Integrated Management of Bramble Diseases

Bramble disease control strategies

Disease control
considerations

Virusesa

Verticillium wilt

Orange rust

Cane blightsb

Powdery mildew

Fruit rot

Good air/water drainage
-
-
-
++
+
++
500+ ft from wild brambles
++
-
-
-
-
-
Rotation
+c
++d
-
-
-
-
Cultivar tolerance or resistance
++e
++f
++g
-
+
-
Avoid adjacent plantings
++j
-
++
-
+
-
Eliminate wild brambles
++
-
++
-
+
-
Disease-free stock
++
++
++
++
+
-
Aphid control (vectors)
++
-
-
-
-
-
Rogue infected plants
++
-
++
-
-
-
Speed drying (weeds, pruning)

-
++
++
-
++
Prune 3 days before rain
-
-
-
++
-
-
Dispose of diseased pruned canes
-
+
+
++
-
-
Maintain plant vigor
-
-
-
++
-
-
Fungicide sprays
-
-
++
++h
++i
-
Harvest before overripe
-
-
-
-
-
++
Fruit storage conditions
-
-
-
-
-
++

Key: ++= most important controls; += helpful controls; -= no effect.

a Viruses: Mosaic (rasp.), Leaf Curl (raspberry, with blackberry symptomless), Ringspot (red raspberry), and Streak (purple and black raspberry).

b Cane blights: anthracnose, cane blight, spur blight, and Botrytis blight.

c Rotation effective for ringspot virus only; 2 years of grass crop (e.g. corn) with excellent weed control before planting red raspberry should eliminate need to fumigate for Xiphinema, a nematode vector.

d Rotation for Verticillium wilt: Avoid fields planted to susceptible crops (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, strawberries, raspberries, stone fruit) within the past 5 years. Avoid fields with history of Verticillium wilt unless soil is fumigated.

e Virus resistance, tolerance, and immunity: Mosaic-Blackberries are not affected; black and purple raspberries are more severely affected than red raspberries. Of purple and black raspberries, "New Logan", "Bristol", and "Black Hawk" are tolerant; "Cumberland" is susceptible. Of red raspberries, "Milton", "September", "Canby", and "Indian Summer" are Resistant because aphid vectors avoid them. Leaf Curl-Blackberries are symptomless; all raspberries are affected. Tomato Ringspot-Red raspberries are affected. Streak - Black and purple raspberries are affected.

f Verticillium tolerance: Most blackberries are resistant; red raspberries are more tolerant than black raspberries. "Cuthbert" and "Syracuse" red raspberries appear to be resistant under field conditions.

g Orange Rust resistance: Red raspberries are immune. Other brambles are affected. Of blackberries, "Eldorado", "Raven", "Snyder", "Ebony King", "Choctaw", "Commanche", "Cherokee", and "Cheyenne" are reported resistant.

h Fungicide program for cane blights: The lime-sulfur spray (delayed dormant) is most important for anthracnose and cane blight.

i Fungicide program for powdery mildew: Sulfur will provide good control of powdery mildew.

j Keep blacks and purples away from reds because mosaic virus can spread from reds and is more severe on blacks and purples; Keep all reds away from blackberries because blackberries can be a symptomless carrier of leaf curl