FIRE BLIGHT OF RASPBERRIES IN ALBERTA

Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora (Burr.) Winsl. et al.) can cause major fruit loss in raspberry plantings in central Alberta.
Cane health and flower production may look excellent early in the season, and honeybee pollination activity may be high with the promise of a heavy fruit set.
Unfortunately, a sparse berry crop in July may indicate that up to 90% of flowers were killed at or soon after fruit set.
Blighted canes with "shepherd’s crooks", typical of fire blight infection, may be hidden in the crop.
Examination of new cane growth under the crop canopy may reveal blighted stems.
Diseased canes rarely comprise more than 10% of the current season’s stand.
The cultivar Boyne, which is commonly grown in Alberta, is highly susceptible, whereas cv.
Honey Queen, a later maturing, gold-fruited cultivar, appears to be relatively immune to fire blight and rarely suffers fruit loss, from this disease.

VII International Workshop on Fire Blight

I.R. Evans

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.411.16