SOME EFFECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT ON RED RASPBERRY CULTIVARS

Primocane characteristics which can affect yield, are final cane height and diameter. Environment will affect cane diameter considerably so that in less favourable environments, thin-caned cultivars yield poorly. In environments where growth is extremely vigorous, some extremely thick-caned cultivars can yield poorly as well.

The fruiting-cane characteristics which can affect yield independently of each other are: the fruiting architecture of the cane, lateral vigour, number of fruits at a lateral node and fruit size. These are all affected by changes in environment. In a favourable environment a cultivar can have fewer, more vigorous laterals, additional fruits at each lateral node and fruits with larger drupelets. The environment which a cultivar grows in will affect the sequential development of these components and so control yield. To produce new, widely-adapted cultivars, breeders should select for high yield potential in the least favourable environment available to them.

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