NB study looks at rain shelters for raspberries A
field trial was conducted during the 2008 and 2009 growing seasons in New Brunswick to evaluate the use of polytunnel rain shelters with and without reflective groundcover—a crop management system that is the first of its kind in Canada.
Preliminary results indicate the system may lead to increased marketable yield and extended shelf life, which could translate to greater returns for producers. Interest in the system so far has been high, and through consultation with growers and crop specialists, adjustments to the design of the rain shelter continue to be made with the aim of improving practicality, performance and production efficiency. Pending funding and producer interest in collaborating on field trials, the plan is to expand the study to a national scale this season in order to evaluate the system across a range of cultivars and growing conditions. In the Atlantic provinces, the growing season is short and inadequate light can limit the production of a quality, high-
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yielding crop. There has been a trend towards cool, rainy growing seasons, which can promote the development of fungal diseases that can cause yield losses and reductions in fruit shelf life. The rain shelters were constructed of
greenhouse-grade clear plastic secured to steel hoops, and can be used with existing trellis systems. They can provide complete row coverage and enable harvesting of fruit even when it is raining. The groundcover enhances the canopy light environment by reflecting sunlight to the crop that would otherwise be absorbed by the ground. The study was conducted at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Senator Hervé J. Michaud Research Farm in Bouctouche, NB, in
collaboration with researchers from the University of Moncton and the Really Local Harvest Cooperative. Results indicate the rain
shelter/reflective groundcover system alters the canopy microclimate. Light supplied to the plant canopy by reflection from the groundcover compensates for the reduction in incident light that is observed with use of the rain shelter, to varying degrees. Seasonal levels of soil temperature were observed to be lowest in plots with reflective groundcover. In 2009, seasonal levels of soil moisture were observed to be lowest in plots in which only the rain shelter was used and greatest in plots with reflective groundcover.
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