R2113 4.3 Soft Fruit - types, choosing cvs

Question 1

Name ONE distinct pest (excluding birds) AND ONE control measure for Strawberries

Answer 1

Two-Spotted Red Spider Mite controlled by maintaining humidity and spraying with fatty acids.

Also:

Aphids, Slugs, Vine weevil

Question 2

Name ONE distinct pest (excluding birds) AND ONE control measure for Raspberries

Answer 2

Raspberry Beetle can be controlled by the use of a pheromone trap or spraying with natural pyrethrum or lambda-cyhalothrin

Also:

Aphids, Red spider mite

Question 3

Name ONE distinct pest (excluding birds) AND ONE control measure for Blackcurrants

Answer 3

• Blackcurrant Gall Midge - leaves become distorted and crumpled - can be controlled by hoeing under the bushes in dry weather to destroy the pupae.
• Plant-_resistant cultivars_ e.g. Blackcurrant ‘Ben Hope’.
• Can also be controlled by spraying with Deltamethrin

Also:

2-spotted red spider mite

Question 4

Name ONE distinct pest (excluding birds) AND ONE control measure for Apples

Answer 4

Codling Moth can be controlled by:

• pheromone traps
• spraying with natural pyrethrin

Also:

Fruit tree red spider mite, Rosy apple aphid, Apple blossom weevil

Question 5

Name ONE distinct pest (excluding birds) AND ONE control measure for Plums

Answer 5

Mealy Plum Aphid can be controlled by squashing them between fingers and thumb, encouraging natural predators e.g. ladybirds and hoverflies and by spraying with deltamethrin

Also:

Plum leaf-curling aphid

Question 6

Name ONE distinct disease and state ONE symptom of the disease for Raspberries

Answer 6

Grey mould/botrytis which produces grey/off white or grey/brown fuzzy fungal growth on all of the above-ground parts of the plant.

Question 7

Name ONE distinct disease and state ONE symptom of the disease for Strawberries

Answer 7

Affected by strawberry powdery mildew which appears as grey/white patches on the underside of the leaves and red blotches on the upper surfaces of the leaf. The flowers become distorted and fail to open.

Also:

Grey mould

Question 8

Name ONE distinct disease and state ONE symptom of the disease for Blackcurrants

Answer 8

Blackcurrant reversion is a virus spread by mites. They infest the buds, causing them to swell to an abnormal spherical shape known as ‘big bud’. (To see the actual mite you need a microscope as they are tiny (0.25mm). They look like a minute, white grub.)

• The flowers appear shiny
• Reduced yield
• Reduction in the size and shape of the leaves.

Although the bushes continue to grow adequately, the fruit yield falls greatly. Start again, with disease-free stock.

Also:

Grey mould

Question 9

Name ONE distinct disease and state ONE symptom of the disease for Apples

Answer 9

Affected by apple scab which causes the development of blackish/brown scabby patches on the fruits, greenish/grey spots on the foliage and the fruits become cracked or split in extreme cases.

Also:

Apple canker, powdery mildew, silver leaf

Question 10

Name ONE distinct disease and state ONE symptom of the disease for Plums

Answer 10

Affected by bacterial canker where clearly defined areas of bark flatten and sink inwards and amber-coloured resin-like ooze may appear. The buds at the tips of branches may fail to open and the leaves may appear but wither and die back. The foliage on affected branches are small and yellow in colour.

Also:

Silver leaf - “silver” leaves, limbs die or fail to leaf up, fruiting bodies may develop on dead wood

Question 11

Describe how to harvest and store a NAMED cultivar of Blackcurrant

Answer 11

e.g. ‘Ben Hope’ harvested by hand when the fruits are dry, black and plump. Whole strings are removed and any diseased or damaged fruit is discarded. The fruits can be stored in a refrigerator for a short period of time and frozen or bottled for longer term storage.

Question 12

Describe the production of strawberries: harvesting

Answer 12

When the fruits are pink/red all over on a dry day. The fruits are picked carefully to avoid bruising by pinching the stalk between the fingers to ensure that the calyx is intact and not by twisting. Any damaged or mouldy fruits are discarded. It is important not to pile too many fruits on top of each other to avoid bruising/crushing.

Question 13

State the optimum time for pruning plum trees

Answer 13

late spring/summer, to avoid infection from the fungal disease silver leaf

Question 14

Describe ONE NAMED training system for plums

Answer 14

Fan training system:

A maiden whip or feathered maiden is planted 15–23cm away from a wall or fence which is fitted with horizontal wires 15cm apart. The aim is to create a fan shape which is achieved by removing the central leader to concentrate vigour on both sides of the tree. The laterals are cut back to strong buds to encourage side shoots (‘ribs’) which are tied in at an angle of 45° and gradually lowered to the horizontal.

Question 15

List FOUR factors to be considered when selecting cultivars of soft fruit

Answer 15

• Selection of early, mid or late season cultivars
• Flavour
• Storage capability
• Pest and disease resistance
• Culinary or dessert cultivars
• Certified stock
• Yield
• Vigour/ultimate size of plant

Question 16

Cultivar of Strawberry

Answer 16

‘Cambridge Favourite’

Also:

‘Christine’

‘Florence’

Question 17

State a named cultivar for Gooseberry

Answer 17

‘Invicta’

Question 18

State a named cultivar for a vine

Answer 18

‘Brandt’