NARBA comes to North Carolina!

 

The 2024 NARBA Conference will be held in Wilmington, North Carolina on February 27th & 28th.

We look forward to having you join us for 2 days of engaging research presentations, networking opportunities and local farm tours of the region. Conference registration & hotel room block will open in September 2023. Watch for more information and mark your calendars with these dates in 2024.

We know that not everyone can travel and join us in person, so we will offer a partial conference virtual option. Further information for the virtual conference will be available in fall 2023.

Here is a link for registration. 

Caneberry Pricing

The North American Raspberry & Blackberry Association (NARBA) is conducting a survey, in conjunction with the North Carolina State University, to learn more about caneberry pricing and retail strategies for 2023. Information collected in the survey will be used to gain a better understanding of the marketing, pricing, and sales strategies currently being used by caneberry producers across the United States and Canada. A report will be emailed to all participants if requested.

The survey should only take around 10 minutes to complete. Participation is completely voluntary. Your responses will be recorded anonymously and no identifying personal information will be collected within the survey. You are free to refuse to participate in the research and to stop completing the survey at any time.

If you have any questions about the survey itself, please contact Dr. Tregeagle by email at tregeagle@ncsu.edu or by phone at (919) 515-6091. In addition, you can contact the NC State IRB Office via email at irb-director@ncsu.edu or via phone at (919) 515-8754. You may also contact NARBA.

Survey LINK

This survey was last conducted in 2020 and was widely read and useful to growers and those of us in the public sector.  Here is a link to the 2020 report.

Caneberry Production Guide NEW

We are thrilled to share a revised Southeast Regional Caneberry Production Guide. Follow this link to the NC State Extension Rubus Portal for the complete guide. This version includes a new chapter on plant growth and an update on fertility. Links to each chapter are included below. A huge thanks to the co-authors  Drs. Amanda McWhirt, Christine Bradish,  Penelope Perkins-Veazie, and John Havlin. 

1. Introduction
   • Types of Caneberries
   • Growth Habit
   • Fruiting Habit
   • Thorniness
   • Fruit Color (Raspberries)
2. Cultivars
3. Site Selection
   • General
   • Blackberry
   • Raspberry
   • Row Orientation
4. Site Preparation, Planting, and Establishment
   • Site Preparation
   • Soil Tests
   • Nematode Tests
   • Planting
   • Establishment
     • Spacing – Blackberry
     • Spacing – Raspberry
     • Alleys
5. Plant Growth
   • General
   • Floricane-Fruiting Blackberries and Raspberries
   • Primocane-Fruiting Raspberries and Blackberries
   • Lifecycle through the Seasons
6. Pruning and Training
   • General
   • Erect Floricane-Fruiting Blackberries
   • Semi-Erect and Trailing Floricane-Fruiting Blackberries
   • Primocane-Fruiting Blackberries (Single or Double Cropped)
   • Floricane-Fruiting Raspberries
7. Trellis Systems
   • I-Trellis (Hedgerow)
   • V-Trellis (with Metal T-Posts)
   • T-Trellis
   • Moveable Trellises
8. Tunnel Production
9. Water Management
   • General
   • Trickle/Drip Irrigation
   • Mulching
10. Integrated Pest Management and Pollination
11. Fertility Management
    • General
    • Blackberry Fertilization
    • Raspberry Fertilization
    • Leaf Analysis
12. Fruit Development
    • General
    • Blackberry
    • Raspberry
13. Harvesting and Postharvest Management
    • General
    • Blackberry
    • Raspberry
14. Food Safety Considerations for Caneberry Production
15. References
16. Acknowledgements

BOLO (Be on the Lookout) for Orange Rust

Sara Villani has posted a BOLO for orange rust on the CES Rubus Portal: https://rubus.ces.ncsu.edu/2022/05/bolo-for-orange-rust/

Black spots on rasberry fruit grown in tunnels

Black spots on ripe raspberry fruit

 

An agent recently sent me this image of raspberry fruit with black spots on them. The fruit was growing in a high tunnel. 

We have seen this type of thing in the past and this is what we have gleaned from discussions with other tunnel scientists and lab reports:

• Past pathology reports from labs in NC and SC have identified botrytis and cladosoprium on fruit with similar symptoms.
• One current theory is that tunnels have high relative humidity and lower air circulation. When the flowers begin to turn to fruit, the petals land on the developing fruit and create an ideal tiny spot for diseases to start. 
• Suggestions for control would be to make sure there is good air circulation especially during petal fall.
• Apply a fungicide during bloom/petal fall. Consult your state recommendations. 

 

Nursery List 2022 (courtesy of NARBA)

Below is a nursery list compiled by the North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association. I am also providing a PDF link.

https://raspberryblackberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2021-2022-Caneberry-Nursery-List.pdf

Fusarium Wilt, an emerging disease in southeastern NC blackberry fields

Bill Cline has recently posted a Plant Disease Factsheet on Fusarium Wilt in blackberry. This has so far only been seen in southeastern NC. 

 Here is the first paragraph, see link for more information. 

"Fusarium wilt is an emerging disease of blackberry in commercial plantings in southeastern North Carolina. Fungi in the genus Fusarium are known to cause wilt diseases on plant hosts worldwide. Fusarium species are often host-specific, attacking only a single host species or group. Examples in North Carolina include wilts of blackberry, tomato, eggplant, pepper, watermelon, soybean and ornamentals. The pathogen is soil borne and can survive for years in infested soils."

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/fusarium-wilt-of-blackberry