under high-humidity conditions for 1 week, before evaluation. A wide range of susceptibility to anthracnose fruit-rot was found, ranging from 8% to 85%. Among the most-resistant cultivars were: `Elliott' (8%), `Murphy' (8.3%), `Stanley' (13%), and `Weymouth' (16.9%). Among the most-susceptible cultivars were: `Bluetta' (85%), `Spartan' (82.7%), `June' (69.9%), and `Northblue' (69.5%). Uninoculated checks had a maximum of 6% infection.