Before mentioning about the biological control of pests in blackberry, we want to tell you a little about said fruit. The wild blackberry is also known as blackberry or black raspberry, it is a fruit that grows on the bushes of the Rosaceae families, it has a system of pigments similar to the plum; It has its origin in Asia and Europe, and can be seen in the wild on the edges of any road, that is why it is very important that you have a biological control of blackberry pests. It is a fruit that is made up of small drupes or grains which are grouped together. These have 3 color transformations, first they are green, then red and when they are ripe they reach a characteristically bright black color.
The three most common and commercialized blackberry varieties are:
- Logan: a mix between a blackberry and a raspberry, they have a more acidic flavor than blackberries and less aroma than raspberries
- Young: They are the result of the cross between a blackberry from the stubble and a raspberry, its flavor is acid and also little aromatized
- Boysen: It is a cross between the Young species and the raspberry, they are large and their appearance is very similar to the raspberry.
The biological management of the blackberry can be done for the correct cultivation of the plant, this helps growth, obtaining the fruit and to reduce diseases that cause phytosanitary problems, this last part is very important, since if you take into account a preventive and timely control, you can avoid the partial or total loss of your crop
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The main pests that attack the blackberry crop are:
- thrips
- Mites
- aphids
- Red spider
To eliminate all kinds of pests or pests, the first thing we recommend you do is eliminate all the weeds that they give to your crop, also every time you see blackberries that fall from the field you must remove them to prevent them from becoming contaminating agents thanks to the fact that when a fruit touches the ground can easily become contaminated with viruses, bacteria and nematodes
Pests and biological pest control in blackberry
Thrips
They are tiny insects; normally you need to use a magnifying glass if you want to see them well. Thrips belong to the Thysanoptera family, which acquire wings in their adult phase and their average length is 1.3 millimeters, a great threat for that reason you must have a good biological control of pests in blackberry.
Currently more than nine species of thrips are known that can directly affect crops or plants of agronomic importance.
Thrips feed on the content of the living leaves of your crops, sucking their interior with their mouth in the form of a sucking needle, thus generating a formation of quite visible white scars on your leaves and deforming the growth of the plant. You can notice the damage when see yellowish, white, or silvery dot shapes on the top and bottom layers of the leaf, as well as small black dot-shaped debris, which is the excrement of these insects.
In addition, thrips can cause very visible aesthetic damage to your fruits, such as coppery or yellowish spots, and affect pollination, this could even cause a decrease in fruit solidification and expected yield.
Biological control of blackberry pests – thrips
To reduce the potential damage caused by this great pest in your crops, we offer you the following methods:
- Carry out constant reviews to know if there are thrips in your crops and evaluate the level of infestation.
- Cut the weeds around the plot or planting place, since many are the homes of this harmful pest where they later move to the vegetables and that is what you least want.
- You must use very sticky yellow traps, since such a color attracts them quite a lot and when they come into contact they stick. This method is quite effective if you do it in greenhouses. On the contrary, if you do it in an open field, several of these traps can be placed on poles or wooden sticks raised 50 centimeters surrounding the crops.
- Make every effort to ensure that the state of the plants is ideal, with excellent fertilization, that your leaves do not have any other type of pests, since thrips are specialists in causing more damage to stressed plants.
- Use plastics in your gardens or crops if possible, and opt for a reflective tone such as bright silver, this immediately removes them.
White mite
The pattern of damage caused by the mite on the plant includes malformations and alterations in the aerial growth of the plant. Mites have a good preference for young and fully developing plant tissues, such as leaves and flower buds.
Biological control of blackberry pests – mites
“Harmonia axyridis” is an insect commonly known as the Asiatic or Harlequin ladybug. It is a spectacular biological pest regulator for you and that is why many times you must introduce them to control the famous aphids which can cause great damage to your agriculture.
These types of insects are very important in your agricultural crops, thanks to the diet based on Hemiptera species: aphids, conchuelas, scales, among others. The species mentioned are major pests for agriculture, and the ladybugs exercise strict biological control around them, becoming a benefactor species for you and your crop.
Aphids
Aphididae or aphids, is a family of hemiptera insects, small and with very little morphology, they are normally known as aphids, but you must bear in mind that they are not taxonomically related to fleas that belong to another order of pests. They feed on plants, which they massively parasitize.
Biological control of blackberry pests – aphids
For a biological control against aphids you can make a 1 liter repellent as follows:
Look for 2 containers or bottles (heat resistant) that have a capacity of 2 liters preferably.
You need 200 grams of rue and 200 grams of sage.
A liter of still or preferably rain water.
A piece of cloth that allows you to filter the water.
Preparation:
- Boil rainwater.
- You must put it in the container together with the 200 grams of sage and rue; the water should still be hot.
- Wait for everything to come together and sit for about half an hour to 40 minutes.
- Filter the water and transfer it to the second container, where your infusion is ready to be used. If you want at the time of application, you can add more water to save it or you can apply it directly, that will depend on your need and how strong the pest is.
Red spider
The famous red spider is a small mite that can measure up to 0.5 mm in its most adult stage. Their diet is based on plants from dry environments. They are called red spiders thanks to their ability to weave webs, but they are not an arachnid, but a mite, so you should keep that in mind.
They are normally very difficult to see with the naked eye, your eyes are sometimes only limited to seeing red dots, unless such animals are in really large numbers, since that is when you can perceive blankets of these insects. and some considerable cobweb creations. They are very dangerous for your gardens or plants, since they feed on the cellular contents, leaving a weak and pale stain that differs from the green around you.
Biological control of blackberry pests – red spider
- You must cut the ivy, approximately 1 kilo of ivy leaves or the amount you need, try that the stems are not so thick
- You must cut the branches and leaves in a way that they are in very small pieces, this can be done by emptying the branches in a bucket (plastic) and with hedge shears.
- Add 10 liters of rainwater or if by chance you do not have rainwater and you are going to use another type of water, let it rest for 24 hours
- .Stir everything with anything you have on hand but that is not metal, you should do this process 5 minutes a day for approximately 2 weeks, which helps you to oxygenate the mixture every day. (You must cover it after stirring)
- Your product is ready when when stirring you see that bubbles are not made as if from fermentation, but rather that they are made by the exercise of solving, calm down I know that you will notice the difference between these 2 bubbles!
- Once ready, you filter it into a second container, be very careful that the liquid can be toxic so you cannot ingest it, once this step is done, it is ready to use, another recommendation for you is not to use it in a concentrated way, since it is very strong, for a liter of the extract use 3 liters of water.
- Finally you can store the extract for approximately 9 months, you have no problem as long as you leave it in a dark place out of the sun and in a well sealed container.
If you want to know more information about the biological control of tomato, you can click here.