Pest management program for organic blackberries

There are very few management tactics developed or registered for conventional or organic management of blackberry insect pests. Blackberry plantings in either open field or high tunnel were scouted to compare insect pest populations and damage from several pest species. We will discuss results of cultural, biological and chemical control tactics: pruning back primocane-bearing blackberries in mid-June to reduce cane galling by rednecked cane borer; efficacy of botanical insecticides against rednecked cane borers, Japanese beetles, stink bugs and green June beetles; use of entomopathogenic nematodes against raspberry crown borer larvae; and mass trapping green June beetles outside fruit plantings.