Understanding the Prevalence of Scorch Virus (BlScV) in Oregon
Investigating the presence of blueberry scorch virus and other viruses in Oregon production fields
Blueberry growers and researchers had observed a range of virus-related issues in production fields, creating questions about which viruses were present and how they might be contributing to symptoms seen in plants.
During the first year of this multi-year project, high-throughput sequencing of plant material collected in the Northwest identified additional viruses that had not previously been described or known to occur, alongside blueberry scorch virus (BlScV). At the time, BlScV—which is terminal for infected plants—was thought to be exceedingly rare in Oregon.
During the second year, samples from project fields were analyzed for the newly identified viruses to better understand how they might compound symptoms generally associated with blueberry shock virus (BlShV). Sampling in 2020 also detected BlScV in more fields and farms than expected.
In 2022, the project expanded screening across a wider number of fields because of the seriousness of BlScV. Results found positive detections in numerous fields, indicating that blueberry scorch virus had spread and was more common in Oregon production fields than previously presumed.
The work helped build a clearer picture of BlScV prevalence while expanding what was understood about the viruses present in regional blueberry production.