Effects of raised beds, black soil mulch anip oxadixyl on root rot (Phytophthora fragariae var. rubi) in red raspberry

The effects of raised beds, black plastic soil mulch and chemical soil trea tment with oxadixyl on raspberry root rot (Phytophthora fragariae var, rubi ) were studied in a field experiment with the raspberry cultivar 'Veten'. R aised beds reduced the average soil moisture from 25.5% to 22.0 %. Oxadixyl also reduced the soil moisture, whereas mulching had no significant effect . The results show that plastic mulch and raised beds (30 cm height) both i ndividually and when combined reduce the severity of Phytophthora root rot in raspberries. Averaged over three years, the yield increased from 1500 kg ha(-1) on control plots to 5700 kg ha(-1) on plots with raised beds and pl astic mulch. The best results were obtained with a combination of raised be ds, plastic mulch and oxadixyl treatment (6800 kg ha(-1)). Plastic mulch wa s the only factor that increased yield per cane.