Raspberries

Potato leafhoppers Empoasca fabae started out showing up early in the season in our area in unexpected numbers and now they are showing up again in vegetables (eggplant and potato) fruit crops (raspberries) and hops where they are causing some problems (figs 1, 2, 3). Unlike earlier in the season when most of the leafhoppers were adults most of the ones found now are nymphs (fig 4).

About two weeks ago I heard some reports of possible damage caused by broad mites Polyphagotarsonemus latus in caneberries in the mid-Atlantic region. So I ventured out and looked at several raspberry and blackberry growing operations in Maryland. I found one farm with a light to moderate infestation of broad mites in their raspberries. This operation was relatively small consisting of a little more than a ¼ acre or so of caneberries.

Broad mites Polyphagotarsonemus latus have been found in a couple of raspberry fields in Maryland in the last week or so. Most fields had light to moderate infestations of broad mites. The problem is recognizing whether or not you have broad mites because they are so small, they are very difficult to find even with a 10x hand lens and their feeding can look very similar to the damage caused by some environmental problems or by viruses (which are usually the causes of the damage symptoms).

The recent weather has been damp with overcast skies and drizzle, which can lead to foliar diseases like botrytis and orange rust in brambles. Orange rust appears as blister-like masses of orange aeciospores on the lower leaf surfaces of blackberry plants, caused by fungal pathogens. Infection occurs after prolonged wetness, with temperatures between 43°F and 72°F.

A variety of information on commercial Bramble production including organic production, pest and weed management, frost and freeze prevention, and more.

Vegetable and Fruit News-2024 (Volume 15, Issue 4) topics: Orange Rust is a bigger problem than usual this year in brambles,

Multi-small fruit spray program for the control of major small fruit pests and diseases.

Sample Collection & Preparation for Perennial Fruit Crops

Primocane -fruiting or "fall-bearing" red raspberries produce fruit on the current season's growth in the late summer. These are grown in a system where the fall fruiting canes are mechanically mowed in the late winter (March/April), after which new canes sucker from the crown. This system is much more labor efficient, as there are minimal or no trellising requirements and also reduces disease pressure since all canes are removed each winter. The typical harvest season extends from mid-August through frost. As with any crop, extending the harvest season can increase profit. Manipulation of cultural practices (floating row covers and tipping) and varieties can be very effective in extending the primocane raspberry season, both earlier and later.