Evaluation of Five Primocane-Fruiting Red Raspberry Cultivars in Grow Bags Under Protected Culture in Southern Missouri

Abstract

Five primocane-fruiting red raspberry ( Rubus idaeusL.) cultivars (‘Crimson Giant’, ‘Himbo Top’, ‘Joan J’, ‘Josephine’ and ‘Polka’) were grown in protected culture in 19 L grow bags in southern Missouri. Raspberries were cropped in a single-bay high tunnel, pruned, rotated outdoors and protected with straw mulch to overwinter. Marketable yield and fruit weights were recorded from 2014 (establishment year 0) through 2019 (year 5). ‘Joan J’ produced the highest yield in the establishment year of 744 g/plant. ‘Himbo Top’ and ‘Joan J’ produced the highest yield overall with year 1 – 3 means of 1626 and 1614 g/plant respectively. All cultivars produced a commercially acceptable yield in years 1 - 3. There was a crop failure in year 4 and yield declined in year 5. ‘Crimson Giant’ had the largest fruits based on a three-year mean (4.16 g), significantly different from ‘Josephine’ (3.51 g), ‘Joan J’ (3.46 g), ‘Polka’ (3.18 g) and ‘Himbo Top’ (3.12 g).