HIGH DENSITY CULTURAL SYSTEM FOR BLACK CURRANTS (RIBES NIGRUM L.)

The high density (HD) system for black currants has been under development at the breeding station Balsgord outside Kristianstad in Sweden since 1986. In the first experiments seven different cultivars have been tested in the system.
The planting distances in the experiments have been 0,5 m by 0,5 m.
This means 40 000 bushes per ha (net area).

It is possible under good conditions to harvest already in second season.
Usually the first season is needed to establish roots and the first harvest will not be until the third season.
At harvest the bushes are cut by the harvester and the berries shaken off inside the machine.
The year after harvest the plants will grow up to 1,2 m and no berries will be produced.
The harvest will be biennial.

The yield in HD has been more than double the yield compared to conventional row systems.
There are large differences between cultivars.
Ojebyn and some selections from Balsgord have been low yielding because of shading, while Ben Alder and Ben Sarek have been bearing along the full length of last years shoots.

A new shaking device have been developed that have been able to harvest over 99 % of the berries from cut off shoots.

VI International Symposium on Rubus and Ribes

S.A. Olander

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.352.9