Spur Blight

You'll notice brown necrotic leaf spots on red raspberry fruiting canes in late spring wet weather, followed by brown lesions at the base of buds. Xenodidymella applanata spreads via ascospores from overwintered fruiting bodies. Remove old canes after harvest, switch to drip irrigation, and plant resistant cultivars like 'Meeker'. Narrow row spacing and early spray at shoot emergence help manage this fungal disease.

Remove and destroy old fruiting canes after harvest. Keep plant rows narrow. Remove affected tissue promptly, cutting into healthy wood. Improve air circulation by thinning dense growth and avoid overhead watering during susceptible periods. Preventive fungicide applications may help where the problem recurs annually.