Blueberry Facts

Shoestring
Blueberry shoestring virus
Annemiek Schilder, MSU Plant Pathology
Bill Cline, NCSU Plant Pathology

Blueberry shoestring is a widespread disease of blueberry, especially in eastern North America.

Symptoms
Symptoms appear about 4 years after infection. Elongated reddish streaks (3 to 20 mm long) appear on green stems, especially on the side exposed to the sun. Infected leaves are red or purplish, elongated and straplike. Leaves may become cupped if one side of the leaf fails to develop. Flowers may be reddish and fruit may be reddish purple instead of blue at ripening.

		Disease cycle Blueberry shoe-string virus is vectored by the blueberry aphid (Illinoia pepperi). Transmission begins when aphids emerge in the spring and ends just before leaf drop in the fall. Aphids move from infected bushes to neighboring healthy ones as they feed. Aphids carrying the virus may also be transported down the row by mechanical harvesters.
Oak leaf pattern (left). Streaks on stems (right).

Management Roguing of infected bushes is not a commercially feasible practice; plant virus-tested clean planting stock; apply insecticides when aphids first appear; wash harvester to remove aphids before entering another field; cultivar Bluecrop has field resistance.

Straplike leaves on an infected plant.	Pink-tinged blossoms appear on infected plants.

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