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Title: `PRIME-JAN'TM (`APF-8') AND `PRIME-JIM'TM (`APF-12') PRIMOCANE-FRUITING BLACKBERRIES

Author
item CLARK, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item MOORE, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item LOPEZ-MEDINA, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item Finn, Chad
item Perkins Veazie, Penelope

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/2004
Publication Date: 6/1/2005
Citation: Clark, J.R., Moore, J.N., Lopez-Medina, J., Finn, C.E., Perkins Veazie, P.M. 2005. 'Prime-Jan'TM ('APF-8) and 'Prime-Jim'TM ('APF-12') primocane-fruiting blackberries. Hortscience. 40(3):852-855.

Interpretive Summary: 'Prime-Jan'TM ('APF-8') and 'Prime-Jim'TM ('APF-12') are the first commercial cultivars of primocane-fruiting blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson). This unique type of blackberry fruits on current-season canes (primocanes) and second-season canes (floricanes). All other existing blackberry cultivars fruit only on floricanes, requiring canes to be overwintered to produce a crop. This new type of fruiting habit has the potential to revolutionize blackberry production much like that which has occurred for primocane-fruiting red raspberries (Rubus ideaus L.). These first primocane-fruiting cultivars are intended primarily for home-garden production and limited commercial trial evaluations.

Technical Abstract: 'Prime-Jan'TM ('APF-8') and 'Prime-Jim'TM ('APF-12') are the first commercial cultivars of primocane-fruiting blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson). This unique type of blackberry fruits on current-season canes (primocanes) and second-season canes (floricanes). All other existing blackberry cultivars fruit only on floricanes, requiring canes to be overwintered to produce a crop. This new type of fruiting habit has the potential to revolutionize blackberry production much like that which has occurred for primocane-fruiting red raspberries (Rubus ideaus L.). These first primocane-fruiting cultivars are intended primarily for home-garden production and limited commercial trial evaluations. 'Prime-Jan'TM resulted from a cross of Ark.1836 x 'Arapaho,' and 'Prime-Jim'TM resulted from 'Arapaho' x Ark. 830. The crosses were made in 1994 at the University of Arkansas Fruit Substation, Clarksville as part of J. Lopez-Medina's doctoral dissertation research in which he investigated inheritance of the primocane-fruiting trait. The original plants of these genotypes were selected in September 1997 from a seedling field at the University of Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Fayetteville and tested as APF-8 and APF-12 following selection. The source of the primocane-fruiting trait in these selections is the diploid cultivar 'Hillquist', which was selected in the wild in Ashland, VA by L.G. Hillquist. Mr. Hillquist sent this genotype to Geneva, N.Y. in 1949.