Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play vital roles in sustainable agriculture, yet evidence linking AMF community composition to plant benefits remains limited. To address this gap, we inoculated two commercial rootstocks (Schwarzmann and 5 C) with AMF communities recovered from different rootstocks from one site to determine effects on plant growth parameters and physiological responses. A glasshouse experiment using a ‘home’ and ‘away’ approach was designed to examine the interaction between rootstock variety and different AMF communities, including those from their own (‘home’) and other rootstocks’ rhizosphere soils (‘away’). Our results showed that rootstocks grown in their ‘home’ AMF communities exhibited greater above and below ground biomass compared to ‘away’ AMF communities, highlighting rootstock specificity in selecting AMF communities. AMF communities increased chlorophyll content and nutrient uptake (copper, boron) in grapevine leaves, where AMF communities dominated by Funneliformis sp., Ambispora sp. followed by Glomus spp. were associated with enhanced grapevine growth. This study enhances our understanding of community-level AMF-grapevine interactions and highlight the ecosystem services these fungi provide. Future research is needed using grafted plants to evaluate their response with different scions following AMF inoculation and to assess the effects of these AMF communities on berry biochemical composition.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate biotrophs that form a symbiotic and mutualistic relationship with most terrestrial plants, playing an important role in plant growth, nutrient acquisition, and ecosystem stability. This review synthesizes current knowledge on AMF colonization in plants within New Zealand ecosystems, including the challenges and opportunities of molecular identification techniques used in characterizing AMF communities in natural and managed systems. The ecosystem services provided by AMF, such as improved growth parameters, enhanced nutrition, and disease control, are discussed in detail, highlighting their significance in sustainable agriculture and natural ecosystems. Additionally, the role of AMF in invasion ecology was examined, revealing their dual potential to either facilitate or hinder invasive plant species. Despite significant advances in understanding AMF biology, future research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms of AMF-plant interactions and to address the challenges caused by changing environmental conditions. This review focused on the importance of AMF in promoting ecosystem resilience and suggests avenues for future research to harness their full potential in agricultural and ecological contexts.

In a previous study of fungal endophytes associated with grapevine trunk disease (GTD) in New Zealand vineyards, Botrytis cinerea was recovered from the inner trunk tissues of vines that were symptomatic or asymptomatic for GTD. The effect of B. cinerea, considered an endophytic latent pathogen, on colonisation and symptom development by the grapevine trunk pathogens Neofusicoccum parvum and Diplodia seriata was investigated. B. cinerea isolates recovered from both GTD symptomatic and asymptomatic grapevine trunks, and isolates from infected berries, were pathogenic on green shoots and berries. In planta interactions between B. cinerea and N. parvum or D. seriata were evaluated on detached green Sauvignon Blanc shoots and woody stems of 2-year-old potted Sauvignon Blanc vines. Lesion length and colonisation of the shoots by the pathogens was determined by reisolation, 2 and 12 weeks post-inoculation for detached and attached shoots, respectively. D. seriata did not produce lesions but was shown to endophytically colonise, being recovered from inoculated shoots. Reisolation of D. seriata was unaffected by co-inoculation with B. cinerea in both detached and attached shoots. For N. parvum, co-inoculation with B. cinerea did not affect lesion lengths in detached shoots. In contrast, in attached shoots co-inoculation by B. cinerea inhibited N. parvum lesion development. This was hypothesised to be due to contrasting infection mechanisms by the two Botryosphaeriaceae species and alteration in the host response between detached and attached tissues. The findings indicate that B. cinerea is involved in the GTD complex and affects symptom expression.

AIMS:Endophytic colonisation of apple shoots by bacterial endophytes with in vitro antagonism against Neonectria ditissima was evaluated. Their biocontrol activity against N. ditissima was assessed. METHODS AND RESULTS:Spontaneous mutants resistant to 125 ppm rifampicin produced from three Pseudomonas sp. and three Bacillus sp. strains were used to assess endophytic colonisation of detached 'Royal Gala' apple shoots. Re-isolation on rifampicin amended agar followed by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR verified endophytic colonisation by three Pseudomonas sp. rifampicin mutants up to 4-5 cm above and below the inoculation point. Colonisation ability was not found for the three Bacillus rifampicin mutants. Recovery frequency and total length of detached shoots colonised by N. ditissima was not reduced. In attached shoots, length of shoot tissue colonised by Pseudomonas mutant strains did not differ between treatments at either assessment time. Pseudomonas sp. 1RIF inoculated 14 days before N. ditissima reduced length of shoot colonised by N. ditissima. The other treatments did not reduce length of shoot colonised by N. ditissima indicating no in planta biocontrol activity. CONCLUSION:Combination of spontaneous rifampicin resistant bacterial mutants and ERIC-PCR reliably tracked bacteria in planta. Lack of in planta biocontrol activity was not due to absence of endophytic colonisation.

Seeds are often treated with fungicides and antibiotics to eliminate pathogens during propagation. However, seeds harbour complex microbial communities, including beneficial endophytes that could also be affected by seed treatments. Metrosideros excelsa (Myrtaceae) is a New Zealand endemic tree widely planted within the country and overseas. Seedlings of M. excelsa display wide variation in susceptibility to a fungal pathogen Austropuccinia psidii, which causes myrtle rust disease suggesting that seed-borne microbial composition may play a role in seedling protection and growth. We investigated the effects of fungicides on the beneficial seed-borne bacterial isolates, the effects of antimicrobial treatment on seedling development, the plant growth-promoting properties of the seed microbiome, and the ability of bacterial isolates to suppress pathogenic fungi. Our results show that seed-borne bacteria Bacillus and Priestia suppressed seed-borne fungi, both pathogenic and endophytic, with average inhibition rates of 74%, and several bacterial isolates reduced A. psidii spore germination in vitro. In contrast, endophytic Methylobacterium and Mycolicibacterium facilitated fungal growth. Fungicide applications are considered the most effective method to control myrtle rust disease; however, we found that fungicides may adversely impact beneficial seed-borne bacteria. Antimicrobial seed treatment also suppressed the growth of corresponding seedlings. Our experiments demonstrate that treated seeds can be further inoculated with beneficial seed-borne endophytes, increasing seedling shoot biomass up to three times. Additionally, the bacterium Kocuria and the fungus Penicillium significantly enhanced root development. These results suggest that employing seed-borne microbial isolates with growth-promoting potential may improve outcomes in nursery conditions.

Invasion by exotic plants is a major threat to ecosystem biodiversity globally. Although mutualistic belowground associations can play a significant role in successful invasion, studies have shown mixed results regarding the effects of plant invasion on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Here, we tested how exotic dominance (i.e. invasion extent) in plant communities impacts arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community diversity, composition, and generalism at the scale of individual plants and plant communities, and whether these impacts are explained or moderated by plant root traits (root diameter). We characterized root traits and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in the roots of native and exotic plants growing together in experimental plant communities that ranged in invasion extent (exotic plant dominance from 0% to 100%). Increases in exotic dominance decreased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in both individual plant roots and plant communities. Greater relative abundance of generalist AMF was also observed in plant communities with increasing exotic dominance. Although root diameter affected fungal composition, it did not moderate or drive the effect of exotics. Our results highlight the role of invasion extent in understanding how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities respond to exotic plant invasion and the importance of preserving belowground biodiversity.

Dieback of blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum) is an increasing problem worldwide with several pathogens including the Botryosphaeriaceae species, Neofusicoccum ribis, reported as being associated with dieback. To identify the species of Botryosphaeriaceae associated with blackcurrant dieback in New Zealand, isolations were carried out from plant samples with dieback symptoms collected from blackcurrant orchards in the main growing areas in the South Island of New Zealand. For one site, symptomatic grapevines in an adjacent vineyard were also sampled as they are known hosts of these species. The pathogenicity of representative isolates from each of the species recovered was determined on detached blackcurrant shoots. Of the 242 symptomatic plant materials collected, 29% were infected by Botryosphaeriaceae. Species of Botryosphaeriaceae were recovered from plant samples from all four orchards sampled. Of the 70 Botryosphaeriaceae isolates recovered from blackcurrant, Diplodia seriata (43 isolates) and D. mutila (17 isolates) were the most prevalent species, with Neofusicoccum australe (6 isolates), N. cryptoaustrale (3 isolates) and one isolate of D. sapinea also recovered. D. seriata, D. mutila, N. australe and N. cryptoaustrale were also recovered from symptomatic grapevine tissues sampled from the adjacent vineyard and all but N. cryptoaustrale were found in the blackcurrant crop adjacent to this vineyard. All species were pathogenic on detached green shoots, with N. australe and N. cryptoaustrale the most pathogenic, producing the longest lesions compared with D. seriata and D. mutila. This is the first study on the incidence and pathogenicity of species of the Botryosphaeriaceae infecting blackcurrant plants in New Zealand.

Plant-parasitic nematodes threaten horticultural crops, causing damage by feeding on plant roots, reducing yields, and affecting global food security. We present preliminary results on nematode genera found in soil around two varieties of grapevine (Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir) with different rootstocks (101-14, SO4, 5C, Riparia Gloire, 3309, Schwarzmann) in ten vineyards located in Blenheim, part of the largest grape-growing area in New Zealand. Soil samples were collected, and nematodes were extracted using a modified centrifugal-flotation technique. Nematode counting and morphological identification to genus level was conducted based on characteristics such as stylet size and overall body shape. Soil texture analysis was performed, and the influences of grape variety and rootstock as well as soil type on nematode diversity were assessed. Four genera of plant-parasitic nematodes, including Pratylenchus, Paratylenchus, Helicotylenchus, and Criconomella, were recovered from the vineyard soils and a snapshot of relative abundance was determined. Differences in the nematode genera and their relative abundance among varieties and rootstocks were found, which suggests potential interactions between nematode genera and grapevine rootstocks/scions. This preliminary survey provides updated information on nematodes since the last survey conducted 20 years ago in New Zealand. This work indicates the presence of various genera of plant-parasitic nematodes in soils around grapevines grown around Blenheim, New Zealand. These findings highlight the need for further research to understand the interactions between nematodes, grape varieties, and rootstocks. The importance of addressing this knowledge gap for biosecurity measures and potential implications on grapevine growth and vineyard productivity is discussed.

Understanding host-microbe interactions in planta is an expanding area of research. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene is a powerful and common method to study bacterial communities associated with plants. However, the co-amplification of mitochondrial and plastid 16S rRNA genes by universal primers impairs the sensitivity and performance of 16S rRNA sequencing. In 2020, a new method, Cas-16S-seq, was reported in the literature to remove host contamination for profiling the microbiota in rice, a well-studied domestic plant, by engineering RNA-programmable Cas9 nuclease in 16S rRNA sequencing. For the first time, we tested the efficiency and applicability of the Cas-16S-seq method on foliage, flowers, and seed of a non-domesticated wild plant for which there is limited genomic information, Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka). Our study demonstrated the efficiency of the Cas-16S-seq method for L. scoparium in removing host contamination in V4-16S amplicons. An increase of 46

AIMS:Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can perform significant functions within sustainable agricultural ecosystems, including vineyards. Increased AMF diversity can be beneficial in promoting plant growth and increasing resilience to environmental changes. To effectively utilize AMF communities and their benefits in vineyard ecosystems, a better understanding of how management systems influence AMF community composition is needed. Moreover, it is unknown whether AMF communities in organically managed vineyards are distinct from those in conventionally managed vineyards. METHODS AND RESULTS:In this study, vineyards were surveyed across the Marlborough region, New Zealand to identify the AMF communities colonizing the roots of different rootstocks grafted with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in both conventional and organic systems. The AMF communities were identified based on spores isolated from trap cultures established with the collected grapevine roots, and by next-generation sequencing technologies (Illumina MiSeq). The identified AMF species/genera belonged to Glomeraceae, Entrophosporaceae, and Diversisporaceae. The results revealed a significant difference in AMF community composition between rootstocks and in their interaction with management systems. CONCLUSIONS:These outcomes indicated that vineyard management systems influence AMF recruitment by rootstocks and some rootstocks may therefore be more suited to organic systems due to the AMF communities they support. This could provide an increased benefit to organic systems by supporting higher biodiversity.

Seed endophytic bacteria and fungi are co-dispersed with seeds and are likely founders of the initial endophytic microbiome in developing seedlings. The effects of the seed microbiome on seedling survival and growth are of particular interest for their roles in protection against pathogens and plant resistance to environmental stress. The fungal pathogen Austropuccinia psidii (G. Winter) Beenken is the causal agent of myrtle rust, which infects more than 480 species of Myrtaceae globally and poses a severe threat to New Zealand endemic species such as Metrosideros excelsa Sol. ex Gaertn. We hypothesised that seedlings of M. excelsa may contain seed-derived microbial communities that may contribute to variation in susceptibility to A. psidii. Culture based methods were used to recover 22 species of fungi (n = 412 isolates) and 16 bacterial taxa (n = 156 isolates) from 1580 M. excelsa seeds collected from 30 trees. Our results indicate broad variation in the isolation frequency and species composition of seed-borne microorganisms among individual trees: while seeds sampled from four trees were free of culturable microorganisms, the other 26 trees accumulated up to eight culturable taxa (both bacteria and fungi) in their seeds, including some species known to be beneficial endophytes or phytopathogens. The most frequently isolated fungal species belong to genera Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Pestalotiopsis. These fungi were often isolated from seeds also containing bacteria of the genera Bacillus, Erwinia, and Methylobacterium. At the same time, seeds collected from four trees contained known plant pathogens Colletotrichum aff. fioriniae (Marcelino & Gouli) Pennycook, Neofusicoccum sp., and Robbsia aff. andropogonis (Smith) Lopes-Santos et al., which could affect seed germination. This is the first report of bacterial and fungal communities residing in seeds of endemic New Zealand trees and the potential effects of seed-borne microbiomes on germination.

The ability of plants to select effective symbiotic partners is crucial for optimum plant growth. In New Zealand, breeding programmes for white clover (Trifolium repens) have made selections largely based on above-ground characteristics, with little direct attention given to the ability of cultivars to form effective below-ground associations. The ability of three pairs of historical (1930s-1950s), and modern (2000s) cultivars of white clover, to form associations with effective strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum (rhizobia) from a mixture of strains was tested in vitro. First, the efficacy of six individual strains of rhizobia was ranked against all six clover cultivars with shoot biomass used as a direct measure of symbiotic effectiveness for each strain x cultivar combination. Next, each cultivar was inoculated with a mixture of all rhizobia strains at the same cell concentration to examine the identity and frequency of strains found on each host. There was a positive relationship between nodule occupancy and strain effectiveness for historical but not modern cultivars. Cultivars Grasslands Huia and Louisiana (both historical) had nodule occupancy increase with strain effectiveness. This study provides some evidence that historical cultivars may be better able to form associations with effective strains of rhizobia compared with modern cultivars.

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are a substantial challenge to viticulture, especially with a lack of available control measures. The lack of approved fungicides necessitates the exploration of alternative controls. One promising approach is the investigation of disease escape plants, which remain healthy under high disease pressure, likely due to their microbiome function. This study explored the microbiome of grapevines with the disease escape phenotype. DNA metabarcoding of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and 16S ribosomal RNA gene was applied to trunk tissues of GTD escape and adjacent diseased vines. Our findings showed that the GTD escape vines had a significantly different microbiome compared with diseased vines. The GTD escape vines consistently harbored a higher relative abundance of the bacterial taxa Pseudomonas and Hymenobacter. Among fungi, Aureobasidium and Rhodotorula were differentially associated with GTD escape vines, while the GTD pathogen, Eutypa, was associated with the diseased vines. This is the first report of the link between the GTD escape phenotype and the grapevine microbiome.

Plant root systems rely on a functionally diverse range of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to, among other benefits, extend their nutrient foraging. Extended nutrient foraging is likely of greatest importance to coarse-rooted plants, yet few studies have examined the link between root traits and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community composition. Here, we examine the relationship between root diameter and the composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in a range of native and exotic plant species. We characterized the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities of 30 co-occurring native and exotic montane grassland/shrubland plant species in New Zealand. We found that plant root diameter and native/exotic status both strongly correlated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community composition. Coarse-rooted plants had a lower diversity of mycorrhizal fungi compared with fine-rooted plants and associated less with generalist fungal partners. Exotic plants had a lower diversity of fungi and fewer associations with nondominant families of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi compared with native plants. These observational patterns suggest that plants may differentially associate with fungal partners based on their root traits, with coarse-rooted plants being more specific in their associations. Furthermore, exotic plants may associate with dominant arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal taxa as a strategy in invasion.

Demand for sustainable crop production is putting pressure on growers to improve yield while using environmentally friendly solutions. Recently, entomopathogenic fungi have been reported to promote plant growth under certain conditions; however, colonisation of plants as endophytes may be inconsistent or persistence within plant tissues brief. We studied the effects of inoculating three Beauveria bassiana isolates in comparison with a known plant-growth-promoting isolate of Trichoderma sp. “atroviride B” as a positive control, on the growth of maize (Zea mays L.). We tested the plant response by measuring multiple parameters including biomass, length, chlorophyll content and root architecture following inoculation, to identify even subtle plant growth effects. Fungal isolates were inoculated by inserting hyphae through a small wound made in the stem of emerging seedlings, a technique that has not been previously used for B. bassiana. Results showed neutral effects on biomass, but plants exhibited root architecture changes because of inoculation with B. bassiana isolate (FRh2), which increased fine root length and because of T. sp. “atroviride B” which increased larger diameter root length. A higher chlorophyll content was observed for plants inoculated with B. bassiana isolate (J18), although this did not correlate with biomass differences. The inoculation technique enabled the comparison of systemic effects to the plants and may have affected subtle but important root-trait modifications. Changes to root architecture can impact resource acquisition in plants, therefore this study highlights the importance of measuring various physiological changes in the plant host when assessing for potential growth effects.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) deliver potentially significant services in sustainable agricultural ecosystems, yet we still lack evidence showing how AMF abundance and/or community composition can benefit crops. In this study, we manipulated AMF communities in grapevine rootstock and measured plant growth and physiological responses. Glasshouse experiments were set up to determine the interaction between rootstock variety and different AMF communities, using AMF communities originating under their own (i.e., "home") soil and other rootstocks' (i.e., "away") soil. The results revealed that specific AMF communities had differential effects on grapevine rootstock growth and nutrient uptake. It was demonstrated that a rootstock generally performed better in the presence of its own AMF community. This study also showed that AMF spore diversity and the relative abundance of certain species is an important factor as, when present in equal abundance, competition between species was indicated to occur, resulting in a reduction in the positive growth outcomes. Moreover, there was a significant difference between the communities with some AMF communities increasing plant growth and nutrient uptake compared with others. The outcomes also demonstrated that some AMF communities indirectly influenced the chlorophyll content in grapevine leaves through the increase of specific nutrients such as K, Mn, and Zn. The findings also indicated that some AMF species may deliver particular benefits to grapevine plants. This work has provided an improved understanding of community level AMF-grapevine interaction and delivered an increased knowledge of the ecosystem services they provide which will benefit the wine growers and the viticulture industry.

Genetic diversity and virulence variability of Diplodia mutila isolates recovered from grapevines in New Zealand were in-vestigated. The universally primed PCR (UP-PCR) and vegeta-tive compatibility group (VCG) methods were used to investi-gate the genetic diversity. Pathogenicity tests with 'Sauvignon Blanc' detached shoots and potted vines were used to de-termine the virulence diversity. UP-PCR analysis determined eight genetic groups of D. mutila with 70% of the population within one group. Phylogenetic analysis also determined that New Zealand isolates were more closely related to Australi-an isolates than Californian isolates. Vegetative compatibility grouping analysis placed the isolates into three VCG groups with 57% of isolates belonging to all three VCGs. Vegetative compatibility reactions were observed among isolates, but this was not correlated with the genetic clustering. Viru-lence assays proved that all isolates tested were pathogenic on grapevine stems. Differences in necrotic lesions lengths caused by D. mutila isolates were identified, indicating differ-ent virulence levels among isolates, however, no relationship was found between the genetic groups and the virulence. The results of the study indicated movement of D. mutila isolates between nurseries, vineyards, and other sources in New Zea-land. This information will inform control strategies to lim-it the further spread of this pathogen into vineyards in the same region or new regions.

The criteria by which plants select symbiotic partners are largely unknown, but functional complementarity of partner traits could be important to symbioses such as arbuscular mycorrhizas. Specifically, coarse-rooted plants are more likely to be limited by nutrient diffusion compared with fine-rooted plants, and therefore more reliant on fungi that can compensate with traits that maximize soil exploration. However there remains no evidence directly linking plant root traits and fungal functional traits. We transplanted the root microbiome of 30 native and exotic plant species ranging in root diameter, onto an unrelated host plant species in multi-compartment pots. We then quantified fungal hyphal exploration and characterized the fungal community near and far from roots. We found that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from coarse-rooted plants produced more hyphal biomass and explored further away from the plant roots. This study provides the first evidence of functional complementarity between plant roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Black foot disease of grapevines is a significant economic issue for the viticulture industry worldwide. The disease is mainly associated with soil borne pathogen species within the genera Dactylonectria and Ilyonectria. The aim of this study was to determine the pathogenicity of different pathogen propagules, including chlamydospores, conidia and mycelium, to grapevine rootstocks grown in soil. A combination of nine isolates belonging to Dactylonectria and Ilyonectria genera, representative of the fungal species associated with black foot disease in New Zealand were used to inoculate grapevines in a field experiment. In the second experiment, the pathogenicity of the different propagules was assessed in different soil types, clay loam, silt loam and sandy loam soils. In the field experiment, chlamydospores and conidia resulted in higher disease incidence and severity at 0 cm above the grapevine stem base compared with mycelium. At 5 cm above the stem base, chlamydospores caused the greatest disease incidence compared with the other two propagules. Propagule type had no effect on shoot and root dry weights. In the pot experiment, soil type affected disease incidence and severity, with clay loam soil resulting in significantly greater disease incidence and severity than silt loam or sandy loam soils. Disease severity at 0 cm above the stem base was significantly higher with conidial inoculations compared with chlamydospore inoculations irrespective of soil type. Root dry weights were also affected with heavier roots from plants grown in sandy loam compared with silt loam and clay loam soils, however, shoot dry weight was greater in clay loam and sandy loam compared with silt loam soils. The results of the study confirmed that all propagule types were able to infect grapevine rootstocks when planted in inoculated soil and showed that although the pathogens were capable of infecting the rootstocks in all soil types, disease level was higher in the heavier clay loam soil. It is therefore recommended that growers either avoid planting in such soils or apply strategies to improve drainage and soil aeration.

AIM:Botryosphaeriaceae causing stem blight and dieback of blueberry are important pathogens limiting economic production worldwide. This study investigated the pathogenicity and relative virulence of isolates from the Neofusicoccum species commonly associated with blueberries in New Zealand on different tissues and cultivars of blueberries. METHODS AND RESULTS:Both wounded and non-wounded fruit and flower buds and wounded attached soft green and hard green shoots were susceptible to infection by conidia of Neofusicoccum australe, Neofusicoccum parvum and Neofusicoccum ribis. N. ribis was generally most virulent, followed by N. parvum and then N. australe. Inoculation of potting mixture with N. australe or N. ribis conidia showed that potting mixtures were not a source of inoculum for infection of blueberry roots. Wounded and non-wounded leaf buds, fruit and wounded soft green shoots and hard green shoots of the different cultivars tested were susceptible to infection by N. parvum and N. ribis. Whilst the fruit of all cultivars were similarly infected, infection incidence in inoculated leaf buds was lowest in "Blue Bayou" and "Ocean Blue". Cultivar susceptibility differed when tested on soft green shoots compared with hard green shoots, with shortest lesions developed on "Maru" on soft green shoots, and "Centra Blue" and "Ocean Blue" on hard green shoots. CONCLUSIONS:All tested above-ground blueberry tissues, including non-wounded tissue, were susceptible to Neofusicoccum spp. All the cultivars assessed were susceptible to infection, although they varied in their relative susceptibility depending on the tissue assessed. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY:The potential for non-wounded tissue to become infected indicate that fungicides may need to be applied to protect all tissue, not just wounds.