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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #211065
Title: Flowering and Fruiting Patterns of Primocane-Fruiting Blackberries

Author
item THOMPSON, E - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item STRIK, B - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item CLARK, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item Finn, Chad

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/2/2007
Publication Date: 7/3/2007
Citation: Thmopson, E., Strik, B.C., Clark, J.R., Finn, C.E. 2007. Flowering and fruiting patterns of primocane-fruiting blackberries. HortScience. 42:1174-1176.

Interpretive Summary: The new primocane-fruiting blackberry cultivars Prime-Jan™ and Prime-Jim™ were studied to try to understand their flowering and fruiting habit in response to tipping. Tipping increased branching and subsequent flowering. Within flower clusters, the tip flower was always the first to open and then flowering moved down the flower cluster. This pattern was true regardless of tipping treatment. The number of days from flower opening to ripe fruit averaged 45-51 days regardless of treatment. This information will help growers begin to develop management practices for these brand new type of blackberries.

Technical Abstract: The flowering morphology of the erect, thorny, primocane-fruiting blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus, Watson) cultivars Prime-Jan® and Prime-Jim® were studied in 2005 and 2006 in Aurora, Ore. Primocanes that were "soft-tipped" in early summer to 1 m were compared to un-tipped primocanes. In both years, soft-tipped primocanes developed 2-3 fold more branches and almost twice the number of flowers as un-tipped canes. 'Prime-Jan' and 'Prime-Jim' began blooming on the branches of soft-tipped canes in mid-July, while un-tipped primocanes began to bloom in late July in 2005 and 2006. Within a primocane inflorescence, the terminal or distal flower was always the first to open, followed by terminal flowers from axes located on the basal portion of the inflorescence. Flowers then opened acropetally within the inflorescence, with the exception of the most basal flower, which was typically the last to open. The blooming pattern within an inflorescence was similar for soft-tipped and un-tipped primocanes. Days from anthesis to black fruit for soft-tipped and un-tipped primocanes averaged 45 to 51 d in both years, depending on cultivar.