A survey of raspberry pests in Montenegro

The raspberry is a relatively new culture in Montenegro. The first orchards were planted in 2001, and currently there are around 100 ha in production. The main production is situated in the north (surrounding of Berane, Bijelo Polje, Plav and Rozaje). The most important cultivars are Willamette and Tulameen. The aim of the study was to present which pests were observed in raspberry production orchards in the period 2002-2006, and in one nursery during 2007-2010. Field surveys were conducted once a month, from May to September. During five consecutive years, the presence of tortricid moths (the rose tortrix Archips rosana and the bud moth Spilonota ocellana), aphids (small raspberry aphid Aphis ideai and rubus aphid Amphorophora rubi), the raspberry gall midge Lasioptera rubi and the rose stem girdler Agrilus rubicola were found in the production orchards, and in 2002, in one orchard, larvae of the European cockhafer Melolontha melolontha. With the exception of M. melolontha whose larvae caused wilting of more than 50% of shoots in 2002, all other pests were sporadically present, with no signs of economically important damages. In 2007 and 2008 the presence of Agrilus rubicola, Lasioptera rubi and the raspberry cane midge Tomasinia theobaldi were detected in the inspected nursery. Unlike L. rubi and T. theobaldi, whose presence was sporadically recorded in both years, a very strong attack of A. rubicola was recorded in 2007 and 2008, as well. Using random sample method, 200 raspberry shoots were sampled in August 2007 and 2008, and surveyed in laboratory. Out of these 200 samples, 93 larvae of A. rubicola were found in 2007 with the body length ranging from 0.7-1.3 cm. In the following year, 107 larvae were recorded, with almost the same body length as in previous year. The presence of A. rubicola was not detected in this nursery in 2009 and 2010, due to promptly applied control measures. On the basis of the results it can be concluded that in raspberry production orchards economically important damage was caused only by M. melolontha in 2002, and in a nursery the most important problem was caused by A. rubicola in 2007 and 2008.