Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #177139
Title: UPDATE AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF THE COOPERATIVE USDA-ARS/OSU BREEDING PROGRAM FOR STRAWBERRIES AND CANEBERRIES: WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH GROWER TRIALS.

Author
item Finn, Chad
item Peterson, Mary
item Mackey, Theodore - Ted
item STRIK, BERNADINE - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item PACE, CONNIE - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item BULLER, GIL - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Oregon Horticultural Society
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/16/2005
Publication Date: 4/1/2006
Citation: Finn, C.E., Peterson, M.E., Mackey, T.A., Strik, B., Pace, C., Buller, G. 2006. Update and future directions of the cooperative USD-ARS/OSU breeding program for strawberries and caneberries: We need your help with grower trials. Proceedings of the Oregon Horticultural Society. 2006 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary: In the past five years, the USDA-ARS small fruit breeding program has released five strawberry cultivars ('Pinnacle', 'Tillamook', 'Independence', 'Firecracker', 'Puget Summer'), three raspberry cultivars ('Coho', 'Lewis', 'Chinook'), three thornless blackberry cultivars ('Black Diamond', 'Black Pearl', 'Nightfall') and two thorny blackberry cultivars for the fresh market ('Obsidian', 'Metolius'). While it is too early to know which of these will have long term staying power, they are certainly being planted in substantial numbers and getting a good grower evaluation. The strawberry program continues to look for a replacement for 'Totem' in the processing market as well as for better fresh market cultivars. The blackberry program is similarly looking to replace 'Marion' with something that is thornless as well as trying to develop better fresh market cultivars. As our program has increased its emphasis on the fresh market, we need to get greater grower input on what works and does not work for them. Since most of our program traditionally has been geared towards processing, most of our evaluations and testing have been geared towards traits important for that industry. We need better evaluation of advanced selections for their fresh market potential. We are encouraging growers to contact the commercial nurseries and get a hold of some of the selections we would like to have tested.

Technical Abstract: In the past five years, the USDA-ARS small fruit breeding program has released five strawberry cultivars('Pinnacle', 'Tillamook', 'Independence', 'Firecracker', 'Puget Summer'), three raspberry cultivars ('Coho', 'Lewis', 'Chinook'), three thornless blackberry cultivars ('Black Diamond', 'Black Pearl', 'Nightfall') and two thorny blackberry cultivars for the fresh market ('Obsidian', 'Metolius'). While it is too early to know which of these will have long term staying power, they are certainly being planted in substantial numbers and getting a good grower evaluation. The strawberry program continues to look for a replacement for 'Totem' in the processing market as well as for better fresh market cultivars. The blackberry program is similarly looking to replace 'Marion' with something that is thornless as well as trying to develop better fresh market cultivars. As our program has increased its emphasis on the fresh market, we need to get greater grower input on what works and does not work for them. Since most of our program traditionally has been geared towards processing, most of our evaluations and testing have been geared towards traits important for that industry. We need better evaluation of advanced selections for their fresh market potential. We are encouraging growers to contact the commercial nurseries and get a hold of some of the selections we would like to have tested.