Articles
BOYSENBERRY PRIMOCANE MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY
Article number
505_9
Pages
79 – 86
Language
Abstract
New Zealand Boysenberry growers desucker Boysenberry plants chemically and/or by hand several times during summer, finishing in December or January, so that primocanes do not interfere with mechanical harvesting.
Informed management decisions were desired on timing of primocane desuckering to determine primocane quality and yield.
Boysenberry primocanes were removed either in October (early) or in October and December (late). No primocanes were cut in the control treatment.
In March, there were no flower initials which could be positively identified inside buds.
In April, early treatment canes had more buds with a king flower than buds on late treatment canes.
By July flower initials were visible in most buds on both early and late treatment canes.
On control canes a smaller percentage of buds contained flower initials.
In the treatment season there was no significant difference between treatments for any yield components.
The following spring, canes on control plants had the largest diameter and those from the late treatment had the smallest.
Number of canes per plant on control plants was significantly smaller than on the early desuckering treatment.
Number of branches per plant was highest on the control and lowest on the late desuckering treatment.
Number of buds per cane, cane length and percent budburst were not significantly different between treatments.
Both control and early desuckering treatments had a higher number of fruit per plant and a greater yield than with the late treatment.
Average berry weight was unaffected by the treatments.
Informed management decisions were desired on timing of primocane desuckering to determine primocane quality and yield.
Boysenberry primocanes were removed either in October (early) or in October and December (late). No primocanes were cut in the control treatment.
In March, there were no flower initials which could be positively identified inside buds.
In April, early treatment canes had more buds with a king flower than buds on late treatment canes.
By July flower initials were visible in most buds on both early and late treatment canes.
On control canes a smaller percentage of buds contained flower initials.
In the treatment season there was no significant difference between treatments for any yield components.
The following spring, canes on control plants had the largest diameter and those from the late treatment had the smallest.
Number of canes per plant on control plants was significantly smaller than on the early desuckering treatment.
Number of branches per plant was highest on the control and lowest on the late desuckering treatment.
Number of buds per cane, cane length and percent budburst were not significantly different between treatments.
Both control and early desuckering treatments had a higher number of fruit per plant and a greater yield than with the late treatment.
Average berry weight was unaffected by the treatments.
Publication
Authors
C.J. Stanley, P.M. Harris-Virgin, C.G.T. Morgan, A.M. Snowball
Keywords
Rubus hybrid, flower initiation, yield, desuckering, primocane suppression
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