As you head out to pick some of BC’s blueberries this weekend, you may find yourself with fewer berries in your basket than you may have expected.
It turns out that some blueberry plants in the province are dying. But what’s confusing for researchers is that they don’t exactly know why, as the plants are still testing negative for certain viruses.
Now, researchers from Genome BC are hunting for the reason for the blueberry die-off in recent years.
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There are already tests for two blueberry viruses Scorch and Shock, so when a farmer finds a sick plant they can determine the cause and take the actions to prevent its spread.
“In 2020, for instance, 18% of samples from damaged plants tested negative for both the blueberry scorch virus and blueberry shock virus,” Jim Mattsson said.
Mattsson is the lead researcher on project Genome Gumshoes.
“Now we’re seeing a new problem cropping up that is killing blueberry bushes. This project is using genomic science to identify the source of the ailment or ailments,” said AG Klei, senior communications manager at Genome BC.
Blueberry Scorch Virus | BC Blueberry Council
The project’s research team is working with the BC Blueberry Council to identify newer plant viruses.
“Once that has been done, we can develop a test so that farmers can know which of the problems that affect blueberry bushes they’re dealing with,” said Klei.
Using Genome Sequencing, the team has now found newer strains of viruses that may be the root of the problem.
Initial lab results confirmed two strains of a new blueberry virus and one strain of blueberry shock virus that has never been detected in BC before.
As some viruses don’t lead to damage to crops, it is too early to conclude if the new virus is responsible for the sick plants.
Blueberry Scorch Virus | BC Blueberry Council
Klei shed light on how this project can impact the future of the blueberry industry in BC. “If this project can successfully isolate the cause of this new problem, it will help to safeguard production volumes,” he said.
Genome-based technologies offer solutions to agricultural challenges according to Federica Di Palma, vice president of Research and Innovation at Genome BC. “This project is an excellent example of how genomic science and research directly benefit BC and British Columbians.”
Once the cause is found, BC-based Phyto Diagnostics will gather genomic information to develop diagnostic tests.
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