Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Effect of pruning and training time on yield components and cold hardiness of 'Marion' blackberry

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  • The effect of primocane removal and training time on yield components and cold hardiness of 'Marion' trailing blackberry was studied. In 1991, primocanes were either not cut, or cut at ground level from plants on a single occasion at one month intervals from late April to late July. Four canes per plant were either trained during August, or in February, with all other canes on the plant removed and measured. July-renovated plants were trained only in February. Yield components were measured separately on basal, middle, and terminal sections of each cane. Cane diameter, main cane length and yield per cane declined linearly with later primocane removal date. However, yield per plant was highest for April-renovated plants when yield per cane and total number of canes per plant was considered. Total branch cane length was highest for unrenovated plants, which had the highest per-cane productivity. Percent budbreak on main canes increased with later primocane removal date. August-trained plants had longer main canes, higher percent budbreak, and a higher number of fruit per main cane lateral compared to February-trained plants. August-trained plants yielded 83% more than February-trained plants, and harvest was significantly advanced in some cases. The basal section of canes had the highest node number and produced the largest number of fruit in all removal dates. Percent budbreak declined from the basal to terminal section of the cane. The longest and most productive branch canes were produced in basal cane sections, particularly of unrenovated plants. Cold hardiness of floricane tissues from the renovated treatments was evaluated during the winter of 1991/92. Canes from each of the five primocane removal times were cut on four dates: November 15, December 9, January 17 and February 7. One-node samples were subjected to controlled freezing at -6°, -9°, -12°, -15°, and -18°C, plus a 4°C control, in November and February; in December and January the -6° temperature was replaced with -21°C. After 7 days at room temperature, an LT₅₀ was developed for growing point, bud base, phloem and cambial, and pith tissues by estimating tissue browning on a 1 to 5 scale. Hardiness of all tissues generally increased from November to January, then decreased. Differences between sampling dates were generally small, probably due to a mild winter. Plants renovated in June and July were significantly hardier than those renovated earlier. Growing point tissues were the least hardy of those tested. Phloem and cambial tissues were approximately 4°C hardier than the growing point, while the bud base and pith were 12°C and 17°C hardier, respectively. The effect of cane length and site on yield components of 'Marion' blackberry was studied during 1991 and 1992. During 1991, canes on individual plants at four sites were cut to either 1.74 m or 2.64 m length. The number of canes per plant was adjusted to give a total cane length of 10.5 m per plant. In 1992, a 3.50 m length was added, and three sites were studied. In 1991, separate plants at each site were used for yield component measures and for yield estimation for each treatment level. Canes from yield component plants were cut out 1 week prior to the start of harvest. In 1992, the same plants were used for both yield data and yield component measures. Yield components varied little along the cane in either year, and there was no trend in the differences that existed. Site differences were found for cane diameter, node number, budbreak, number of fruit per lateral, fruit size, and yield in both years. Correlation analyses could not establish significant relationships among the variables in either yield component study but much of the variation in yield components and yield could be due to differences in cane diameter and percent budbreak, respectively. It is suggested, based on results of the renovation study and cold hardiness work, that later renovation dates could form the basis of an alternate production system using closer spacing in 'Marion' blackberry.
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