Challenges & Opportunities of Small Fruit Production. Michele Warmund State Fruit Extension Specialist University of Missouri

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1 Challenges & Opportunities of Small Fruit Production Michele Warmund State Fruit Extension Specialist University of Missouri

2 Potential Crops raspberries blackberries strawberries elderberry blueberries

3 Site Requirements Climate Soil Elevation Irrigation

4 Climate Requirements All fruit plants require full sun All fruits have an optimum high and low temperature range High humidity and rainfall increases fruit diseases

5 Elevation Cold air drains from the highest to the lowest area Surrounding woods block the flow of cold air & creates a frost pocket Slope < 8% North-facing slope is slow to warm in the spring South-facing slope warms quickly

6 Soil Considerations Soil depth of 3 to 4 ft. Drainage Free of impermeable layers Soil texture Menfro silt loam (780,000 A in MO) NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Services) for soil maps

7 Soil Fertility Always take a soil test before planting Adjust soil ph & any deficient nutrients All fruit plants require annual fertilization Leaf sampling is best way to assess plant nutrition after plants start bearing fruit

8 Pollination Requirements Self Fertile - brambles - strawberries Cross-pollinated - blueberries - elderberries

9 Irrigation & Mulching All fruit plants require irrigation during the growing season The last few weeks before harvest is a critical time for moisture to attain good fruit size Maintain a weed-free area under plants to conserve water Mulch to prevent weed competition & cleaner fruit

10 Brambles One of the easiest crops to grow Summer temps too hot for high quality raspberries Raspberries require welldrained soils & are susceptible to Phytophthora root rot Lack of cold hardiness in some blackberry cultivars

11 General Bramble Care Plant dormant bare root or tissue-cultured plants 3 to 4 ft. within rows Primocanes-vegetative canes Floricanes-bear flowers and fruit Nitrogen fertilizer year 1 25 lbs/a year 2 40 lbs/a year 3 50 lbs/a

12 Pro s and Con s of Brambles One of the easiest crops to grow Summer temps too hot for high quality raspberries Raspberries require well-drained soils & are susceptible to Phytophthora root rot Lack of cold hardiness in some blackberry cultivars Labor Short shelf-life of fruit

13 Bramble Cultivars Summer-bearing raspberries - Jewel, Latham Fall-bearing raspberries - Heritage, Caroline Summer bearing, erect-growing blackberries -Arapaho, Apache, Ouachita, Navaho Fall bearing blackberries not recommended

14 Pruning Summer Fruiting Raspberries Dormant pruning Remove old floricanes Thin remaining canes to 6 per sq/ft.

15 Pruning Summer Fruiting Erect Blackberries Dormant pruning - remove old floricanes - thin remaining canes to 6 per sq/ft. - shorten laterals to 12 to 18 Summer pruning - summer tip canes to a height of 36 to 40 in June

16 Pruning Fall Fruiting Raspberries Dormant pruning Mow plants to the ground

17 Harvesting Brambles Must harvest every 2 to 3 days Yields - Red raspberry 2.7 lbs/plant - Blackberry thornless erect 3.5 lbs/plant

18 Common Problems Winter cane damage or frost injury Anthracnose on blackberry Leaf spot on raspberry Red-necked cane borer Stink bugs

19 Pro s & Con s of Elderberry Easy to grow, new crop Resistant to low temps Labor intensive to harvest Market potential? Grower s coop Pests

20 Elderberry General Care Wyldwood, Bob Gordon cultivars Easy to propagate plants Plant at 4 x 12 ft. spacing Fertilize 60 to 80 lbs N/acre Pruning - mow to the ground - thin out older shoots

21 Harvest Remove cymes by hand By year 3, 5500 to 8600 lbs fruit/acre De-stem cymes Crush berries, remove seeds, refrigerate juice Dehydrate berries

22 Common Problems Puccinia bolleyana rust Eriophyid mites Stem borer Elder beetle borer

23 Common Problems Sawflies Stink bugs Japanese beetles

24 Pro s and Con s of Strawberries Easy to grow Rainfall during harvest Flowers frost susceptible Labor intensive Fruit is perishable Year-round market competition Many pests

25 Strawberry Cultivars Types- June bearing, everbearing, day-neutral Early - Earliglow Midseason -Surecrop, Honeoye, Redchief Late midseason - Allstar, Jewel

26 Matted Row System Plant spacing 18 x 42 Year 1 - fill in row with runners - remove flowers - fertilize 30 lbs. N/acre - weed control - mulch in late Nov. after a few nights in 20 s F

27 Matted Row Production Year 2 - mow foliage - narrow rows to wide -thin to 5-7 plants/sq. ft. - apply 100 lbs. N/acre - expected yields 7000, 7000, 4000, 3000 qts/a in years 2 to 5

28 Other Planting Systems Ribbon Row System - 6 x 36 spacing on raised beds - do not remove flowers - remove runners - 2 nd year convert to narrow matted rows Annual Plasticulture - staggered plants in double rows at 12 x 5 ft. - plant in fall, fruit in spring, but frost problems - replace plants annually

29 Common Problems Frost damage Rain during harvest Many diseases - gray mold, leaf spot, scorch, and blight, anthracnose, leather rot, red stele, Verticillium wilt Many insects - Japanese beetles, cutworms, mites, aphids, thrips, tarnished plant bug, etc.

30 Pro s and Con s of Blueberries Not as perishable as other crops Require low soil ph Incorporate 1 gall of peat moss/plant into soil < 2,000 lbs calcium/a good soil drainage high labor requirement for harvest bird control

31 General Care of Blueberries Bluecrop, Blueray, Duke Plant at 4 x 12 ft. spacings Ammonium sulphate rate of application depends on plant age Remove blooms years 1 & 2 Mulch & drip irrigate Monitor soil ph Bird netting Mature plant yields lbs/a

32 Pruning Blueberries Begin dormant pruning at year 4 Thinning cuts Remove: -older canes - weak canes - diseased or dead wood

33 Common Problems Iron deficiency Phomopsis on canes Botryosphaeria stem blight Loss from birds

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