Ecology and control of blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) II. Reproduction*

Abstract

Summary: Résumé: Zusammenfassung The reproduction of blackberry (Rubus fruticosu L. agg.) is described with particular reference to R. procerus P.J. Muell. Reproduction is by seed, rooting at cane apices, suckering of lateral roots, and from pieces of roots and canes. In Victoria, Australia, R. procerus occurs mainly in non‐agricultural land and neglected pastures and is rare in well‐managed pastures and crops. This is attributed to the poor establishment of seedlings and the ease with which rooting at cane apices may be prevented by grazing, cultivation or spraying with 2,4,5‐T. To eradicate established thickets it is necessary to kill the roots by frequent cultivation or to apply herbicides lo prevent the formation of root suckers. Ecologie des ronces (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) et méthodes dc lutte II Reproduction La reproduction des ronces (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) est décrite avec une reference particulière au R. procerus P. J. Muell. La reproduction s'opère par les semences, l'enracine‐ment d'apex de tiges, la formation de drageons À partir de racines laterales et de fragments de racines et de tiges. Dans l'Etat de Victoria, en Australie, R. procerus apparaît surtout dans les terres non cultivées et les pâtures mal entretenues; cette espèce est rare dans les pâtures bien entretenues et dans les cultures. Ce fait est attribuéà la difficile implantation des plantules et h la facility avec laquelle la formation de drageons à partir des apex des tiges peut être prévenue par le pâturage, les façons culturales, ou le traitement au 2,4,5‐T. Pour éliminer les fourrés élablis, il est nécessaire de tuer les racines par des façons culturales fréquentes et d'appliquer des herbicides pour prévenir la formation de drageons à partir des racines. Ökologie und Bekämpfung der Brombeere (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) II. Vermehrung Es wird die Vermehrung der Brombeere (Rubusfrur ic osus L. agg.) unter besonderer Berucksichtigung von Rubus procerus P.J. Muell. beschrieben. Die Vermehrung erfolgt durch Samen, Bewurzelungvon Sprossspitzen (Ruten), Bildung von Wurzelsprossen aus Seitenwurzein und durch Wurzel‐und Sprossteile. In Victoria, Australien. kommt R. procerus hauptsächtich auf nicht landwirtschaftlich genutzten Flächen und auf vernachliissigten Weiden vor, selten dagegen auf gut gep‐flegten Weiden und auf Ackerland. Dies ist auf das geringe Ausbreitungsvermogen der Samlinge und auf die einfache Verhinderung der Bewurzelung der Sprosspitzen durch Beweiden, Bewirtschaftung oder Spritzung mit 2,4,5‐T zurückzuführen. Um ein altes Dickicht auszurotten ist cs notwendig, die Wurzeln durch mehrmalige Bodenbearbeitung abzutöten oder durch Herbizidspritzung die Ausbildung von Wurzelsprossen zu verhindem.

The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 154. Himalayan blackberry

“…In one study, its seedlings failed to establish in areas with less than 44% of sunlight (Amor 1974).…”

“…Most blackberries require warm (20 to 308C) stratification for 3 months followed by cold (2.2 to 58C) stratification for the next 3 months (Cal-IPC 2013;Hoshovsky 2000). Only 7Á10% of seeds in soil are viable, usually germinating after 2 yr (Amor 1974). Brunner et al (1976) suggested that Himalayan blackberry seeds excreted by foxes had up to 30% higher germination compared with seeds that did not pass through the foxes' digestive system.…”

Temporal changes in the population density and diet of brown bears in eastern Hokkaido, Japan

“…in late summer (Canada: Hamer and Herrero 1987;Hamer et al 1991;McLellan and Hovey 1995, Alaska: Stelmock and Dean 1986, Spain: Clevenger et al 1992, France: Berducou et al 1983, Norway: Elgmork and Kaasa 1992. Some Rubus species are typical pioneer plants that rapidly invade forest gaps and cleared areas (Amor 1974;Suzuki and Maeda 1981;Suzuki 1987). As the forests in the study area were logged on a large scale in the early 1970s (Miura 1999), it is plausible that Rubus species invaded the clearings and spread.…”

Population demographics and trade-offs to reproduction of an invasive and noninvasive species of Rubus

“…Our calculation for seedling recruitment was based on the assumption that all seedlings germinated from seeds produced during the previous year and not from the seed bank. This assumption was probably reasonable based on the rapid disappearance of Rubus seeds from the soil due to predation (Maxwell 1990;Kollmann et al 1998) and the low germination probability of seeds following storage (Amor 1974) or desiccation in the field (S. Lambrecht-McDowell, personal observation).…”

“…Control methods that involve mowing canes or applying herbicide to foliage have proven relatively ineffective at controlling this species (reviewed in Hoshovsky 2001), probably because such methods have failed to adequately affect allocation to the belowground portions of the plant. The most effective controls for this invasive Rubus include the introduction of animals that graze canes to the roots from which cane v sprout (Amor 1974;Daar 1983) or the use of herbicides applied to cut or burned stems following fruit set (Hoshovsky 2001). The effectiveness of this latter approach is likely due to the translocation of nutrients and, therefore, herbicides from reproductive canes to the roots prior to senescence.…”