Abstract

The effects on raspberry cane growth and fruit yield of several treatments for controlling P. penetrans were investigated in 5 replicated field trials. Long-term improvements in raspberry cane growth were obtained in plots where there were pre-planting treatments with dazomet, dichloropropene, metham-sodium or aldicarb. In one trial which was relatively lightly infested with P. penetrans, a combined aldicarb/quintozene treatment increased growth as much as dazomet and more than either aldicarb or quintozene applied alone. In another of the trials, metham-sodium and dichloropropene applied by the Rumptstad Combiject controlled P. penetrans in the top 20 cm of soil less well than did dazomet, but all 3 compounds increased cane growth by similar amounts. Metham-sodium and dichloropropene controlled P. penetrans in the deeper layers of soil more effectively than did dazomet. It is concluded that prior to planting raspberries it is profitable to sterilize chemically land that is heavily infested with P. penetrans.