Sampling Guidelines for Blueberry Scorch Virus

Tools:

• Pruning shears (optional)
• Notebook/ field maps
• Permanent Marker or Pen
• Marking/flagging tape
• Container lined with boxed, individual wells such as those used in fishing tackle or hardware storage
  

These guidelines are to be used as a resource for submitting tissue samples to be tested for Blueberry Scorch Virus (BlSV). These guidelines are a companion to BlSV information resources such as Dr. Bob Martin’s “Blueberry Scorch Virus Pest Alert and Fact Sheet” .

When sampling for BlSV, it is extremely important that a routine is developed so that the tissue sample can be traced back to the individual bush that the sample came from. This allows you to remove the infected bush immediately after virus detection. The longer a plant remains in the field, the greater the chance that aphids can spread the virus to other plants.

Sampling in fields with BlSV-like symptoms:

• Sample during full bloom when first leaves are fully expanded
• Sample bushes with symptoms
• Mark the bush using flagging tape
• Write a code on the flagging tape that corresponds to the code for the well in your container
• Select 5 fully expanded, young leaves with each leaf coming from a different cane
• Place the sample into the corresponding well
• Record the sample number on a map of the field so you can relocate the plant
• Sample as many plants as possible in the blocks that exhibit BlSV-like symptoms
• Refrigerate samples and ship immediately with a cool gel pack to:
  Robert R. Martin
  USDA-ARS-HCRL
  3420 NW Orchard Ave.
  Corvallis, OR 97330
• Keep your sample records and maps

Sampling in fields with no BlSV-like symptoms or newly planted fields:

• Randomly select plants for sampling
• Sample 500 plants for every 10,000
• Follow the same guidelines above for handling individual samples

What should I do if a sample tests positive for Blueberry Scorch Virus?

• Backtrack to that individual plant using your sampling records and maps
• Completely remove the infected plant
• Immediately initiate aphid management program in the surrounding area
• Test surrounding plants for BlSV
• Keep aphid populations suppressed using sound IPM practices such as regular monitoring
• Replant with virus-free stock or BlSV tolerant varieties