July 29, 2009
Horticulture at the Iowa State Fair
The Iowa State Fair is almost here! With all of the exhibits, entertainment and food it's easy to overlook the beautiful horticultural displays throughout the grounds. However, there are
Red Raspberries and "Spur Blight" Disease
Spur blight is a disease of red raspberries caused by the fungus Didymella applanata. The fungus survives during winter on infected canes and fungal inoculums come from old fruiting canes. The fungus produces spores in tiny, black structures in the diseased bark, especially near the bud. These structures release spores during wet weather that are spread by rain, wind, and irrigation water. Fungal spores that land in the moist areas near buds on young canes may cause new infections (Fig.1)