The influence of late spring frozen on the development of Rubus fruticosus plants

Abstract

Introduction. In the Republic of Moldova, spring frosts persist until the end of april, but in some years it is reported until mid-may. These directly influence the growth and development of plants. Material and methods. Blackberry plants, of the Arapaho and Triple Crown varieties cultivated within the Scientific-Practical Center in the Field of Medicinal Plants (SPCFMP). The rows of semishrubs are located from N to S on the level curves, the planting distance is 3 x 1.5 m. Results. The stress caused by the late frosts, in full vegetation, caused a stagnation in the development of some varieties. Thus, in the bud opening phase, a decrease in the number of flowering shoots in the proportion of Arapaho was observed in the proportion of 30%. As a result, the harvest and the quality of the fruit decreased considerably. While in the Triple Crown variety, which has a high growth force, even if in the phase of opening the swelling and opening of the buds were affected by frost, they formed healthy flowering shoots, of normal size, and in the place where the main buds froze, the development from the secondary buds of 2 flowering shoots was observed. Conclusions. The biological characteristics of the variety directly influence the resistance of blackberry plants to late spring frosts. Thus, for the early erectgrowing variety Arapaho, low temperatures are critical, while the semi-erect Triple Crown variety has shown increased resistance.