Evaluation of Growth and Production Parameters of Raspberries and Blackberries Cultivated in Romania

There are a multitude of raspberry and blackberry varieties, and each of them develops differently depending on environmental factors and cultivation technology, so much research is needed to see which variety has the best yield in a desired area. This paper studied the growth under natural soil and specific climate conditions in the Bucharest–Ilfov region of Romania of a raspberry plantation and a blackberry plantation, both in their first year of vegetation. The studied interval, the period of June to October 2024, was established from the beginning of the ripening of the first fruits to the late ripening of the fruits. The study analyzed the correlations between the vegetative and productive parameters of the raspberry variety “<i>Delniwa</i>” and the blackberry variety “<i>Thornfree</i>” on productivity per plant. During the study period, good shoot formation was observed, with an average height of 1400 mm for raspberries and 3474 mm for blackberries (r = 0.99 to raspberries and r = 0.98 to blackberries); a good development of the average stem diameter of 8.54 mm for raspberries and 12.78 mm for blackberries (r = 0.96 la zmeur si r = 0.89 la mur), of the number of ripe fruits harvested (r = 0.68 to raspberries and r = 0.58 to blackberries), all of which are correlated with increased productivity of 820 g/plant for raspberries and 2050 g/plant for blackberries. The experimental data were statistically analyzed using linearized, polynomial and hyperbolic models to identify the relationships between the studied variables and to highlight growth variations and fruit production in raspberries and blackberries throughout the season. In the first year of vegetation, both crops recorded constant growth but with different rhythms: raspberries showed constant fruit production, with a peak in June–July and a slight resumption in September, while blackberries had high production at the beginning of summer, followed by a significant decrease in August. The results obtained support farmers who grow raspberries and blackberries under similar natural pedo-climatic conditions, contributing to crop planning and production optimization.