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Primocane Fruiting Blackberry Trial Results

Kirk W. Pomper*, Jeremiah D. Lowe, and Sheri B. Crabtree Department of Plant and Soil Science, Kentucky State University John R. Clark Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas John G. Strang Department of Horticulture, University of Kentucky

Introduction

Rubus

• The official State Fruit
• “U-pick”
• Small commercial production
• In 2006 there were 150 acres of blackberries in KY

Mainly fresh market sales and jams and jellies

Interest increasing

Blackberry Terminology

• Canes: Stems of bramble plants
• Canes last for two seasons, then die
• Primocane: A bramble cane going through its first year of growth
• Floricane: A bramble cane going through its second year of growth
• Canes last for two seasons, then die
• Most blackberries are floricane fruiting
• Some blackberries are primocane fruiting

Blackberry Types & Cultivars

Erect Thorny

– Cherokee

• Shawnee

Semi-erect Thornless

• Hull Thornless
• Triple Crown*
• – Chickasaw* – Chester
• Kiowa

Erect Thornless

– Apache*

— Ouachita*

• Trailing

— Boysen (not hardy)

– Marion (not hardy)

Primocane Fruiting, Thorny

— Prime-Jan*

– Prime-Jim*

Data from Dr. John Strang University of Kentucky

Prime-Jim & Prime-Jan

• Released by the University of Arkansas
• Recommended for home gardeners and for very limited commercial trial
• Fruit have poor shipping characteristics
• Recommended for home gardeners and for
• Fruit size and quality are affected by the hot
• –temperatures above 85oF can greatly reduce fruit
• temperatures above 85circF can greatly reduce fruit set, size and quality on primocanes

Primocane Fruiting Blackberries

• Great for Farmers Markets in Kentucky (fruit from August until frost!)
• Floricane and Primocane fruiting
• Mowing instead of pruning
• Erect selections do not need a trellis
• Potential organic production

Objective

• To determine if advanced selections developed by the University of Arkansas Blackberry Breeding Program were superior to Prime-Jim® and Prime-Jan® in terms of yield and fruit quality under Kentucky growing conditions.

Blackberry Selections

• Established June 2006 at KSU
• Floricane fruiting selections:
• Apache (thornless erect)
• Chickasaw (thorny erect)
• Triple Crown (thornless-trailing)
• –Primocane fruiting selections: – Prime-Jim® – Prime-Jan®
• Established June 2006 at KSU
• Floricane fruiting selections:
• –Triple Crown (thornless-trailing)
• Primocane fruiting selections:
• –(all thorny erect, primocane-fruiting)

Trial Design

• Randomized complete block design -4 blocks
• – 20 plants of each cultivar or selection
• Spacing
• – 2 feet between each plant
• – Rows 70 feet long
• – Rows 14 feet apart
• Managed using National Organic Program standards
• –Harvested on Monday and Thursday

Weed Control

• Manual
• -Hand
• -Hoe -Weed eater
• Mulching —Straw

Irrigation

T-tape

• Lack of water seriously reduces yields
• Require 1" water/wk during growing season
• Best to irrigate throughout entire season

The April Freeze Event and High Summer Temperatures in 2007

• No fruit production data collected from floricanes

— April freeze damaged floricanes

Summer temperatures

• –Warm temps thought to reduce fruit set on
• –44 days over 85oF in August and September,

– 44 days over 85°F in August and September, 2007

Prime Jim

• Yield: very low
• Berry size: 1.9 g
• Brix: 13.1
• Comments: Poor fruit set and size due to high temperatures?

Harvest:

– start 8/2, half 8/27, end 10/26 (frost)

Prime Jim

Prime-Jan

• Comments: Better yields than expected; not influenced by the summer heat as much as Prime Jim?

Yield: good

• Berry size: 3.2 g

Brix: 10.3

Harvest:

– start 8/2, half 8/30, end 10/26

• –Prime Jan

APF-27

Yield: low

Berry size: 3.0 g

• Brix: 12.5

• Comments: Nice flavor.

Harvest:

– Start 8/2, half 9/4, end 10/26

• –APF-27

APF-40

Yield: very good

Berry size: 3.9 g

Brix: 12.5

• Comments: best producer; largest fruit; best choice so far.
• Harvest:
• start 8/6, half 8/27, end 10/26

• –APF-40

APF-41

Yield: low

Berry size: 3.7 g

• Brix: 14

• Comments: Late harvest; nice fruit form and size.

Harvest: – start 8/20, half 9/11, end 10/26

• –APF-41

APF-42

Yield: low

• Berry size: 2.2 g

Brix: 12.7

Harvest:

• Comments: Double fruits a big problem for harvest; already dropped from the trial.

– start 8/6, half 9/6, end 10/26

APF-42

APF-46

Yield: low

Berry size: 2.6 g

• Brix: 13.7

Harvest:

• Comments: Small plants, may benefit from pinching at 0.5 meter.

– start 8/2, half 9/11, end 10/26

• –APF-46

APF-77

Yield: low

Berry size: 3.1 g

• Brix: 11.2

• Comments: Late harvest period; interesting flavor.

Harvest:

– start 8/2, half 9/24, end 10/26

• –APF-77

2007 Yield and Berry Weight Data

Harvest 2007

KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY

(Frost)

Early Tasting Data From UK and KSU Events N

N = 21

Conclusions

• Primocane fruiting blackberries could be a niche-market crop for Kentucky growers (farmers markets) from Mid-summer until frost.
• Mowing instead of pruning, no trellis, and potential organic production are also attractive to growers.
• APF advanced selections have improved characteristics over Prime Jim and Prime Jan.
• Primocane fruiting blackberries could be a niche-
• Mowing instead of pruning, no trellis, and potential
• APF-45 will also be established at KSU in 2008 and
• APF selections are not currently available to growers
• APF selections are not currently available to growers and patent decisions have yet to be made.