Abstract

The growth and yield of raspberry fruiting canes (cv. Glen Clova) grown in a normal (annual) system were compared with those grown without competition from primocanes (part-biennial) and with canes which, as primocanes, grew without competition from fruiting canes and were cropped without competition from new primocanes (biennial system). The yield of the biennial system was higher than that of the annual system because of increased number of fruits, arising from the greater number of canes and nodes/cane. Fruit size was not affected. In the part-biennial system yield was also higher than in the annual as a result of increase in both size and number of fruits, the latter arising from greater production/node and not from the higher cane numbers. Both biennial treatments showed an increase in leaf area and duration and this, together with better light conditions in the biennial systems, accounted for the increase in yield.