Blueberry diseases survey in Estonia

M. Starast¹, N. Galynskaya², K. Jõgar¹, T. Tasa³, K. Karp¹ and U. Moor¹

¹Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,Department of Horticulture, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
²The Central Botanic Garden, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2B Surganava St.,Minsk BY-220012, Republic of Belarus
³Plant Production Inspectorate, Teaduse 2, Saku, Harjumaa 75501, Estonia;e-mail: marge.starast@emu.ee

Abstract:

In Estonian University of Life Sciences at the Department of Horticulture a blueberry-cultivation project was started in 1997. Nowadays blueberry cultivation is developing into a promising activity for small farms and efforts have been made to maintain blueberries in the different regions of the country. Surveys were conducted to determine the occurence of diseases in commercial blueberry fields at three farms of South Estonia. One plantation was located on peat (abandoned peat pits) soil and two plantations on mineral soil. Pesticides were not used in the blueberry plantations. Diseases were observed at the end of harvesting time (late August) in 2006. Several lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.), highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum L.) and half-highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum x V. angustifolium.) cultivars were represented. In all plantations several plant diseases were found whereby Pucciniastrum vaccinii Wint. occured often. Lowbush blueberry plants were more disease-resistant than highbush and half-highbush blueberries. In the plantation located on peat soil the infection of diseases was lower.

Key words:

infection, pathogen, resistance, Vaccinium angustifolium, Vaccinium corymbosum

The occurrence of powdery mildew on crested hairgrass in different growing conditions

P. Sooväli and A. Bender

Jõgeva Plant Breeding Institute, 48309 Jõgeva, Estonia; e-mail: pille.soovali@jpbi.ee

Abstract:

Crested hairgrass (Koeleria gracilis Pers., syn. K. macrantha (Ledeb.) is classed as a good turfgrass. A first cultivar ‘Ilo’, released by the Jõgeva Plant Breeding Institute was entered into the Estonian Variety List in 1997. Seed production agrotechnics of crested hairgrass cultivar ‘Ilo’ was studied in field experiments at the Jõgeva PBI in 2001–2005. It has been recognized that the incidence and severity of disease level and seed yield losses are influenced by pathogens and weather. For four seasons the severity of the occurrence of powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis DC.) was investigated in these field trials. Disease infection was scored by visual assessment of full plants at shooting, flowering and seed ripening stages and at post–harvest re-growth on a 5–point scale. Infection was more intensive in the flowering stage: 2.6 points (2002), 3.0 (2003) and 3.7 (2004). Infection at post–harvest re-growth was assessed at 3.1 points in 2002.

Key words: