ISHS Acta Horticulturae 715: VIII International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture
MUMMY BERRY DISEASE (MONILINIA VACCINII-CORYMBOSI) ON HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRIES IN EUROPE |
| Author: | C. Gosch |
| Keywords: | ascomycete, ascospores, conidiospores, epidemiology, fungal disease |
| Abstract:
Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi (Monilinia blight, mummy berry disease) is one of the most important plant pathogenic fungi on blueberries in America and has not been detected in Europe until now. In the years 2002 and 2003, in Styria (Austria), a fungus was isolated from blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum ´Berkeley´) and identified morphologically as M. vaccinii-corymbosi through detailed examinations: Solid, black, pumpkin shaped, more or less cavernous pseudosclerotia were found in spring 2002 and 2003 which germinated with several trumpet to cup shaped, brown to blackish apothecia. Hyaline, ellipsoid ascospores and hyaline, lemon shaped conidiospores could be isolated from the apothecia and from infected, wilted shoots, respectively. During the harvest time many almost ripe fruits turned cream to pink, shrunk and dropped to the soil. As known so far, this is the first verified occurrence of M. vaccinii-corymbosi in Europe. It is likely that the fungus was introduced to Europe years ago and is present in other blueberry orchards but has not been identified due to unfavourable weather conditions for the fungus or confusion with similar fungi (e.g. Botrytis cinerea). It remains to be seen how this disease will affect the European bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) which has some resistance to this pathogen. | |
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