Rednecked cane borer galling affects blackberry growth and yield
1992
Johnson, D.T.
Thorny erect blackberries (Rubus spp.) were evaluated for yield and cane vigor as affected by galls produced by the rednecked cane borer Agrilus ruficollis (F.). Galling in 'Cherokee' significantly (P < 0.001) decreased the count of berries and the weight of berries per centimeter of live cane. Winter injury, water stress, and nutritional stress induced by galls increased the amount of dead wood per cane. Galling did not affect the length of live laterals per 'Cherokee' cane. For 'Comanche' and 'Cheyenne', the amount of dead wood per cane increased as gall counts increased. In contrast, the length of live laterals per cane increased for 'Comanche' and decreased for 'Cheyenne' as gall counts increased. The weight of berries and the count of berries per centimeter of live cane for 'Comanche' and 'Cheyenne' were not related to the count of galls. Of the four cultivars, 'Shawnee' produced the most berries and greatest weight of berries per centimeter of live cane when canes were free of galls. Conversely, when galls exceeded two per cane, 'Shawnee' yielded least, followed by 'Comanche', 'Cheyenne', and 'Cherokee'.
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