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Title: COLLECTED INSIGHTS: SOME 20TH CENTURY U.S. FRUIT BREEDERS - CANEBERRY BREEDERS IN NORTH AMERICA

Author
item Finn, Chad

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/3/2005
Publication Date: 2/1/2006
Citation: Finn, C.E. 2006. Collected insights: some 20th century u.s. fruit breeders - caneberry breeders in north america. HortScience. 41(1):22-24.

Interpretive Summary: The breeding of caneberries has taken several directions in the last century. Red raspberries were of great interest throughout this time. Blackberries have gone from a crop that was largely in the realm of amateur breeders to a crop with several intensive breeding programs. Primocane raspberries, and now primocane blackberries, have revolutionized or will revolutionize their production and marketing. Breeders have played a critical role in these changes and in developing the caneberries as major commercial fruit crops. Numerous caneberry breeders have been instrumental, each in their own way, in moving the science and art of caneberry breeding forward. While a number of breeders have played small but critical roles in caneberry breeding,this paper highlighted seven breeders who have made outstanding contributions in the last half of the 20th century. George F. Waldo (1898-1985) was a USDA-ARS blackberry breeder on the West Coast who brought us 'Marion' blackberry. George L. Slate (1899-1976) was an "all-around" terrific horticulturist from New York. Chester D. (“Chet”) Schwartze (1902-1988) used his passion for raspberries to help the Pacific Northwest to the forefront of that industry. Francis J. (“Whitey”) Lawrence (1925- ) continued Waldo's legacy and developed the incredibly important trailing thornless blackberry germplasm. John (“Jack”) W. Hull (1927-1976) with the USDA-ARS in Illinois developed the semi-erect blackberries into a major crop. In British Columbia, Hugh A. Daubeny (1931- ) developed the fresh market raspberry standards for the world. James N. Moore (1931- ) in Arkansas brought erect blackberries from a weed to an important world crop. Each of these scientists made major contributions in caneberry breeding.

Technical Abstract: The breeding of caneberries has taken several directions in the last century. Red raspberries were of great interest throughout this time. Blackberries have gone from a crop that was largely in the realm of amateur breeders to a crop with several intensive breeding programs. Primocane raspberries, and now primocane blackberries, have revolutionized or will revolutionize their production and marketing. Breeders have played a critical role in these changes and in developing the caneberries as major commercial fruit crops. Numerous caneberry breeders have been instrumental, each in their own way, in moving the science and art of caneberry breeding forward. While a number of breeders have played small but critical roles in caneberry breeding,this paper highlighted seven breeders who have made outstanding contributions in the last half of the 20th century. George F. Waldo (1898-1985) was a USDA-ARS blackberry breeder on the West Coast who brought us 'Marion' blackberry. George L. Slate (1899-1976) was an "all-around" terrific horticulturist from New York. Chester D. (“Chet”) Schwartze (1902-1988) used his passion for raspberries to help the Pacific Northwest to the forefront of that industry. Francis J. (“Whitey”) Lawrence (1925- ) continued Waldo's legacy and developed the incredibly important trailing thornless blackberry germplasm. John (“Jack”) W. Hull (1927-1976) with the USDA-ARS in Illinois developed the semi-erect blackberries into a major crop. In British Columbia, Hugh A. Daubeny (1931- ) developed the fresh market raspberry standards for the world. James N. Moore (1931- ) in Arkansas brought erect blackberries from a weed to an important world crop. Each of these scientists made major contributions in caneberry breeding.