105 
 

Journal homepage: www.fia.usv.ro/fiajournal 

Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering,  

Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania  

Volume XVIII, Issue 2-2019, pag. 105  -  110 

 

SOIL EXAMINATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CREATING BETTER 

CONDITIONS FOR RASPBERRY PLANTING 

*Jovica MOMIRCESKI
1
, Julijana TOMOVSKA

1
, Dijana BLAZHEKOVIKJ-DIMOVSKA

1 

1University "St. Kliment Ohridski" – Bitola, Faculty of Biotechnical Sciences – Bitola, Macedonia 

zlatce_moe@yahoo.com  

*Corresponding author 

Received 7th May 2019, accepted 29th June 2019 

 

Abstract: When choosing land for raising a new planting of vegetables or fruit crops, the 
composition of the soil plays an important role; therefore, the composition of soil is examined, and 
chemical analysis of soil is made. The culture that we examine is a raspberry planting. Raspberry is a 

multi-annual plant in the form of a bush or semi-shrub, with more annual roots and with one-year or 

two-year-old offshoots belonging to the Rosaceae family. Raspberries are irrigated by a drop-by-drop 

system, because through that system, remediation of soil can be carried out by adding appropriate 
crystalline fertilizers. Nitrogen (N) is the element with the greatest movement in the soil itself and its 

content is from 0.05 - 0.14 %. The pH value affects the calcium content in soil. Calcium plays an 

important role in the hardness of fruit and the sensitivity of physiological disturbance amounts to 1-
2.1 %. Phosphorus is important for the fruit properties during storage and amounts to 14.7 - 40 kg / 

da. Potassium is a major element and plays a major role in producing good yields in fruit trees and 

amounts to about 14-50 kg / da. When mentioning magnesium, its role is not the most important and 
amounts to 74.5-221 ppm. The main role of magnesium lies within the ratio of potassium (K / Mg), 

which should range from 2: 1 to 3: 1. With the obtained soil analysis data, in addition to the climatic 

conditions, type and structure, which are equally important for raising a raspberry plant, we have a 
full understanding of the soil processes and guidelines for suitable conditions for growing raspberries. 

Key words: soil, raspberry, planting, chemical elements, soil acidity. 

 

1. Introduction 

Raspberry is a multi-annual plant in the 

form of a bush or semi-bush with perennial 

roots and with one-year or two-year-old 

growths from the roots belonging to the 

Rosaceae family. Raspberries enter the 

order of the most important varieties of 

berries in the world, even in the Balkans. 

The biological properties, the 

technological and nutritional value of the 

fruit make this culture quite significant and 

fairly cost-effective [1]. Raspberry is well 

adapted to various climatic and production 

conditions; it can be grown in hilly-

mountainous areas at an altitude of up to  

 

 

800 meters. Proper selection and 

preparation of soil will greatly influence 

the development of the bushes - 

raspberries, the growth of swords (growths 

on the surface), the yield and the quality of 

the product itself. Therefore, it is necessary 

to select the area for raising raspberry 

plantations, and to begin with timely and 

proper preparation of the soil [2]. When 

choosing a soil for raising a new planting 

of vegetable or fruit crops, the composition 

of the soil is important. Depending on the 

needs of each plant, appropriate soil is 

selected, which will meet the requirements 

and needs of the plant. For this to be done 

http://www.fia.usv.ro/fiajournal


Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 

Volume XVIII, Issue 2  – 2019 

 

 
Jovica MOMIRCESKI, Julijana TOMOVSKA, Dijana BLAZHEKOVIKJ-DIMOVSKA, The soils examination and 
recommendations for creating better conditions of raspberries planting, Food and Environment Safety, Volume XVIII, Issue 
2 – 2019, pag. 105 –  110 

106 
  

correctly, it is best to carry out field 

analysis and therefore chemical analysis of 

the soil. Soil analysis should be carried out 

a few months before the planting begins, 

by taking samples from several places in 

that area from a depth of 30-60 cm. In 

larger plots, sampling from only a few 

parts can lead to incorrect results, and thus 

to improper solutions when intervention on 

the same surface is involved [3]. The best 

is to take 4-5 specimens of a 1 hectare area 

to get the best and most relevant results. 

The application and accumulation of 

different elements are always different in 

the various phases of plant development. 

Values that the soil should contain for 

raising a raspberry plant are: pH from 5,5 – 

6,5; K2O (light soils) 20 – 25 mg / 100g; 

K2O (heavy soils)  25 – 30 mg / 100g; 

P2O5 > 12 – 15 mg;  MgO > 10 mg (best 

ratio K/Mg from 2:1 to 3:1).  

It is necessary to be careful about the 

content of Mg, the lack of which can 

prevent photosynthesis and lead to colorful 

leaves. Soil in nature appears as a product 

of pedogenic factors (creation factors of 

soil), which should be especially 

emphasized: soil, climate, relief, 

vegetation and human influence [4]. 

When water in the soil reacts with the 

elements, a solution (soil solution) is 

obtained, which represents the ratio of the 

hydrogen (H+) and hydroxyl (OH-) ions. 

Soil response influences: the availability of 

nutrients and the efficiency of fertilization, 

nutrient mobility and soil pollution, 

stability of structural aggregates of the soil, 

soil, water mobility and its aeration, plant 

growth, pesticide and environmental 

performance [5]. When analyzing soil, soil 

samples are extracted with certain solvents. 

In addition, the content of the nutrients 

determined in the extract of soils shows the 

level (content) of the nutrients in the soil. 

Today there are many soil solvents used to 

extract nutrients. For example, today the 

double lactate method is used, which uses 

a lactic acid content as a solvent for the 

extract, as well as the calcium acetate 

method, used to determine the content of 

the available K and P in the soils [6]. 

2. Materials and methods 

The culture being examined is a raspberry 

plant. For that purpose, 4 soil samples 

were taken to make initial examination of 

the soil composition of that land. Samples 

were taken at a depth of 30 to 60 cm at 

different places in that plot in order to get a 

better image of that land. The plant, in the 

case of raspberries, is irrigated by a drop-

by-drop system. The samples were taken, 

packed in black plastic bags and with 

individually transported to an accredited 

laboratory. First, the laboratory gave 

directions about the proper way of taking 

samples, and how far the distance between 

the sampling points should be. Thus, over 

a period of 2 hours, the samples were 

transferred to the appropriate laboratory 

and left for further examination.  

The samples were taken at a length of 

about 100m in a diagonal direction in order 

to cover as much as possible from the 

target surface and to obtain more relevant 

results. There were 4 soil samples from the 

entire area of their own choice of location, 

but certainly the determined distance 

between all samples was taken into 

account. 

It was also pointed out that the samples 

were not taken from a water surface or a 

covered mud. No earlier processing was 

performed on the soil in order to prevent 

layering. Examination of the samples is 

done on a sample of 1 kg of soil in a period 

of 15 days from the end of November and 

the beginning of December. 

Appropriate accredited methods were used 

for each examined element by the 

respective laboratory. For pH analysis, the 

TS ISO 10390 method was used with a 

pH-meter with potentiometer, Sature 



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 

Volume XVIII, Issue 2  – 2019 

 

 
Jovica MOMIRCESKI, Julijana TOMOVSKA, Dijana BLAZHEKOVIKJ-DIMOVSKA, The soils examination and 
recommendations for creating better conditions of raspberries planting, Food and Environment Safety, Volume XVIII, Issue 
2 – 2019, pag. 105 –  110 

107 
  

ortamda (H2O). To obtain the percentage 

of CaCO3, the method TS 8335 ISO 10693 

was used with an instrument called 

Kalsimetrik. In order to obtain the 

electrical conductivity, the TS ISO 11265 

method was used with the same instrument 

as when determining the pH. To apply the 

saturation, the texture in percent was used 

with the aid of TS 8333, by the use of the 

Saturasyon instrument. For the study 

percent of organic matter in the soil, the 

method TS 8336 - the Walkley Black 

instrument - was used. The TS 8337 ISO 

11261 method, i.e. the Kjeldahl method, 

was applied to obtain the percentage 

representation of total nitrogen in the soil. 

The absorbed phosphorus (P) was tested by 

the use of the TS 834 method and the 

spectrophotometer type Spektrofotometrik 

- Olsen. The method TS 8341 / N Amo 

was used for the examination content of 

the potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and 

magnesium (Mg) at Ase / ICP. The 

presence of other elements in the soil such 

as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), 

and copper (Cu) is examined with the aid 

of the TS ISO 14870 DTPA / ICP method. 

All methods used for examining soil 

samples for raspberry plantations are 

accredited methods by the Institute for 

Accreditation of the Republic of North 

Macedonia (IARSM). 

3. Results and discussion  

Тhe chemical analysis of soil was made 

with regard to each sample and repeated 

three times, then the results obtained were 

statistically calculated and their average 

value is shown in Table 1. 

 

Table 1.  

Basic parameters of soil for a raspberry plant 

 

Basic analysis of soil for raspberries planting  

No. of 

samples 

рН Lime-

Calcium 

carbonate 

(%CaCO3) 

Electro-

conductivity 

EC / (ds/m) 

t (
0
C) 

Salty 

NaCl / % 

Saturation 

– texture 

    / % 

Organic 

matter / % 

 

1 

 

7.7 

 

 

1.0 

 

 

0.287  / (21.70C) 

 

 

0.01 

 

71.51 

 

 

2.05 

 
 

2 

 

6.28 

 

 

1.3 

 

 

0.237 /  (20.70С) 

 

 

0.07 

 

51.04 

 

 

2.8 

 
 

3 

 

6.35 

 

 

1.6 

 

 

0.215 / (21.160С) 

 

 

0.06 

 

53.09 

 

 

1.64 

 
 

4 

 

6.11 
 

 

2.1 
 

 

0.225 /  (21.10С) 
 

 

0.009 

 

55.44 
 

 

1.24 
 

 

Acidification of the soil: According to the 

obtained soil acidity results, it is necessary 

to implement measures only to the surface 

from which the sample number 1 is taken, 

where the pH is 7.7 (weak alkaline), 

because when the pH is above 7.0 it can 

come to the lack  

 

of some elements such as Fe and Zn. In 

this case, acidification of the soil can be 

done with sawdust or with a comminute 

(which is obtained after digestion of 

brandy). Other samples produce pH 

(weakly acidic) results provided by the 

planting, raspberry requirements.   



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 

Volume XVIII, Issue 2  – 2019 

 

 
Jovica MOMIRCESKI, Julijana TOMOVSKA, Dijana BLAZHEKOVIKJ-DIMOVSKA, The soils examination and 
recommendations for creating better conditions of raspberries planting, Food and Environment Safety, Volume XVIII, Issue 
2 – 2019, pag. 105 –  110 

108 
  

Chemical elements in soil: The results of 

the analysis show presence of several 

chemical elements in soil that are 

presented in Table 2. 
Table 2.  

Analysis of chemical elements in soil for planting a raspberry plant 

Chemical analysis of soil for raspberries planting 

Chemical elements Simples Method of analyzes / Instrument 

1 2 3 4 

Total Nitrogen (N) / % 0.10 
 

0.14 
 

0.08 
 

0.06 
 

TS 8337 ISO 11261/ 
Kjeldahl 

Absorbed Phosphorus 

(P) 

P2O5 kg/da 

16.03 

 

40.36 

 

24.7 

 

14.77 

 

TS 834 Olsen /Spektrofotometrik 

Absorbed  

Kalium (K) 

K2O kg/da 

17.1 

 

49.7 

 

23.6 

 

14.0 

 

TS 8341 / 1N Amo. Ase / 1CP – 0ES 

Absorbed Calcium (Ca) 

/ ppm 

3745.0 

 

1235.0 

 

2170.0 

 

1113.0 

 

TS 8341 / N Amo. Ase / ICP 

Absorbed Magnesium 

(Mg)  

/ ppm 

74.58 

 

138.7 

 

220.9 

 

184.7 

 

TS 8341 / N Amo. Ase / ICP 

Absorbed  

Iron  (Fe) /ppm 

1.163 

 

81.92 

 

157.8 

 

76.20 TS ISO 14870 DTPA / ICP – 0ES 

Absorbed  

Manganese (Mn) 

 /ppm 

1.283 

 

21.00 

 

24.25 

 

12.12 

 

TS ISO 14870 DTPA / ICP 

Absorbed  
 Zink (Zn) 

/ppm 

1.031 
 

5.473 
 

2.570 
 

1.848 TS ISO 14870 DTPA / ICP 

Absorbed  

Copper  (Cu) 

/ppm 

3.309 

 

4.655 

 

4.322 

 

2.822 

 

TS ISO 14870 DTPA / ICP 

 

Fertility: Raspberries work hard all 

summer to produce large leaves and 

berries, so they need increased fertility 

than other shrubs and perennial plants. 

Spread commercial fertilizer -- such as a 

20-20-20 formula at a rate of 6 pounds per 

100 feet of raspberry plants -- in the spring 

as new growth emerges [7]. Give fall-

bearing raspberries an additional 1 to 2 

pounds of fertilizer as the canes start to 

bloom. If you prefer, spread manure or 

compost in the fall after you harvest the 

raspberries [8].  

Calcification: The pH value also shows 

the calcium content in the soil. In soil with 

a pH higher than 7.0, blocking certain 

microelements like Fe and Zn may occur 

[9]. Calcium, important for the soil, is also 

important for the availability of other 

elements in the soil. Calcium has an 

important role for the hardness of the fruit 

and for the sensitivity of physiological 

disorders [10]. The adequate presence of 

calcium in the soil, as can be seen from the 

obtained results (lime soils), facilitates 

absorption of other elements and increases 

the activity in the soil itself. In this case, it 

is recommended to minimize the addition 

of calcium on this surface in order to bring 

calcium into the ideal content required by 

the raspberry planting. Further 

calcification can be performed every 3 

years to replenish the evaporated or 



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 

Volume XVIII, Issue 2  – 2019 

 

 
Jovica MOMIRCESKI, Julijana TOMOVSKA, Dijana BLAZHEKOVIKJ-DIMOVSKA, The soils examination and 
recommendations for creating better conditions of raspberries planting, Food and Environment Safety, Volume XVIII, Issue 
2 – 2019, pag. 105 –  110 

109 
  

extracted carbonate from the soil by 

natural processes [11]. 

Electroconductivity of the soil: The 

conductivity results / (ds / m) of the ions 

from the present sample elements, which 

have an appropriate temperature of 20.70C 

- 21.70C and no salt (NaCl), are in the 

normal range, which is the result of the 

absence or minimum presence of salt in the 

soil. The percentage of NaCl is from 0.009 

to 0.07% and corresponds to the 

requirements for the raspberry planting. 

Plants require nutrients to grow, and, if we 

fail to supply the proper nutrients in the 

proper concentrations, plant function is 

affected [12].  

Saturation - texture of the soil: From the 

results it can be seen that only in the first 

sample a higher value of 71.51% was 

obtained, compared to other samples 

whose value ranges from 51.04% to 

55.44%. From the values we conclude that 

the first sample is a surface with sand 

deposits or sandy soil, while as far as the 

other three samples are concerned, we are 

dealing with clayey rocky soil. 

 

4. Conclusion 

 

Тhe results show that this soil is good for 

growing the desired crop plantations of 

raspberries. With small interventions and 

addition of certain fertilizers in soil the 

optimal soil quality is achieved. Due to the 

fact that the elements which are most 

necessary for the quality production of 

raspberries are in good proportion and well 

contained in soil, it can be freely stated 

that this country is good for raising a new 

raspberry plantation. From the results one 

can also get recommendations that actually 

represent the conclusions of this research: 

- The land that is chosen for raising long-

term plantations of raspberries is mostly 

used, i.e. deep land, because the native 

raspberries system reaches up to about 50 

cm, has good permeability, the humus 

content is 3-5%, the pH value is to move 

within the limits of 5.5 - 6.5 (weakly 

acidic) and medium heavy soil (about 50% 

clay). 

- The irrigation method in this case is 

important, because through that system the 

land can be renovated by adding 

appropriate crystalline enzymes, in order to 

achieve a better quality of the composition 

of the soil and, if possible, to reach the 

requirements of the raspberries for the 

composition of the soil for raising an 

appropriate plantation [13]. 

- Nitrogen (N) is the element with the 

greatest mobility in the soil, which from an 

ecological point of view can be a 

significant problem [14].uy The content 

and the representation of nitrogen in the 

soil can most easily be determined by the 

percentage of plant growth and the 

development of the flower itself. 

Uncontrolled application of fertilizers can 

lead to a series of unwanted consequences 

that are manifested through various forms 

of disadvantages, accumulation of varied 

foods, unevenness of the elements in the 

soil, but also in the plant itself. 

- The most important elements that should 

be included in soil for raspberry cultivation 

are: phosphorus (P2O5) in amounts of 

10mg and potassium (K2O) in the amount 

of 40mg per 100g soil [15]. 

In addition to climatic conditions, the type 

and structure of the soil, the results of the 

chemical soil structure tests will give a 

complete image of the best conditions for 

raising the plant sediment. 

 

  



Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava 

Volume XVIII, Issue 2  – 2019 

 

 
Jovica MOMIRCESKI, Julijana TOMOVSKA, Dijana BLAZHEKOVIKJ-DIMOVSKA, The soils examination and 
recommendations for creating better conditions of raspberries planting, Food and Environment Safety, Volume XVIII, Issue 
2 – 2019, pag. 105 –  110 

110 
  

5. References 

[1].  ALEKSANDAR SOSKIC, Malina 
(Raspberry); Belgrade, 1997, page 164, 

[2].  VOCAR (FRUIT), Published 28 February 
2015  

[3].  ASAD JELESKOVIC, dipl. ing. agr 
Tehnologija uzgoja maline (Technology of 

raspberry growing), May, 2014 

[4].  DUSHKO MUKAETOV, Soil fertility, 
UKIM, Agricultural Institute – Skopje 

(2013) 

[5].  RUBIN GULABOVSKI, Agrochemistry  
and Plant Nutrition, UGD, Faculty of 

Agriculture - Stip, 2013. 

[6].  FIDANKA TRAJKOVA MSc VASKO 
ZLATKOVSKI, Guide for soil samples 

from agricultural land- Guidelines for 

proper soil soil sampling for agrochemical 

analysis of soil; Publisher: University 

"Goce Delcev" - Shtip, Faculty of 

Agriculture, March, 2017. 

[7]. R. R. MAXWELL, Synthetic nitrogen 
products: A practical guide to the products 

and processes, Kluwer Academic New 
York, 2004.

 

 

 

[8]. JULIE CHRISTENSEN, Ideal Growing 
Conditions for Raspberry Plants, 

December 14, 2018 

[9].  NATASHA KLJAJIC, Eficiency of invest 
in milk production,  Belgrade, 2014, p.7-

17 

[10]. E. PLASTER, Soil Science and 
Management (5th Edition), Delmar 

Cengage Learning, 2008, New York. J. 

Filipovski, Pedology, 1984. 

[11]. http://www.caritas.ba/dok/1418119408.p
df 

[12]. RICHARDS, L. A, Diagnosis and 
Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils. 

USDA,Agriculture Handbook 60, 

Washington D. C.(Ed.) 1954. 

[13]. Rulebook on analysis of inorganic 
fertilizers, Government of the Republic of 
Macedonia, 2009. 

[14]. http://vocarstvo.rs/literatura 
[15]. https://www.smart-

fertilizer.com/articles/phosphorus  

 

 

http://www.caritas.ba/dok/1418119408.pdf
http://www.caritas.ba/dok/1418119408.pdf
http://vocarstvo.rs/literatura
https://www.smart-fertilizer.com/articles/phosphorus
https://www.smart-fertilizer.com/articles/phosphorus