Influence of irrigation management as partial rootzone drying on raspberry canes

L. Lepaja, K. Lepaja, E. Kullaj

Abstract: The effects of partial rootzone drying (PRD) compared with other irrigation systems, namely 100% of evapotranspiration as control, two laterals, side lateral and without irrigation were evaluated in field-grown raspberry canes (cv. Polka) for the vegetative and productive response after applied water stress – PRD and mulching. The experiment was conducted in Kosovo during the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 on raspberry orchard of 1 ha using a nested experimental design. Per four levels of irrigation, for each treatment contained 10 plants, of which five plants per treatment were mulched to a 10 cm layer of wood chips. During the third year of experiment using ANOVA we found significant changes in a series of vegetative and productive indices. Irrigation had significant changes on number of leaves, leaf surface and area, 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, fruit length, fruit weight and total yield. Our results confi rmed that a moderate water stress reducing vegetative growth while total yield the highest values were found in two laterals. PRD can be successfully applied to raspberry orchard to reduce vegetative growth and increase total yield, too with significant water saving.

Keywords: PRD; raspberry; Rubus idaeus; water stress

Date published: 2018-08-30