ISHS Acta Horticulturae 585: VIII International Rubus and Ribes Symposium
OUT OF SEASON PRODUCTION OF RASPBERRIES |
| Authors: | A. Pitsioudis, G. Latet, P. Meesters |
| Keywords: | Rubus idaeus, cold storage, fruiting period, fruit quality, continuous production |
| Abstract:
Micro propagated plants of the summer fruiting variety ‘Tulameen’ were planted in June 1999 in peat in 10 l containers and grown under tunnels. In 2000 these plants were examined for their suitability for advanced and delayed cropping. Production level, fruit grading, average fruit weight, fruit quality and production period were evaluated. As a control a seasonal crop was obtained by growing the plants under a rain shelter. Also a soil grown culture of 'Tulameen' served as a control. Harvest was advanced by forcing the plants in a heated greenhouse and by cultivating them in plastic tunnels. For the delay of the production the plants were cold stored with the containers at –2°C. The plants were taken out of the cold store from the end of April until the end of July. The plants cold stored until the end of May were grown under rain shelter. When cold stored longer they were taken into production in tunnels or heated greenhouses. This method of advancing and delaying allowed picking of berries of the same variety from the beginning of May until the end of November. The first berries of the cold stored plants could be picked after 64 to 76 days. 50 % of the berries were harvested 93 to 108 days after the end of the cold storing. The production level of the advanced plants and the plants cold stored until the end of May varied from 0.84 to 1.04 kg per cane. The production level of the plants that were cold stored longer was lower. The average fruit size declined from 5.6 g in the greenhouse to 4.8 g for the plants cold stored until the beginning of July. Fruit quality was high and constant. When the plants were cold stored longer the average fruit size was 4.0 g and fruit quality was slightly lower. | |
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