Talk by Ken Hopps at 2011 VSU Virginia Berry Conference

1. Extending the Season for Raspberries and Blackberries in Cold Climates

4. Fall raspberries fruit on their primocanes

5. Typical fall raspberry season in the North % of total yield Frost Weeks after August 20th

6. Prices range from $2.00 - $13.00/lb

7. Can we extend the season of raspberries to take advantage of higher prices?

8. Accelerate development and fruiting

9. Yield (kg/ha) Days after August 10th

10. California

11. Advantages in the Northeast Reduction in wind damage Protection from the rain Season extension late

12. Strategy #1: Plant late cultivars or delay harvest, protect fruit, and capitalize on high prices

14. Seven cultivars and selections Heritage, Caroline, Autumn Britten, Josephine, NY 01.63, NY01.64, NY01.65

15. Caroline

16. Cultivar Yields Under Tunnels g/12 ft plot/wk Heritage NY63 Caroline Josephine A. Britten NY65 170 g per ½ pint 5 plants per plot Weeks (Aug 22 = 1)

19. Was also the favorite for flavor Josephine Heritage

20. Treatments Five manipulations of Heritage (applied in the second year) Straw mulch Mowing Early pinching Late pinching Control

21. First year at planting – light mulch for establishment

22. Beginning of treatments: Middle of February of first year Old canes are cut to the ground. Here we removed snow on certain plots to freeze the soil.

23. After several days, mulch is applied to keep soil cold

24. No mulch Mulch

25. Unmowed Mowed

26. Unmowed Mowed

27. Pinching

28. Pinched Unpinched

29. High tunnel prior to covering

30. Mid-August

31. September 13, 2005

34. October 20, 2005

35. High tunnels are a haven for bumblebees

36. Mid-October

37. November 5, 2005

38. Fruit quality on November 5, 2005

39. Cultural manipulations of Heritage 2005 Normal season ends here g/plot Weeks after Aug. 22

40. 2006 data

41. Yield = kg per 3.75 m or 12 ft plot. 20 kg/plot is 21,000 lbs/acre

42. Costs per tunnel (2 yrs)

43. Production and Harvesting Yield = 4,000 half-pints X $2.50 = $10,000

45. Equivalents 20,000 lbs/acre in tunnels vs. 2,000 in field row spacing (2X) harvest season (2.5X) physiology (2X) Price is $5.00/pt in fall vs. $2.50 in season Gross revenues: $150,000 per acre equivalent

46. Strategy #2: Early primocane-fruiting raspberry production Early covering of the tunnel Covering individual rows Row cover Plastic

47. Field High tunnel

48. Early season extension of primocane-fruiting Heritage

49. Yield comparison Applying the plastic in September for extended fall harvest Applying the plastic in early spring for accelerated harvest 2,860 half-pints per tunnel 2,855 half-pints per tunnel

50. Heritage Cane Management Study 2008

51. Heritage Cane Management Study 2008

52. Strategy #3: Overwinter tender blackberries and raspberries in a high tunnel

56. Blackberry Variety Trial Planting established in 2006. Chester added in 2007. Varieties: Ouachita, Triple Crown, Chester, Doyle. Preplant prep – compost amendment. Dormant cuttings. Two replications (4 plants, 16 ft row) Yield, berry weight, % marketable fruit data collected for field and HT production. HT blackberries girdled by rabbits during winter 2009 – no data. Exclusion fencing added in 2010; no damage, plants performed well.

58. Black Raspberries

59. Blackberries - 2007

60. Ouachita blackberry 2008

63. 2010

65. Variety Trial – Yield by Date 2010 Weight (kg)* *mean weight, 2 replications (4 plants, 16 ft row)

66. Variety Trial – Yield 2010 *mean cumulative yield for 2 replications (8 plants, 32 ft row)

67. 2010 Estimated Pounds per Acre Weight (lb)* Blackberry Variety *mean weight, 2 replications (4 plants, 16 ft row)

68. Yield per tunnel per year (half pints)

69. Costs Per Tunnel (2 yrs)

70. Productionand Harvesting (tunnel) *$0.50/half-pint + containers and lids

71. Economics (tunnel) *excluding marketing costs

72. Economics (tunnel) *excluding marketing costs

73. Scotland

77. Strategy #4: Grow primocane-fruting blackberries under tunnels to obtain a fall harvest

80. Primocane- fruiting blackberries

81. Prime Jan Planting established in 2007. Plants were manipulated in 2009 with 1 tying and 2 tipping treatments to determine effects on yield and timing of fruiting. Four replications (3 plants,12 ft row ). Treatments: Early Pinch – plants soft pinched/ tipped at 1m. Late Pinch – plants soft pinched/ tipped at 1.5m (July just before flowering) Tying – Floricanes were tied laterally to wire (1.5m) just prior to flowering Control – untreated

85. 2009 Prime Jan Yield by Harvest Date

86. Prime Jan – Yield 2009

87. Primocane vs. floricane blackberries (lbs/tunnel)

88. Trellising Systems Designing trellising systems for tight spaces that are exceptionally strong yet flexible.

97. Wind damage

98. Snow damage

100. Conclusions Raspberries and blackberries can be manipulated in different ways to fruit over a very long period of time Tunnels, coupled with cultural manipulations, can dramatically extend the season and increase yields, even in cold climates.

101. High Tunnel Raspberries and Blackberries Department of Horticulture Publication No.47 (2007) Authors: Cathy Heidenreich, Marvin Pritts, Mary Jo Kelly, and Kathy Demchak On line at: http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/berry.html

102. Questions? Dr. Marvin Pritts, Professor and Chair Cornell University Department of Horticulture 607-255-1778 mpp3@cornell.edu