Hey guys was wondering if anyone else was having problems with white druplets. It hasn’t been overly hot until the last few days but I have the worse case I’ve ever had. About 80% seem affected. I did have a severe stink bug infestation for the first time a few weeks ago so I’m wondering if they could have damaged the fruit and caused this. Here’s a few pics so other newbs know what I’m talking about.
If it was stink bugs the fruit will taste like stink bugs. Could be a combination of heat, sun, and stink bugs.
I’m also having a big problem with druplets this year. The berries that are shaded seem to have less damage. Bill
Mine are the same on the northward of the row and the south along with the fruit in the center of the plant. Definitely an odd year.
Borer,
You and I are close enough in distance to be pretty much experiencing the same climate. So far this year white druplet is somewhat less than normal. Of the blackberries I’ve grown, Apache is the worst for white druplet disorder.
Mine are triple crown, I always have a little but this year is just nuts. Nothing like picking blackberries in the heat and feeding most of them to the geese. At least they enjoyed them.
It’s a natural thing that happens to blackberries. Cause unknown, I believe. Dr. Clark of the Univ of Arkansas is a leader in blackberry breeding and mentions the phenomenon in his papers.
White druplets discussed on Pages 5 & 6 of this document:
Appears to have genetic trigger that can be bred out. No conclusive evidence that bugs contribute to the problem.
Borer,
Just wanted to post a follow up. My Triple Crown have very recently showed an unusual amount of white druplet. Another person in the area is also experiencing a lot of white druplet (to the point they put some berries in a cooler so they could show them to me). So it is worse this year.
I’ve no explanation for this phenomena. White druplet is supposed to be caused by heat, but it’s been so cool this year, except for the last week or so, which has been pretty hot. I have to think it is climate related, since it’s fairly widespread. I agree w/ Matt some varieties our more susp. than others, but what is strange is that I’ve never seen this so prevalent in Triple Crown.
Well I’m sorry others are having the same problem. Hopefully next year is better.
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Olpea
From what I understand some variety suffer more than others, but even with the very high temps this year in NC, I had very little of the problem on my Natchez, Ouachita and Navaho. I used to see a lot of it when I grew Hull and Black Satin
For 5 years I grew Apache, Navaho, and Kiowa. The Apache was always the most affected by white drupes and it was a big problem. The Kiowa sometimes had problems but rarely were they significant. The Navaho almost never had any problems.
Hi,
Any new knowledge on the cause? I have Natchez, Ouchita, Triple Crown and Chester all in one long row and only Triple Crown has white druplets. Almost all of the berries have this problem but only this variety - same conditions for all varieties 
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I don’t know that you can prevent the white drupe by any means other than selecting less prone varieties.
I grow ouachita. I only had a few white druplets on 3 berries only after a hard downpour. Other than that specific day all berries are black.
In my experience, I get the white patches on the early berries, then they improve, and now are showing up again. By this time of year I am overrun with SWD anyway so I don’t pick as many.
We had a lot of white druplet this year. Both Navaho and Triple Crown were significantly affected.
White druplet is caused by too much UV light. I read something this season that supposedly white druplet is not directly related to temperature, but is indirectly related to it.
In other words the (hot) temperature itself will not cause white druplet, but high temperatures are generally associated with low humidity, and the low humidity allows more UV exposure to the berries, which does cause white druplet. Apparently high humidity blocks a lot of the UV radiation which is harmful to blackberries.
One may ask, “If white druplet is caused by UV exposure, why then do I see it on berries which are inside the leaf canopy?”
The answer is that supposedly berries inside the leaf canopy are more sensitive to UV exposure, and thus just as susceptible to white druplet, even though they are more shaded.
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It rained constantly last year and perhaps was the wettest year I can remember. I still got a lot of white druplets on Triple Crown. However this year it is significantly more.
I wish someone could find a way to make SWD extinct.
Ouchita also gives me a couple white druplets, but only 1-2 on some berries. Triple Crown is enough white druplets to not want to eat the berries. Natchez is my favorite variety for very large fruit, early so no SWD, easy to prune, and no defects on the fruit.