Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Long-term vegetative and productive response of ‘Polka’ raspberry canes to partial rootzone drying and mulching

Author(s):

Kujtim Lepaja*, Endrit Kullaj, Lavdim Lepaja

Recieved Date: 2016-04-10, Accepted Date: 2016-09-14

Abstract:

This field experiment was designed to assess the vegetative and productive growth response of ‘Polka’ raspberry canes after applied water stress (partial rootzone drying – PRD) and mulching. The experiment was conducted in Kosovo (Prishtina region) during 2014 and 2015 in a one- to two-year old raspberry orchard of 1 ha using a nested experimental design. Four levels of budget irrigation were studied: 100% of evapotranspiration (ET) as control (one lateral), two laterals (TL), side lateral (SL), and without irrigation (WI). Each treatment contained 10 plants, of which five plants per treatment were mulched to a 10 cm layer of wood chips (size 1-2 cm). During the second year of experiment using two way ANOVA with post hoc testing we found significant changes in a series of vegetative and productive growth parameters. Irrigation had significant changes on number of leaves, leaf surface and area, leaf area index (LAI), shoot length, number of fruit, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit weight and total yield. It should also be stressed that mulching had significant changes in number of leaves, leaf surface and area, LAI, shoot length and fruit weight. Our results confirmed that a moderate water stress reducting vegetative growth while, in our climatic conditions raspberry cultivation cannot be performed without irrigation. In total yield the highest values were found in two laterals followed by side lateral, normal irrigation, and lastly without lateral. It can be concluded that partial rootzone drying can be successfully applied to ‘Polka’ raspberry too with significant water saving.

Keywords:

Rubus idaeus, water stress, PRD, wood chips

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2016
Volume: 14
Issue: 3&4
Category: Agriculture
Pages: 37-40

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