Response of Potted Red Raspberry Cultivars to Double-cropping under High Tunnels

Abstract

<jats:p>Red raspberry cultivars that produce fruit on current-season canes (primocanes) can produce additional fruit the following year as second-year floricanes, termed double-cropping. The purpose of this study was to compare raspberry cultivars for double-cropping potential in a potted growing system under high tunnels in southwest Michigan. The cultivars Encore (floricane fruiting only), Imara, Josephine, Kwanza, Kweli, Nantahala, Nova, and Prelude were grown for 3 years in 11-L pots under a high tunnel. ‘Imara’, ‘Kweli’, and ‘Prelude’ produced the greatest total yields, averaging 2.7 kg/plant during the last 2 years. ‘Imara’ and ‘Kweli’ also produced large fruit that retained high fruit quality after storage. ‘Prelude’ was the earliest to ripen floricane fruit, and ‘Encore’, ‘Josephine’, and ‘Nanatahala’ were the latest. The start of primocane fruit harvest varied by year, but ‘Prelude’ was consistently one of the earliest. Overall, maintaining potted plants for multiple years reduced the cost of annual replacement, but older plants managed for floricane and primocane fruit production required additional pruning and training to control vigor.</jats:p>

Blackberry and Raspberry Cultivar Evaluations in Coastal California

“…These evaluations showed that 'Imara' and 'Kweli' raspberries were among highest yielding cultivars at the two coastal locations and at Oceano, 'Kokanee' yielded similarly. Hanson et al (2019) evaluated raspberry performance in pots and reported results similar to our field trials: 'Imara' and 'Kweli' were top-yielding cultivars among eight evaluated, but in most years not different from 'Kwanza.' In our study, 'Kwanza' consistently had the largest fruit among all cultivars that were attractive (as observed with shape, color, and firmness) and had better shelf life in cold storage than Vintage.…”

Compositional Features of the “Kweli” Red Raspberry and Its Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

“…These can be divided into two types-floricane-fruiting cultivars such as "Tulameen", "Willamette", and "Meeker", whose first-year primocanes are only vegetative and second-year floricanes bear a crop in early summer, and primocane-fruiting cultivars such as "Autumn Bliss", "Heritage", and "Kweli", which produce a large amount of fruits at the top of the primocanes in the fall and can be double cropped [6,8]. Among primocanes, the "Kweli" is an economically important and high-yielding early fruiting cultivar created by the Advanced Berry Breeding in the Netherlands, and is one of the most widely cultivated worldwide [6,7,9]. This cultivar is vigorous and develops sides at all levels; that is why it is important to reduce the number of growing primocanes to keep the crop open and compact and facilitate harvesting operations [6,7,9].…”

“…Among primocanes, the "Kweli" is an economically important and high-yielding early fruiting cultivar created by the Advanced Berry Breeding in the Netherlands, and is one of the most widely cultivated worldwide [6,7,9]. This cultivar is vigorous and develops sides at all levels; that is why it is important to reduce the number of growing primocanes to keep the crop open and compact and facilitate harvesting operations [6,7,9]. The fruit is round, large (usually weigh 5 g or more), and dry; has a good flavor; and has a long shelf-life of 10 days or more, which enables transport over longer distances and, consequently, enables it to reach new markets.…”