Precision cane meristem management can influence productivity and fruit quality of floricane red raspberry cultivars

Authors: ALEKSANDAR ZIVOTIC, NIKOLA MICIC, MIRJANA ZABIC, BORUT BOSANCIC, MILJAN CVETKOVIC

Abstract: In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the hedgerow system is the main raspberry growing system, which has no clearly-defined standards regarding plant density and fruit-bearing potential per meter of hedgerow. This study evaluates the effect of precision cane meristem management in growing major floricane red raspberry cultivars in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During 2015 and 2016, in Willamette, Meeker, and Tulameen, grown under the hedgerow system, mixed buds were selected on fruiting laterals with the fruitbearing potential of 80, 100, and 120 well-developed and well-positioned mixed buds per meter of hedgerow. High stable yields were recorded under the medium load of 100 buds per meter of hedgerow. Yield ranged from 22.6 t/ha to 24.9 t/ha in Meeker and from 17.7 t/ha to 24.5 t/ha in Tulameen. The yield variation over the experimental years was somewhat higher in Willamette (10.4-21.8 t/ha). Fruit size was largest under the 100-bud load per meter of hedgerow. The biochemical characteristics of the fruit, expressed through vitamin C, phenol, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents, and the antioxidant capacity, indicated differences among cultivars and the effect of the experimental year. The load of 100 mixed buds well-positioned on canes per meter of hedgerow was the optimum load of fruit-bearing potential. The reduction in bud numbers per meter of hedgerow led to a significant decrease in fruit yield, with no changes in fruit quality. Conversely, the increase in the number of buds per meter of hedgerow resulted in a decline in fruit quality, while not adversely affecting fruit yield.

Keywords: raspberry, cane management, cultivar, yield, quality

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