Blossom blight caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea is an important disease of blueberries. When the disease is severe, deterioration in quantity and quality of berry production can become economically significant. During periods of high humidity, spores of the fungus are dispersed and can abort an entire berry cluster.
BESTCURE® is a broad spectrum biopesticide based on stabilized citrus extracts. It controls different fungi and phytopathogenic bacteria such as downy mildew, powdery mildew, Alternaria, Botrytis, Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas in different crops. The objective of the trials conducted in South Africa and presented in the recently published Ecoletter was to evaluate for the first time the efficacy of BESTCURE for the control of Botrytis in blueberries.
The different trials carried out with Bestcure® have proven the positive effects of the botanical extract both in prevention and cure on fruits and flowers, the latter being the main entry route of the fungus, which can then spread through the plant and generate a gray rot. Among the results, the conclusion that three applications of BESTCURE® at 1.5 L/Ha from full bloom have a slightly better efficacy than chemical control stands out.
You can consult the results of all the trials that demonstrate the efficacy of Bestcure® in the field for the control of Botrytis in blueberries here.