Abstract

When the raspberry cv. Glen Clova (planted in 1969) was grown both in hedgerows and stooled rows spur blight (Didymella applanata) and cane botrytis (Botrytis cinerea) were slightly more frequent on canes removed as thinnings from the hedgerows. The disease status of the canes retained for cropping was unaffected by the cultural method. More cropping canes were present in the hedgerow, but the fewer canes in the stooled plots were compensated for by more berries/cane and greater berry weight. In 1971 and 1973 this resulted in the stooled plots cropping more heavily, but in 1972 there was no difference in yield between the two systems. In 1974 an attack of midge blight [Resseliella theobaldi] reduced the number of cropping canes in both systems, but the hedgerows having greater cane numbers outyielded the stooled plots. In 1975 cane numbers increased above those in 1974 but still remained higher in the hedgerows which again cropped more heavily.