Diseases

Phytophthora root rot of Vaccinium

Vaccinium L.

A fungal disease of plants of the genus Vaccinium, manifesting primarily as root and crown rot caused by the pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi.

In the reference 5 varieties crop Bilberry, where this is mentioned in the description.

The primary pathogen affecting highbush blueberry is the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi. In other members of the genus, such as bilberry and lingonberry, Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae species can cause stem and leaf necrosis.

The disease is characterized by sudden wilting, yellowing or reddening of leaves, and stunted growth. Dark brown girdling lesions form at the lower part of the stem, and the root system suffers from the death of fine rootlets, which most often occurs in areas with poor drainage.

Resistance to the pathogen in Vaccinium is a quantitatively inherited trait without the use of specific R-genes. Breeding is conducted based on phenotypic tolerance, with the cultivars Legacy, Liberty, Aurora, and Reka demonstrating higher resistance than Duke or Bluecrop.

General information about the subject — on the page Late blight.

Sources8

Varieties of Bilberry mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.