Raspberry
These guidelines are based on those developed by S. Schloemann, A.R. Bonanno, D.R. Cooley & C.S. Hollingsworth, published in C.S. Hollingsworth & W.M. Coli (eds). 1999. Massachusetts Integrated Pest Management Guidelines: Crop Specific Definitions. University of Massachusetts Extension Publication IP-IPMA.
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Preplant Practices
- Land is planted to cover crop(s) for one year prior to establishing raspberry planting. Land is not planted with Solanaceous plants (potato, tomato, eggplant, etc.), alfalfa, wild brambles, or strawberries within 2 years of establishing raspberries. 5 pts
- Wild brambles near plantings are eliminated. 5 pts
- Rows and trellises are spaced and oriented to achieve optimal airflow and circulation to allow for good drying conditions for foliage and reduce the tendency for disease development. *5 pts
- Raspberry plantings are made on raised beds where needed, such as heavy, wet soils. 5 pts
- Irrigation is supplied to the plants. Overhead irrigation is not installed. 5 pts
- A water use plan that minimizes disease development, optimizes water-use efficiency and minimizes erosion and runoff is used. (In most cases, this means the use of a trickle irrigation system.) 2 pts
- A fertigation system is installed and used for fertilizer delivery. 2 pts
- Nematode sampling is conducted before establishing raspberries. 2 pts
- Only virus indexed plants are used. 5 pts
- Raspberry plants are mulched during the first year of planting only; mulch is removed in subsequent years. 5 pts
Category Total 38 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts
Soil and Nutrient Management and Cultural Practices
Cultural practices are of value in management of nutrients, weeds,
diseases, or insects. The goal of a sound fertility program is to supply
adequate nutrients with optimum timing for maximum economical crop yield,
while avoiding excesses that can degrade water quality or adversely affect
crop or soil quality.
- Fields have been evaluated with an appropriate soil test for nutrient
status and pH
for the current year. 10 pts - Fertilizer applications are based on soil tests and leaf tissue analysis. Excessive nitrogen application is avoided. 5 pts
- Pruning is conducted after harvest to remove diseased, and insect-infested wood. 5 pts
- Spent canes (unless diseased or insect-infested) are allowed to
remain in place until
midwinter as they provide important carbohydrate reserves for the following
year's
crop. Thus, spent canes are not pruned out until mid- to late-winter or early spring. 5 pts - Prunings are flail-mowed, chopped, incorporated into the soil or removed from the field. 5 pts
Category Total 30 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts
Pesticides Application and Records
Only pesticides approved and registered for raspberry in the state are used. Records of pesticide applications are maintained, including date, field and block, target pest, crop stage pesticide name and EPA number, formulation, rate and number of acres treated. Pesticide drift is minimized. Re-entry and pre-harvest intervals are adhered to. Win-PST analysis is conducted for all pesticides considered for use on the farm.
- Insecticide/fungicide sprayer is calibrated at the start of the season. 5 pts
- Herbicide sprayer is calibrated at the start of the season. 5 pts
- Spray records are maintained and organized. 5 pts
- Pesticide selections are made with the goal of controlling the target
pest and of
preserving natural enemies, when that information is available. 5 pts
Category Total 20 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts
Disease Management
- Disease problems are accurately identified and management strategies
tailored to
actual diseases present in the field in current season. 10 pts - Detailed records are kept to document field history of diseases,
weather
information, and management strategies used and the results. Varietal differences
are noted. 2 pts - Disease resistant cultivars are chosen, if appropriate, when planting new sites. *5 pts
- For cane disease control, no fungicides are applied after bud break. 5 pts
- Fungicide applications made after bloom are based on wet weather conditions. *5 pts
Category Total 27 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts
Insect Management
- Insect problems are accurately identified and management strategies tailored to actual insect pests present in the field in current season. Scouting records are organized and maintained from year to year 10 pts
- Detailed records (including maps, if appropriate) are kept to document
field
history of insect pests, management strategies used and the results. Note
varietal differences. 2 pts - Insecticides are not sprayed when bees are active during bloom. 5 pts
- Tarnished plant bug nymphs are monitored weekly using flower truss
counts
starting at 10% bloom and continuing until harvest begins. Control measures are
not taken until the action threshold of either 0.25 nymphs per truss or 10% infested trusses is exceeded. 10 pts - Twospotted spider mites (TSSM) are monitored weekly until harvest (bimonthly after renovation) by systematically examining at least 50 mid-tier leaves and determining presence or absence of TSSM on those leaves. 10 pts
- Control measures for spider mites are not taken until: 25% of leaves sampled show presence of TSSM but no predator mites are found OR 30% of leaves sampled show presence of TSSM and some predators mites are found. 10 pts
- Twospotted spider mites are controlled using releases of predator mites. Bonus practice. 10 pts
- Pesticides used for controlling other insects and diseases are selected to avoid those which are toxic to mite predators. 5 pts
Category Total 65 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts
Weed Management
- A weed survey is conducted at least once per season with weed problems
noted
on field maps. 10 pts - Herbicide rate, selection and spot or strip applications are based
on the results of
the weed survey. 10 pts - Herbicides of the same class are not applied in succeeding years in
order to avoid
herbicide resistance development. 10 pts - Weeds in and around fields, alleys and roadways are prevented from going to seed. 10 pts
Category Total 40 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts
Education
- Manager attends one or more state/regional/national berry management workshops or conferences during the current year. 5 pts
- Manager has a current copy of Northeast Small Fruit Pest Management Guide. 5 pts
- Manager has current membership in New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Association. 5 pts
Category Total 15 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts
Grand Total 235 pts
Adjusted Grand Total ______ pts
Percentage of adjusted total %
Acknowledgment
The author recognizes the importance of the New York IPM
Program Elements for Raspberries by J. Kovach in the development of
these guidelines.
