Patricio Munoz
0000-0001-8973-9351

Specialist

associate professor of blueberry breeding and genomics, and Horticulture Crop Breeding Endowed Chair, UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department, Gainesivlle, FL

Blueberry Breeding & Genomics Lab Profile

Publications

Anthracnose on Southern Highbush Blueberry

Douglas A. Phillips, Maria C. Velez-Climent, Philip F. Harmon, and Patricio R. Munoz

Evergreen Production System for Southern Highbush Blueberries in Florida

Douglas A. Phillips, Jeffrey G. Williamson, and Patricio R. Munoz

In central and south-central Florida, many southern highbush blueberries are grown in an evergreen system, where the plants do not go dormant, and are managed to retain their leaves from the previous year through harvest the following spring in order to support early flowering and fruit set. The evergreen system has also been used under tunnels in north-central Florida. This publication provides an overview of the evergreen production system for SHB in Florida.

Management of the Blueberry Gall Midge on Southern Highbush Blueberries in Florida

Marice Lopez, Patricio Munoz, and Oscar Liburd

The blueberry gall midge (BGM) is one of the most important pests of southern highbush blueberries in Florida. Monitoring for BGM using clear sticky traps or bucket traps should begin as early as November. Chemical control should be applied right before bud break and then ten days after bud break, or when at least two BGM are found on traps. Other management practices include the use of younger mulch, using potentially resistant cultivars, and chemical control such as Movento with Induce and Apta in rotation to avoid resistance development. Applications should also be timed with larval and adult emergence for optimal insecticide efficacy.

Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars from the University of Florida

D. A. Phillips, J. G. Williamson, P. M. Lyrene, and P. R. Munoz

Cultivar selection involves weighing the advantages and disadvantages of a cultivar relative to the grower’s needs. Unfortunately, there are no perfect cultivars suited for every location and management system. The following discussion categorizes southern highbush cultivars into three groups: (1) new cultivars; (2) established cultivars; and (3) secondary and obsolete cultivars.