Raspberry: Yellow rust

Biology

Yellow rust is a fungal disease of the leaves and succulent tissues of red raspberries. Leaf infections occur in the spring, causing a yellowish to orange spotting on the upper surfaces. On the lower surface of the leaf in positions corresponding to the yellow spots, orange to pale yellow rust pustules appear in mid-summer. By fall, these pustules turn dark brown to black. Severe infections may result in premature drop of leaves, which may reduce yields and weaken plants. Fruit may fail to mature. Infected canes may be brittle and break off easily. The fungus overwinters as spores, primarily on debris and on the bark of previously infected plants. Wild caneberries including blackcap and salmonberry may also be infected.

Management Options

Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for successful plant problem management.

Non-chemical Management

Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!

• Plant resistant varieties such as ‘Canby’, ‘Newburgh’, ‘Puyallup’, and ‘Sumner’.
• Space plantings, prune, and train to provide good air circulation and reduce humidity.
• Cultivate in fall or spring to cover fallen leaves, cane stubs, and other plant debris.
• Clean up fallen leaves and plant debris. Destroy or discard (do not compost) diseased materials.
• Prune out old fruiting canes and all dead or damaged canes after harvest. Make cuts flush with the ground, without leaving stubs.
• Train canes after leaf drop or strip leaves before tying.

Chemical Management

IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides.

• Apply dormant or delayed dormant copper products.

Approved Pesticides

Listed below are examples of pesticides that are legal in Washington. Always read and follow all label directions.

• Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide Concentrate/Organic Gardening
  Active ingredient: copper octanoate [EPA registration number: 67702-2-4]
• Lilly Miller Sulfur Dust Fungicide/Insecticide Dust or Spray
  Active ingredient: sulfur [EPA registration number: 802-16]
• Soap-Shield Flowable Liquid Copper Fungicide [Organic]
  Active ingredient: copper octanoate [EPA registration number: 67702-2-56872]
• Spectracide IMMUNOX Multi-Purpose Fungicide Spray Concentrate
  Active ingredient: myclobutanil [EPA registration number: 9688-123-8845]
• This list may not include all products registered for this use.

Additional Images