Virus Diseases
Blueberries are susceptible to a number of virus and virus-like diseases. Virus diseases are spread to healthy blueberry plants by vectors that include primarily aphids, nematodes, leafhoppers, and occasionally honeybees, which can spread virus-infected pollen. Virus diseases also are spread by diseased plants from infected nursery stock. Once a bush is infected with a virus, it remains infected for the life of the plant.
Virus diseases cannot be controlled like a fungal or bacterial disease with chemicals. Prevention and sanitation measures are the best control for virus diseases. Suggested control practices include planting virus-free clean stock plants in clean soil, destroying alternate hosts such as wild blueberries that may harbor viruses, removing and destroying plants that are diseased or suspected of having virus infections, and controlling insect and nematode vectors.
