GROWTH AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF 'TULAMEEN' RASPBERRY CULTIVAR IN TROYAN REGION

The study was conducted during the 2008-2010 period in a collection plantation of IMSA – Troyan. The newly introduced cultivar ‘Tulameen’ was studied under Troyan soil and climatic conditions. Cultivar ‘Shopska Alena’ was used as a standard cv. The conditions of cultivation were without irrigation on grey forest soil. The period of vegetation in 2008-2009 was characterized by dry and hot weather and by more rainfall in 2010. The phenological stages and vegetative and reproductive characteristics of the plants of the two cultivars were recorded. On average for the period, the two cultivars formed an equal number of shoots per linear meter – a number of about 18. Cultivar ‘Tulameen’ had taller and thicker shoots, 193.98 cm and 8.79 mm, respectively. Also, ‘Tulameen’ had considerably larger fruits, 3.54 g, comparing with ‘Shopska Alena’.