Modification of the bearing period of red raspberry cv Tulameen with cold stored stored bare root and potted long canes planted at different dates

Berry fruits are often collected in mountainous and hilly areas inthe Alps and Apennines to be eaten fresh or processed into jam, jelly and liquor. These last thirty years the tradition to collect them in the wild has diminished and plantations have been established with selected cultivars in order to satisfy the increasing demand for food and non food (cosmetics, pharmaceutics) needs. Production has been increasing specially directed to fresh market. Piemonte is the main raspberry producer in Italy (450t in 2002): the species is mostly cultivated in small family-managed farms and represents an interesting opportunity to increase the income of the growers. In these areas open field red raspberry plantations bear fruit in June with the floricane cultivars and continue until the end of September with the primocanes, with an unbearing period in August. To improve and emphasize the opportunities of the culture, the research project aims to assess the possibility of modifying and delaying the bearing period in order to get fruits in August and October.