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Spur Blight

Xenodidymella applanata

15 host plants

Last updated

Data Coverage 3 of 6 dimensions
Causal Agent
Host Plants
Symptoms
Management
GDD Threshold
Regional Notes

You'll notice brown necrotic leaf spots on red raspberry fruiting canes in late spring wet weather, followed by brown lesions at the base of buds. Xenodidymella applanata spreads via ascospores from overwintered fruiting bodies. Remove old canes after harvest, switch to drip irrigation, and plant resistant cultivars like 'Meeker'. Narrow row spacing and early spray at shoot emergence help manage this fungal disease.

Remove and destroy old fruiting canes after harvest. Keep plant rows narrow. Remove affected tissue promptly, cutting into healthy wood. Improve air circulation by thinning dense growth and avoid overhead watering during susceptible periods. Preventive fungicide applications may help where the problem recurs annually.

Quick Reference

Causal Agent
Xenodidymella applanata
Host Plants
15

Management

Vulnerability Window

Spray at bloom or when shoots are 8 to 10 inches long. | Infected areas become gray in winter.

Cultural Controls

  • Remove and destroy old fruiting canes after harvest.
  • Keep plant rows narrow.
  • Minimize or adjust irrigation so plants are not wet for long periods.
  • Switch to drip/trickle irrigation.
  • Practice good weed control.
  • Control early primocane growth.

Host Plants (15)