A Business Built on Reputation

Subscription $30 per year • June 2015
Upcoming Events
July
BNBB Field Day
Développement agricole Lanteigne
District 3
Saturday, July 25, 2015
See enclosed information
Maine WB Summer Field Day
Blueberry Hill Farm
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Jonesboro, Maine
Fisheries and Aquaculture Day
Friday, July 17, 2015
BNBB will be there
aquariumnb.ca/site/en/
fisheries-and-aquaculture-day
WBANS Field Day
Millen Farms
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Great Village, NS
AANB Open Farm Day
Looking for farms willing to host
Sunday September 20, 2015
www.fermenbfarm.ca/home/welcome
Bleuets NB Blueberries • 32 Route 11, Lower Newcastle, NB E1V 7C9
Tel. (506) 622-2603 • Fax (506) 622-8920 • [email protected] • www.nbwildblue.ca
Have you visited the
website lately?
Dominique Lanteigne
The BNBB website is now all public.
No need to register or log in to access
news, updates, grower information,
research papers and links to other sites
of interest to our industry. In the next
few weeks, we will also be uploading
speaker presentations from our AGM/
Conference in Caraquet in April. BNBB
reviews the website regularly to make
improvements and add information. If
you have ideas or suggestions for the
website, please call the BNBB office at
(506) 622-2603 or send an email to
[email protected].
A Business Built on Reputation
By Allison Finnamore
good, solid reputation in the
community and a large network of
industry contacts work together to set
Dominique Lanteigne up for success with
his blueberry farm and buying station for
Oxford Frozen Foods.
Dominique and Gilberte’s operation,
Développement agricole Lanteigne
enregistré, is the site of this summer’s
Bleuets New Brunswick Blueberries
(BNBB) field tour. Dominique is located
in northeastern New Brunswick’s
l’Île Lamèque in the community of
Petite-Rivière-de-l’île.
The area is home to the 59-yearold, where he’s spent his adult
life either working in the
public or private sector
and, for the last 13
years, working for
himself at his
A
blueberry operation. His commitment to
the region and its people built the success
of his business.
“I had lots of contacts. Let’s say I was
considered to have a good reputation in
the region,” he says.
The partnership started 10 years ago
when blueberry production in the area
was increasing and Oxford competitors
from Quebec were purchasing much of
the product from the region – and Oxford
needed product as well. Dominique
happened to be the right guy in the
right place at the right time.
He was already a dealer for blueberry
equipment dealer Doug Bragg Enterprises,
the same family that owns Oxford Frozen
Foods. As well, Dominique was – and still
is – a well-connected and trusted Frenchspeaking contact in the area. With that,
Oxford Frozen Foods and Dominique set
up their partnership.
Field Notes
Page 2
Continued from page 1
Now during harvest, Dominique
purchases either the entire harvest or
surplus crop from approximately 25
producers in the area. For him and
his wife Gilberte, who lends a hand
during the busy times, it’s a diversification of farm income. For blueberry
producers, it’s helping them get their
product to market and reducing costs.
Dominique says he purchases an
average of approximately a million to
a million-and-a-half pounds of blueberries per season from approximately
25 producers. “The island is not that
big. If we had a larger territory, I
would have more clients,” he points
out, adding he’ll buy from anyone
who wants to sell.
The amount each grower sells to him
varies from a few pounds to a few
thousand pounds – some sell their
whole harvest to Dominique. “It can
vary a lot from one producer to
another,” he says. “Some can sell me
200, 300 or 400 thousand pounds.
Another only has three acres of
blueberries and will sell me a few
thousand pounds.”
Success of the growing season can also
impact sale, Dominique notes. In a
good year, his sales to Oxford have
topped two million pounds. Prices
have an impact as well. Most who sell
to him shop around first for prices.
“It’s like doing your grocery shopping.
You don’t always buy your bread and
milk at Sobey’s, sometime you go to
Superstore,” Dominique says.
The entire product, however, goes to
Aliments Péninsule for processing or
redirected to Oxford Frozen Foods in
Nova Scotia, for which Dominique has
a solid working agreement.
“I only buy for Oxford. It’s always
preferable – it’s like religion: you
can’t practice two religions. Others approached me, but I have always had a
good agreement with Braggs,” he says.
The working agreement with Oxford
Frozen Foods has no limits on how
much Dominique must provide to the
company, acknowledging agricultural
variables like weather, pollination,
winter and insect damage and
disease pressure.
Dominique is committed to getting
the product to Les Aliments Péninsule
and the Oxford processing plant in
Nova Scotia within 24 hours. He
points out that if producers aren’t
selling to Oxford through him, they
would need to get the product to the
processor themselves, which adds to
their costs. With 53-foot transport
trucks, he does that for the producers.
“If you come with blueberries, I’ll pay
you immediately and you don’t have
to worry about it. Producers only
have to bring their harvest here and
I’ll take care of shipping it to the
plant,” he says.
A decade ago when the partnership
started, Dominique required some
initial investment to set himself up as
a buying station, but he already had
the space in his yard. At the time, he
built a 26 by 36 foot, two-storey facility that’s used as a workshop, storage
and the buying station. A forklift
moves the pallets of product and
Oxford equipped him with the weigh
station equipment. With regular
customers using Oxford boxes to
deliver their product, Dominique
points out it saves time and ensures
quality with reduced handling.
While the initial investment and
updates over the years tally up to
around $100,000, Dominique points
out that the expenses have been
incremental – and worth it.
“It was not all done by snapping your
fingers in a year. I make a little profit
and I re-invest it to make our situation
better. It’s worth it. No one would
invest in something that wouldn’t pay
off,” he says.
With the current two operations
(blueberry fields and peat-bogs),
Dominique employs four local
full-time employees from mid-May to
Dominique and Gilberte
fall, bringing it up to six or seven total
during harvest and even casual
workers during peak times.
Prior to the partnership with Oxford
Frozen Foods for the weigh station,
Dominique produced blueberries on
family-owned land that he continues
to farm. He started in 1988 when his
father, Valmond Lanteigne, divided his
land up between Dominique and his
siblings. Most of the land was wooded
– but not all.
“Some of my brothers and sisters took
the wooded land,” Dominique recalls.
“I took the (clear cut). I already had
the idea of producing blueberries.”
With 60 acres from his father,
Dominique applied to the provincial
government for a land grant, receiving
372 acres, however, 100 acres of that
being bog was unsuitable for blueberries and is now part of his second
operation – peat-bog. Therefore,
there’s 200 acres in blueberry
production. He’s been a registered
wild blueberry producer since 1992.
It’s a size of operation that Dominique
is satisfied with. He’s not drawn to
increasing production and the income
is agreeable. Dominique is also looking outside of his own needs to that
of the world around him.
“I’m getting there in age and I have
enough to live on and I want to leave
some land intact for the flora and
wildlife. I want to leave parts of the
land as is for the animals to survive.
You can’t destroy nature,” he says.
Page 3
June 2015
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Murray Tweedie
I thought we were going to have a late
start to season 2015 with the large
amount of snow cover but here I am,
juggling all aspects of managing the
farm as well as the value-added aspect
of my business. The fields are looking
very similar to what they were same
time last year. And, considering the
record crop in 2014, I would say this
is an auspicious start.
Over the winter, BNBB held its annual
district meetings as well as the
AGM/Conference at the Carrefour de
la Mer in Caraquet. This was the first
time our major event took place in
Caraquet and judging by the response
on the evaluation sheets, it won’t be
the last. The quality of the speakers
was mentioned as a strong point and
more particularly the producer profile
as well as the perspective of a processor. We thank our members for
attending and participating in such
large numbers as well as all speakers
who are excellent at communicating
their knowledge. I would also like to
take this opportunity to thank our
many sponsors from the service
industry. Without them, we would not
be able to offer this kind of event at
such low cost to our growers. We also
thank the staff from the Department
of Agriculture, Aquaculture and
Fisheries who were instrumental in
helping us organize the event,
during the event as well as financially
through the Growing Forward II
program. It was also great to have the
various MLAs from the region drop
by at different times during the
conference. Special thanks to the
Honourable Denis Landry, Minister of
Natural Resources who attended our
banquet and spoke to our members on
provincial government initiatives. The
wild blueberry sector is important for
NB’s economy and there are many
issues surrounding Crown Land.
The fact that the Minister took the
time from his busy schedule to
participate in our event shows interest
in supporting overall industry growth.
Finally I thank the BNBB Board
members from the 3 districts who
were all present for the Conference.
As was detailed at the AGM, BNBB has
embarked in an exercise which will
revitalize the organization by giving
itself a strategic direction that will
help them answer the following
questions: “Where are we going as an
organization?” “What are our priority
goals?” The BNBB Board also wants to
establish governance and operational
structures that will be at the service of
the adopted strategic plan. The new
structures will clearly define the
decision-making powers of various
key components, such as, the Annual
General Meeting (AGM), Board of
Directors, standing committees and
some ad hoc committees, District
Annual Meetings and the Executive
Director. A consultant has been hired
to do the work and will conduct
Group and Individual Interviews.
When the time comes, please
participate in large numbers in this
consultation process.
Since the AGM, BNBB has organized a
meeting in Moncton with its counterparts from the Maritimes and Quebec
to discuss potential collaborations.
Subsequently, another meeting was
planned in late May by our NS
counterpart. This time, researchers as
well as provincial extension staff, were
invited to participate in the discussion
around a research setting priority
process led cooperatively by organizations in all producing regions. As for
our promotional activities and health
research via WBANA, leveraging
research funds from each organization
will help us develop research projects
better suited to our needs. Another
meeting between Maritime and
Quebec industry organizations is
planned for September. We believe
we can collaborate with our counter
parts on many issues such as: Support
for an Atlantic Centre of Excellence
for bees/pollination, sharing information on services; supporting WBANA
efforts, etc.
There are resolutions that have been
presented and adopted unanimously
during the Annual District Meetings
as well as at the AGM. These resolutions touch the topic of Crown Land:
Scarification, road access, availability,
etc. Since the AGM, BNBB met with
both, the Minister of Agriculture,
Aquaculture and Fisheries as well as
the Minister of Natural Resources
and some of their high level staff to
discuss and offer solutions for improving some of those Crown Land issues.
In order to work on long term solutions, both departments have to work
together in collaboration with Industry. This meeting is a first step to a
long-term undertaking in finding
solutions to address the needs of the
growers with leases to crown land as
well as making sure that an evaluation
on the potential of growing wild
blueberries can be carried out before
scarification.
With that, I wish you all a fruitful production period and hope to see many
of you during our Twilight meetings
in each district as well as at our Field
day in Lameque NB on July 25.
Field Notes
Page 4
Annual Field Day
Saturday, July 25, 2015, 10 am
Owners:
Dominique and Gilberte Lanteigne
Développement agricole Lanteigne
Location:
Northeastern New Brunswick
l’Île Lamèque in the community
of Petite-Rivière-de-l’île
7861 Route 313
Parking available on site.
$20 per person (includes lunch).
Producers are encouraged to bring
weed, insect and disease samples for
identification.
For additional information:
506-622-2603
[email protected]
www.nbwildblue.ca
Premininary Agenda
9:30 am – Registration
10 to 11am –
Welcoming remarks and introduction:
Murray Tweedie and Monique Mills
Description of business:
Dominique Lanteigne
Update on activities:
Maine, NS, PEI, Québec and NB.
11 am to 12 pm –
Technical and Information displays as
well as networking opportunities
• Equipment displays
• NBDAAF Crop and Pest
Management Specialist staff
• WBANA Canada
12 to 1 pm – Lunch on site
1:30 pm – Field tour
Suggested Accommodations:
www.travelinnewbrunswick.com/Lameque.cfm
www.travelinnewbrunswick.com/Shippagan.cfm
www.travelinnewbrunswick.com/Caraquet.cfm
www.travelinnewbrunswick.com/Tracadie-Sheila.cfm
Information on Lamèque:
www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/Products/L/Lameque-Island.aspx
Page 5
June 2015
BNBB Summer Student
My name is Alexa English and I will
be working for BNBB as a summer
student this year. Throughout the past
few years in my schooling career I
have changed degrees a few times, but
I am confident that I have found my
passion. I am currently going into my
second year at UNB taking a Bachelor
in Forestry and Environmental
Management with my major being
in management. I have a love for the
outdoors that I apply every day while
in my classes and I’m excited to apply
it here with BNBB.
Growing up in the Miramichi area, I
have always been surrounded by and
interested in the agriculture industry
and I’m thrilled to work hands on
with you this summer. By applying my
school knowledge and life skills, I
hope to aid in the development of this
booming industry. Already in the past
few weeks I have met wonderful and
passionate people that work in this
sector, and I am looking forward to
learning from them and all of you
within the next few months. Let’s
grow the New Brunswick wild
blueberries sector together!
BNBB projects 2015
• AGM/Conference 2015 (GF2 – approved)
• The biology and management of sucking bugs in Wild Blueberries
(GF2 – approved)
• Innovative weed control methods to improve the competitiveness
of Wild Blueberry production (GF2 – approved)
• Blueberry sclerotinia berry drop survey and fungicide evaluation (GF2 – approved)
• Monitoring for Spotted Wing Drosophila in Wild Blueberries (GF2 – approved)
• National Blueberry Industry Research & Innovative Strategy (CAAP – pending)
• Effect Rational use of Fertilizers on the Growth, Development, and Productivity
of Wild Blueberries (GF2 – approved: IRZC is the applicant)
• Field Day 2015 (GF2 – pending)
• Development of a governance model serving the Strategic and Operational Plans
for BNBB (ACOA, GF2 – pending)
• Wild Blueberry Labour Study (GF2 – pending)
• NB Wild Blueberry Social Economic Study (GF2 – pending)
Board of Directors
District 1
Counties: Charlotte, Saint John,
Kings, Queens, Sunbury, York
and Carleton
John Ness
Russell Weir
Ed Goguen
District 2
Counties: Westermorland, Albert,
Kent and Northumberland
excluding the parish of Alnwick
Murray Tweedie
‰ Chair
Kathy Trueman Del Villar
‰ WBANA Board Representative
Brett Reidpath
District 3
Counties: Gloucester, Restigouche,
Madawaska and Victoria and
the parish of Alnwick in
Northumberland county
Arsène Roussel
‰ Vice Chair
Norbert Brideau
Vernon Losier
Field Notes
Page 6
Investment in blueberry
health research paying off
By Trudy Kelly Forsythe
Research confirms what the blueberry
sector has believed for years.
In March, the Wild Blueberry
Association of North America
distributed a news release about two
University of Maine studies that reveal
a diet containing wild blueberries may
positively impact certain characteristics of metabolic syndrome, including
lipid status and inflammation.
Last October, it was a release about a
North Carolina State University study
that found a polyphenol-rich diet
containing blueberries and green tea
has the potential to protect athletes
from virus infections following intense
periods of exercise.
These are just two of the many recent
discoveries about the health benefits
of wild blueberries, discoveries that
began a mere two decades ago when
the connection was made between
populations that consume large
amounts of fruits and vegetables and
a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases,
diabetes and certain cancers. The
connection made researchers quick
to ask “why?”
They soon discovered that fruits
and vegetables are abundant in
compounds that have antioxidant
properties that, when part of the diet,
may mitigate the effects of damagecausing oxidation. Wild blueberries
are loaded with anthocyanins, the
pigments that make strawberries red,
plums purple and blueberries blue.
And it’s been discovered that anthocyanins are very effective antioxidants
and possess other interesting healthpromoting properties.
Investing in Research
As a result, researchers have focused
their research on these anthocyanins
for the past 15 years through in vitro
and animal trials, providing an
abundance of evidence that they are
definitely linked to healthy outcomes
for some cancers, diabetes and
markers of cardiovascular disease.
Wilhelmina Kalt, a research scientist
with Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, says researchers continue
to investigate the neuro-protection
capabilities of the anthocyanins in
wild blueberries. The evidence for
benefits continues to accumulate.
Recognizing the importance of
human trial research to the wild
blueberry sector, WBANA has grown
its budget for health research from
US$200,000 in 2010 to close to
US$500,000 in 2105.
“Researchers are continuing to look
at how blueberries may protect the
brain in various ways,” Kalt says,
explaining the evolution of the
research has become increasingly
more sophisticated. “Now we need
more human clinical studies. The
push is on to get more clinical studies
to demonstrate health benefits in
free-living human populations, as
compared to tightly controlled animal
and test tube (in vitro) studies.”
He stresses the importance of knowing
the health benefits of the Canadian
wild blueberry. “People around the
world are looking for health foods
but they also want flavour. Wild
blueberries offer both and you don’t
have to add sugar or change it to be
successful.”
“The increase in funding dollars is
necessary as researchers undertake
more human trials,” says WBANA’s
executive director Neri Vautour.
“Although the costs for these projects
are higher, the wild blueberry industry
will benefit as we see similar positive
results in humans as we have seen in
animals.”
Page 7
June 2015
Research Summit
In August, many of the researchers
who access those funding dollars will
gather for the 18th year in Bar Harbor,
ME, for the Wild Blueberry Research
Summit. Every year, this event brings
together leading researchers from
around the world who work in a
variety of health-related fields,
including neuroscience, aging,
heart disease and cancer, to share
their current research projects and
explore opportunities for future
research collaborations involving
wild blueberries.
This opportunity for researchers to
connect face-to-face is invaluable.
“They collaborate to be more efficient
and to get more research for less
money,” Vautour says. “We are able
to get a much better return on
investment.”
Bringing researchers together at the
Bar Harbor Summit is a unique
concept that works well for the wild
blueberry industry and is a concept
other sectors – for example, the
pomegranate industry – are attempting as well. WBANA itself uses the
same approach with its promotions
and public relations agencies, which
are located in Canada, the United
States, the United Kingdom, Japan,
China and Germany, gathering
together every two years to share
resources and collaborate.
WBANA consists of two separate
entities in Canada and the United
States that collaborate on health
research and public relations activities
to meet the association’s objective of
increasing consumption of wild
blueberries around the world.
“We want to make sure there’s a
market for more fruit and to find
where the opportunities are to
increase that demand,” Vautour says.
“Because it’s a small industry, it’s important to work together so we don’t
duplicate and do the same things.”
While the research adds evidence
on top of evidence about the health
benefits of wild blueberries, which is
good for the public, continued investment in research is also necessary for
the wild blueberry industry to stay
ahead of its competition.
WBANA has a very active health
committee that reviews the new
projects. In the past five years,
researchers from the United Kingdom,
Germany and Japan have joined those
from Canada and the United States to
study the health benefits of the wild
blueberry. Considering wild blueberries are exported to 30 countries,
WBANA is working hard to get more
research done around the world.
“To keep the health opportunities
alive, we need to keep funding
research,” says Kalt. “There’s a whole
arena of fruits, vegetables and health
and they all have a story. The blueberry sector needs to continue to
expand their health portfolio through
new research and to be accurate and
current in their messages related to
human health benefits.”
And, not just by providing financial
backing. Vautour says they provide
frozen fruit to researchers in the
United Kingdom and Japan for
their studies. This frozen fruit is a
controlled composite mixture that is
representative of wild blueberries in
the regions where they are commercially harvested.
“We supply the samples and get the
research,” he says. “It’s an excellent
product and great people are working
on finding benefits.
“There’s a lot more to it than antioxidants,” he adds. “Researchers
know it is good for us but now want
to know what dose should you have
every day and do you need it every
day. It’s exciting. They are finding
positive results.”
Increased research and those positive
results are certainly good news for
wild blueberry producers. “We now
know a lot more about the how and
why on wild blueberries and health
that’s been a boon for blueberry producers for marketing opportunities,”
says Kalt. “It opens health-related
markets for wild blueberry fruit and
its value-added products.”
To learn more about wild blueberry
health research, visit the WBANA
website at www.wildblueberries.com/
health-research.
Field Notes
Page 8
Some new faces in the industry
Michael T. Tesfaendrias
New Brunswick Department of Agriculture,
Aquaculture and Fisheries (NBDAAF)
I joined the NBDAAF in mid-May
2014, the right time for a newcomer
to NB. I am an IPM specialist specializing in plant pathology. In this capacity, I diagnose plant diseases for NB
agricultural industry, provide disease
management advice, attend field days,
grower and scientific meetings, and
conduct research trials. Before joining
the NBDAAF, I worked as a plant protection extension officer in Eritrea and
as a research assistant for University
of the Free State, South Africa. After
moving to Canada, I worked as a
research associate and IPM program
coordinator at the Muck Crops
Research Station of the University
of Guelph. At the Muck station, I
conducted and participated in
research of diseases of vegetable crops,
diagnosed plant diseases and supervised the pest management program
for muck vegetable growers. In 2015,
I am planning to conduct field and
laboratory research trials on blue
berry diseases, which will be carried
out in collaboration with BNBB. I
obtained B.Sc. (Agric.), M.Sc. and
Ph. D. (Plant Pathology) from
University of the Free State,
South Africa.
I look forward for the 2015 growing
season to learn more about wild blueberry production systems and am very
keen to work with growers.
Michael T. Tesfaendrias
Mathieu Quenum
Mathieu Quenum
I have a bachelor’s degree (B.Sc) in
agronomy (2003) and a master’s
(M.Sc) in soil and environmental
studies (2006) from Laval.
I completed a doctorate (Ph.D) in
agronomy and water sciences at the
INRS-ETE, part of the Université du
Québec, in 2009.
Coastal Zones Research Institute Inc.
I came to the Coastal Zones Research
Institute (at the Université de
Moncton’s Shippagan campus) in
January 2012, to launch a program of
research and development in the area
of peat moss, peat bogs, agriculture
and the environment. Before joining
the research team in the CZRI, I
finished a post-doctoral program in
soil sciences and bioresources at the
University of Saskatchewan, and then
worked as a consultant. I was also a
research associate at Agriculture and
Agri-Foods Canada (at the Pedology
and Precision Agriculture Laboratories
in Ste-Foy, Quebec). After working as
an agronomist at IRDA (Institut de
recherche et développement en
agroenvironnement) in Quebec City,
I taught courses in agri-environmental
studies at the Carrefour BLE centre in
Montreal and worked as a teaching
assistant in the soil sciences and
agri-food engineering program at
Université Laval. I also worked as a
technician and research assistant at
the Agricultural Research Centre in
Truro, Nova Scotia.
My curiosity was piqued by wild
blueberry production when I made a
number of visits to wild blueberry
fields on the Acadian Peninsula in
2012, with Mr. Gaétan Chiasson, an
agronomist and a former employee of
the New Brunswick Department of
Agriculture, Aquaculture and
Fisheries. Since that time, I have
developed a research interest in these
small plants which find ways to
develop in the specific soil and
climate typical of the boreal zone.
Starting last year, in co-operation
with BNBB, wild blueberry growers,
the New Brunswick Department of
Agriculture, Aquaculture and
Fisheries, my team has been studying
the effect of rational use of fertilizers
on the growth, development and
productivity of wild blueberry
production throughout its entire
growing cycle, as part of a research
project funded by the Growing
Forward 2 program.
Page 9
June 2015
WBANA UPDATE
Knowledge about the state of fertility
of wild blueberry fields can play an
important role in improving production levels of blueberries and will help
the sector become more competitive
on the local and international
markets, as well as enable growers
to reduce their costs.
My wish for the CZRI is to develop a
research program in fertilization and
applied pedology in wild blueberry
production in New Brunswick, so
that growers in the province will be
better able to identify the variables
and indicators of the fertility of their
fields and farm plots.
Nadler Simon
Coordinator
North East Agri-Environmental Advisory Club
Dear readers, this month I was
accepted onto the Agricultural
Alliance of New Brunswick (AANB)
team as Coordinator of the North East
Agri-Environmental Advisory Club.
I am an agronomist and I have a
Master’s degree in agri-environment
and hydrosciences from AgroParisTech school, which is based in Paris.
I began my career in France in 2008,
working at the National Institute of
Agronomic Research (INRA) as an
adviser on the physical, chemical and
biological functioning of agricultural
systems.
In March and April, WBANA
participated in producer meetings in Nova Scotia, Quebec, PEI
and New Brunswick. In PEI and
New Brunswick, Jing Zhao
Cesarone of Chinawise Business
Consulting gave a presentation
on the Chinese market and both
her and Neri were available to
answer questions.
Tariffs
Nadler Simon
In 2013, I joined the Department of
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences of the
University of Quebec at Montreal
(UQÀM). I have developed and led an
agri-environment project on the use of
gypsum residues from demolition
yards in the amendment and
fertilization of cultivated soils.
Now I am starting a new adventure in
the Acadian Peninsula! My mission is
to work with members of the advisory
club (agricultural producers) to
continue to implement tools for
healthy and environmentally-friendly
agricultural operations for wild
blueberry cultivation.
I am delighted to become part of this
agricultural community and to contribute to this valuable and important
work. I’m looking forward to meeting
you soon and to working with you.
WBANA is active in lobbying the
Federal Minister of International
Trade and the Minister of
Agriculture to negotiate better
Trade deals with crucial markets
for Canadian Wild Blueberries.
Chilean Cultivated Blueberries
are a major competitor in
important markets and Canada
has to address the Tariff discrepancies immediately for our
industry to continue to grow.
Upcoming
Participate in Minister Ritz
mission to China in June 2015.
Field Day
WBANA plans to attend all
grower field days in July and
will be available to answer any
grower questions. Questions
can also be sent to
[email protected].
WBANA will be looking for
grower support during August
visit of Japanese and German
group of buyers and media.
Field Notes
Page 10
Exobasidium Fruit and Leaf Spot
By Kelvin Lynch, IPM Solutions
here were a few reports of Fruit
and Leaf Spot prior to 2010 but
the disease was considered rare and
localized. Since that date this disease
has spread to many production fields
and infected berries are commonly
observed in harvested fruit. Fruit and
Leaf Spot can now be considered an
endemic disease of wild blueberry
production. It is the second disease to
achieve this status in the last few years
with Valdensinia Leaf Spot being the
other one.
T
At the same time that Fruit and Leaf
Spot was spreading in wild blueberry
fields it also became a serious problem
in highbush blueberries in the southern U.S. This is similar to what
occurred with tip midge, which first
became a problem on southern highbush production and then spread to
wild blueberry production in eastern
North America.
Different species of the Exobasidium
fungus cause diseases on several
types of plants including; blueberry,
rhodora, cranberry, rhododendron and
others. Red Leaf disease which occurs
on wild blueberry is an example of
another type of Exobasidium disease.
A recent genetic study of Exobasidium
Fruit and Leaf Spot samples collected
from highbush blueberries in the U.S.
found that all the samples were a
single species (Exobasidium maculosum). They also tested Exobasidium
samples from wild blueberry samples
collected in Nova Scotia and Maine
but found that theses samples
belonged to a distinct, and as yet,
unnamed Exobasidium species.
Although Fruit and Leaf Spot has
spread quickly through wild blueberry
production, there have not been any
serious losses since the number of
infected fruit has always been low.
In the southern U.S. on highbush and
rabbiteye blueberries the amount of
disease has been much higher with
significant yield losses. At this time,
it does not appear that we will see
these high infection levels on wild
blueberry. There can be small areas in
a crop field that have a high level of
infection but typically less than 1
berry in a few hundred is infected.
The concern therefore lies in the cost
of removing the small number of
affected berries from the harvested
fruit. The infected area on the berry
is thickened and has a chewy texture
when eaten. Infected berries do not
decay, can be the same weight as
normal fruit, and are hard to remove
from the harvested berries.
Symptoms
Spots on the leaves are light-green
to yellow, 2 to 4 mm in width and
slightly thickened. Later in the season
red and brown colour develops in the
infected area and the leaf tissue may
become necrotic. Spores produced
abundantly on the bottom side of
the spot can make it appear white
(Figure A).
On the fruit, one or more green spots
become visible on the fruit as it
ripens. The infected area may also
develop red or brown coloration and
the production of spores on the spot
can make it appear white. The
infected area is thick and the fruit may
be misshapen. Infected berries may
abort and drop from the blueberry
plant while still immature (Figure B).
Biology
There have been no studies of the
biology of Fruit and Leaf Spot. It is
believed that the fungus over winters
either in or on the buds. The infection
period begins at bud break and
continues into the bloom period.
This is the same infection period for
Monilinia Blight. Leaf spots are present by late June and fruit infections
become apparent as the fruit colours.
As the season progresses a white layer
of spores forms on infected fruit and
leaf tissues. This disease does not
appear to become systemic within the
plant as occurs in Red Leaf disease. It
has not been reported in sprout fields
but no surveys have been carried out.
Page 11
June 2015
Control
At this point specific controls are not
recommended for Fruit and Leaf Spot.
Areas which are shaded or where there
is a weed canopy may have higher
levels of disease. Fields not sprayed
for Monilinia Blight and Septoria Leaf
Spot are more likely to have Fruit and
Leaf Spot. It is possible that the
disease could be moved from field to
field on contaminated boxes and
equipment, but this disease has also
been observed on blueberry plants
growing wild in native stands. Many
growers already apply fungicides in
the crop year for Monilinia Blight
and Septoria Leaf Spot control and
these sprays also suppress Fruit and
Leaf Spot.
Fungicide evaluation trials on highbush blueberries have shown that prebloom and early-bloom sprays reduce
infection of the fruit. Captan, Elevate
and Switch were found to be effective.
Proline and Topas were not evaluated
but another fungicide in that same
group was evaluated and it also
reduced the number of fruit infections.
In these trials, early sprays were
always more effective than later sprays
which lead to the evaluation of a bud
swell spray. In multiple trials, a
single application of lime sulphur at
bud swell was highly effective in
controlling fruit infections providing
better or equivalent control to multiple applications of other fungicides.
A bud swell application of lime
sulphur may be helpful in controlling
other diseases such as Monilinia
Blight, Septoria Leaf Spot, Phomopsis
and Powdery Mildew, but this needs
to be evaluated. Lime sulphur is an
approved fungicide for organic
production and it could also be a
good fit for conventional production
of wild blueberries.
Ultim® Herbicide Label Expanded for
Broadcast Application via Minor Use Program
By Gavin Graham P.Ag., Weed Management Specialist
New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries
(NBDAAF)
The Pest Management Regulatory
Agency (PMRA) recently announced
the approval of an URMULE
registration for Ultim® Herbicide for
use in wild blueberries in Eastern
Canada as a broadcast application.
Ultim® was already labeled for spot
application for wild blueberries.
This minor use project was originally submitted by New Brunswick
in 2013, supported by research
conducted through Bleuets NB
Blueberries. The following information is provided as a general outline
only. Users should consult the full
product label for more details.
For control of quackgrass, annual
grasses and redroot pigweed, plus
the suppression of poverty oatgrass,
ticklegrass and black bulrush, apply
33.7 grams (one water soluble bag
of Ultim®) per hectare (ha) with a
recommended non-ionic surfactant
at 2.0 litres per 1,000 litres of spray
solution (0.2% v/v). Application
must be made in the spring of the
sprout year (non-bearing year). The
pre-harvest interval is 14 months.
Stunting and yield losses may occur
if blueberry plants are contacted by
the spray. Applications made before
lowbush blueberry emergence have
increased crop safety. Ultim® may be
tank mixed with Velpar® Herbicide
or Sinbar® Herbicide. Tank mixes
must be applied before blueberry
emergence.
We also wish to acknowledge the
personnel of the PMRA for evaluating and approving this weed
management tool and E. I. DuPont
Canada Inc. for supporting the label
expansion in Canada. A copy of the
new minor use label can be found
on the PMRA label site:
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/
registrant-titulaire/tools-outils/
label-etiq-eng.php
More information on this
application, and other weed control
methods can be found in the Wild
Blueberry IPM Weed Management
Guide or the Weed Control Selection
Guide, from the NBDAAF.
Field Notes
Page 12
Spotlight on Septoria Leaf Spot
This article has been prepared by a Syngenta representative to give growers general
information on Septoria leaf spot.
By Jim Anderson, Agronomic Service Representative, Syngenta Canada
and Leigh Jenkins, Blueberry Farmer
A known yield-robber, Septoria leaf
spot is a disease that blueberry
producers with a goal of achieving
high yields at harvest should keep
an eye on. Prevalent in all blueberry
growing regions in Atlantic Canada,
Septoria leaf spot (Septoria sp.) is one
of the major leaf diseases that impacts
lowbush blueberry production in both
the sprout and fruiting year.
Disease Cycle
When Septoria takes hold, the disease
has the potential to reduce yields by
limiting the number of flowers a plant
produces, impacting fruit growth and
development, and yield. In the sprout
year, spore release from over-wintered
and diseased fallen leaves begins in
late May in response to rain. Minute
water-soaked spots begin to appear on
infected leaves 10–14 days after infection, but are not visible to the naked
eye until approximately four weeks
later. Lesions spread and expand, and
by mid-to-late July, severely diseased
leaves begin to drop. The fungi can
infect the stems as well, but stem
cankers will not develop until spring
of the fruiting year.
In the fruiting year, spore release from
over-wintered leaves mostly occurs
during the bloom period. Release of
spores from small, black fruiting
bodies of the fungus – known as
pycnidia – in infected leaves and stem
cankers occurs when it rains, and
spores are splashed onto the foliage.
In general, prolonged wet weather in
June promotes spore release and
infection; subsequent prolonged hot,
dry weather during July and August
promotes the drop of infected leaves
and fruit.
Septoria leaf spot usually appears in
combination with other leaf diseases
such as rust and powdery mildew, but
implementing the following strategies
will help keep most major leaf
diseases in check.
Early detection is key!
1. Scout blueberry stands during the
month of June, especially after
rainy weather. The first signs of
Septoria will appear on the underside of the leaves, so it’s important
to get up close and personal with
the crop. In the sprout year, leaf
lesions occur mostly on the lower
leaves. During the crop year, you
will see symptoms throughout the
canopy. Remember, at first the
symptoms won’t be visible to the
naked eye, so when the tiny spots
become visible, the infection will
already be about four weeks into
the disease cycle. As the disease
progresses, the lesions will worsen
and expand to cover the leaves.
Defoliation will likely occur, but
the severity is largely dependent on
the weather, as hot, dry conditions
put added pressure on the crop,
causing leaves and fruit infected
with Septoria to drop at a higher
rate.
2. Consider crop protection products
to stay ahead of leaf disease.
Because blueberries are typically
infected by more than one leaf
disease, consider developing a
Septoria leaf spot
spray program that includes a
broad-spectrum, protectant
fungicide. Maintaining plant health
in the sprout year is crucial. As
such, applying a fungicide with
activity against Septoria in early
June is a good way to manage the
development of the disease. To get
the most effective suppression of
Septoria in the fruiting year, apply
a fungicide at early bloom.
3. Burn prune after the fruit year to
reduce the pervasiveness of the
disease. In order for burning to
be effective, it must be done
intensively and uniformly
throughout a field to destroy
all infected leaf and stem litter.
Keeping leaf disease at bay is one of
the most effective ways to maintain
healthy, productive stands all season
long.