Development of a production area and long-term harvesting of red raspberries using plastic greenhouses in Japan

Abstract

The demand for raspberries (Rubus idaeus) has increased in Japan since 1999. Almost all of the raspberry supply is imported, and domestic raspberry production is limited. The Japanese market for raspberries is represented by the supply of imported raspberries. A raspberry production area has been developed by a joint research program involving the industry, academia, and the local government in Akita since 2008. Akita is located in the northwestern part of the northeast region of Japan called the Tohoku region. Most farmers in this area mainly cultivate rice and have introduced raspberry production for crop diversification. The market for fresh fruit imports in Japan has expanded with the year-round supply; however, domestically produced fresh fruits are not being supplied. To expand domestic production, it may be necessary to promote the production of fresh fruits, assuming that they are available over a long term. There is an off-season for raspberries cultivated outdoors in Akita, between fruits from floricanes of 'Chilcotin' and those from primocanes of 'Heritage'. Accordingly, to manipulate the fruit harvest from primocanes in 'Heritage', we cultivated them in a plastic greenhouse. The date of budding of primocanes from the soil surface and the date of initiation of harvesting were forced. We demonstrated that long-term harvesting in Akita is possible by the continuous cultivation of floricane fruits under outdoor culture, primocane fruits using forcing culture under plastic greenhouses, and primocane fruits under outdoor culture.