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Field performance of micropropagated (MP) and conventionally propagated (CP) red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L. cv. Comet and Festival) was examined under hedgerow and stool cane management systems for 3 seasons (1989 to 1991). All MP plants established well compared to 58% survival rates 45 days after planting and 92% survival rates after replanting for CP plants. The MP plants were more vigorous compared with the CP plants for the duration of this study as indicated by more and taller canes. MP 'Festival' in 1990 yielded 2.2 MT$ cdot$ha$ sp{-1}$, almost half the yield of established commercial plantings in Quebec, while yields from CP 'Festival' and MP and CP 'Comet' were negligible. The MP 'Festival' crop (8.42 MT$ cdot$ha$ sp{-1}$) also outyielded CP 'Festival' (6.8 MT$ cdot$ha$ sp{-1}$) and both MP (5.72 MT$ cdot$ha$ sp{-1}$) and CP (4.91 MT$ cdot$ha$ sp{-1}$) 'Comet' in the second fruiting year. Propagation method had no effects on winter hardiness, photosynthetic capacity nor leaf and stem morphology of either cultivar. The results indicated that MP plants were superior to CP plants for both nursery propagation and fruit production due to their more consistent establishment and increased vigor. Red raspberry plantlets were successfully hardened in vitro on low-sucrose or sucrose-free media through CO$ sb{2}$ enrichment (1500 ppm) and relative humidity reduction (90%) using a forced ventilation system in specially constructed plexiglass chambers. Enriched CO$ sb{2}$ significantly increased general vigor, root formation, root growth, plantlet growth and plantlet photosynthetic capacities. Sucrose in the medium promoted plantlet growth but depressed photosynthesis. In vitro relative humidity at 90% decreased stomatal apertures and improved plantlet ex vitro performance but did not affect the CO$ sb{2}$ uptake rates of cultured plantlets or ex vitro transplants. The maximum CO$ sb{2}$ uptake rates of plantlet leaves were about 52-69% that of greenhouse control pla