EFFECT OF PRIMOCANE RENOVATION ON YIELD COMPONENTS OF ‘MARION’ BLACKBERRY

In 1991, primocanes were cut at ground level from plants on a single occasion at one month intervals from late April to late July, with an uncut control included.
Four canes per plant were either trained during August 1991, or in February 1992, with all other canes on the plant removed and measured.
Yield components were measured separately on basal, middle, and terminal sections of each cane after harvest in 1992.

Yield per cane of renovated plants declined compared to the control, but cane number per plant was doubled for April-, May-, and June-renovated plants.
Consequently, whole plant yield of April- and May-renovated plants was higher than control plants.
Total branch cane length per plant declined and percent budbreak increased with later renovation date.

Yield of August-trained plants was 35% higher than February-trained due to a higher percent budbreak and a greater number of fruit per main cane lateral.
The basal section of canes was the most productive in all renovation dates, because of more productive branch canes, a higher node number and increased percent budbreak.

VI International Symposium on Rubus and Ribes

Neil C. Bell, B. C. Strik

Primocane suppression, Rubus sp., training, pruning

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.352.2