Effects of Single and Double Cropping on Yields of Fall Bearing Raspberries

Abstract

Yields of 4 cultivars of fall bearing red raspberries grown under a system of single and double cropping were evaluated. It was determined that under central Illinois conditions, yields of single cropped fall bearing red raspberries decreased yearly. Annual yields of the same cultivars grown under conventional double cropping systems remained nearly constant over the same time interval. When the relative yields of the fall and spring crops in the double cropping system were compared, it was noted that the yield of the fall crop decreased yearly. In this same period, the yield of the spring crop increased annually. The results suggest that harvesting the single fall crop could result in significant yield loss due to the drastic pruning procedures and the tendency of the plants to produce increasingly larger spring than fall crops.