Elderberry Insect and Disease Management

Michele Warmund
State Fruit Specialist, Division of Plant Sciences

This guide is the first known spray schedule to be developed for insect and disease control for field-grown elderberry in Missouri. Pesticide products labeled for greenhouse or high-tunnel-grown plants differ from those labeled for field-grown plants. Thus, product labels listed to control pests in this guide must be checked to determine if they may be applied legally when applied to elderberry grown under protected culture. Efficacy ratings for products are not listed in this guide as not all products have been tested at the University of Missouri. Only use pesticides after the pest is accurately identified. Scouting or trapping for pests will determine when a pesticide application is needed to prevent yield or plant loss.

Pesticides suggested in this publication have been labeled by the Pesticides Regulation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency. At the time this guide was developed, these pesticides were registered for use as indicated on the product label. However, these registrations can change at any time. It is the pesticide user’s responsibility to carefully read and follow all current label directions for the pesticide being applied. Also, strictly adhere to use of personal protective equipment application rates, reentry periods after spraying, and pre-harvest intervals. The pesticide label is a legal document.

Some of the pesticides suggested in this guide are on the EPA Restricted Use List and users must be certified private applicators to purchase and apply these materials. The EPA requires records for restricted use pesticide applications. Pesticide training and licensing information is available from the Missouri Bureau of Pesticide Control. It is essential to keep accurate records of products used, rates and dates of application, areas treated, plant growth stages, targeted pests, and weather conditions. A form for record-keeping requirements for restricted-use pesticides is available from MU Extension. For more information, contact your local University of Missouri Extension specialist.

Table 1. Products labeled for control of common mites and insects on elderberry.

Figure 1. Inward leaflet curl caused by eriophyid mites (Phyllocoptes wisconsinensis).
Figure 2. Stunted leaflets with interveinal puckering caused by eriophyid mites (Phyllocoptes n. sp.).
Figure 3. Sawfly larvae and their feeding on elderberry.
Figure 4. Jessie’s bug (Neurocolpus jessiae). (Cultur’Innov photo)
Figure 5. Necrotic growing point at elderberry shoot apex caused by Jessie’s bug.
Figure 6. Stink bug feeding on an elderberry drupe.
Figure 7. Elder borer beetles (Desmocerus palliatus). (Clement Akotsen-Mensah photo)
Figure 8. Eastern flower thrips (Frankliniella tritici) on elderberry flower.
Figure 9. Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica).
Figure 10. Adult spotted wing drosophila (Drosphila suzukii). (Cabi.org photo)
Figure 11. Spotted wing drosophila larvae in blackberry fruit. (John Obermeyer, Purdue University)

Table 2. Insecticide common names, insecticide resistance codes (IRAC), pre-harvest intervals (PHI) and restricted entry intervals (REI).

Table 3. Disease management.

Figure 12. Cane dieback disease (Heterophoma novae-verbascicola).
Figure 13. Elderberry rust (Puccinia sambuci) on leaf petiole.
Figure 14. Elderberry rust lesions on the alternate host, sedge.
Figure 15. Alternaria sp. lesion on an elderberry leaflet at an early stage of infection.
Figure 16. Elderberry leaflet infected with Alternaria in the summer.
Figure 17. Shriveled berry symptom of Alternaria.
Figure 18. Colletotricum kahawae subsp. ciggaro lesion on elderberry leaflet.
Figure 19. Colletotrichum acutatum disease symptoms on elderberry.
Figure 20. Colletotrichum salicis lesion on elderberry leaflet.

Table 4. Fungicide common names, fungicide resistance codes (FRAC), pre-harvest intervals (PHI) and restricted entry intervals (REI).

This publication is partially funded by a USDA NIFA grant in the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program.