1. Blackberry Production and New VarietiesGOOD MORNING VIRGINIA!
John R. Clark
University Professor
Dept. of Horticulture
University of Arkansas

2. Do You Have Any Idea What Has Been Going On With Fresh Market Blackberries the Last 10 Years?
There have been LOTS of them produced and marketedin North America!
3. Blackberry Shipments CA, GU, MX 2000-2010: Growth!!!!!!
4. Price trend and seasonality over the past decade
Departures from the typical early summer seasonal price increase in 07-08 and 08-09 marketing years
Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.Dr. Mike Thomsen, UA; NO SE US DATA!
5. Blackberry Marketing in the Eastern US
First, focus on direct, retail sales
Farmers markets
On-farm and other direct markets
Pick your own
Issues that limit this usually are population, location, competition, production too great
Or if you expand outside this market, wholesale marketing locally is done by some
6. Blackberry Markets in the Eastern US for You to Consider
What about the shipping market?
It has had huge expansion since 2004
Southern Georgia
South-Central North Carolina (and a little in SC)
Arkansas and Texas (limited)
Who is marketing?
The largest shipper is Sunnyridge Farm
More recently Giumarra VBM, Naturipe
Driscoll, Sunbelle (the largest Mexican fruit shipper)
7. Implications of broader market trends for direct marketing formats
Increased availability through mainstream retail channels is probably a positive for direct marketers:
Better enables the direct market grower to emphasize quality attributes
Helps to position blackberries as an impulse purchase item at a roadside stand or farm market stall
Blackberries can be a destination item that drives customer traffic to direct marketing venues
Benefits of promotional and research efforts that support shipping markets will spill-over to direct market growers
8. Total plants sold 3,353,009; with very few of Navaho included
9. So, What Does All This Tell US?
Total plants sold: Approx 3.3 million
Remember this is what is reported by propagators, and a number of Navaho are not included in 2009-10 reporting
Acreage? Hard to estimate due to plant spacing, home use etc, but equals about 2400 acres (and remember there are MANY plants not accounted for in this total (other public varieties, private releases)
Ouachita the largest seller at about 1.2 million(35%)
10. Lets Talk About Some Variety Specifics
Ouachita
Natchez
Other Arkansas and Non-Arkansas thornless
Prime-Ark 45
What is on the horizon in new developments
11. Where the Arkansas Varieties are Developed
12. Ouachita
Thornless, erect
Berry size 6-7 g
Ripens between Arapaho/Natchez and Navaho; average 12 June
Yields usually among highest of any Ark. thornless
White drupes almost never seen
Flavor near that of Navaho; 10% SS
Postharvest (PH)potential much like Navaho
The largest selling Arkansas variety and most widely adapted and planted
Has the most impressive record so far in performance
13. Ouachita
14. Natchez
Thornless, erect to semi-erect
Berry size large, 8-10 g; remain large season-long
Ripens early with Arapaho; average 5 June
Yields usually the highest of any Ark. thornless
White drupes almost never seen
Flavor good; 9.5% SS
PH potential good tho not as good as Ouachita consistently
Some variation in commercial success and acceptance due to heavy crop loads
15. Natchez
16. Natchez Performance GA (and Central Valley of California)
Too much fruit!
Too few leaves!
Not good quality!
Lacking in new canes!
Fortunately, later in the season canes did often emerge to create a good canopy
17. Natchez Performance
Consider these items:
First-year plants fruited only
Crop potential is high and lower chill allows better budbreak
Too much fruit resulted and too few leaves!
Crop control appears to be the answer, and consider:
Less canes retained on young plants
Laterals on young plants shortened
More severe pruning on older plants
Initial grower comments are that Natchez more difficult to manage mechanically
18. Navaho
Arkansas, 1989
Thornless, erect
Medium, 5 g ave.; some concern with smaller fruit later in season
Ripe 20 June
Yield med.-high, 8-10,000 lb/a
Flavor exceptional;very sweet fruit, 11-12% SS
PH potential great the best of all blackberries tested by JRC
Appears the hardiest of Arkansas varieties
Some late crop on basal shoots seen and can extend the season
Orange rust susceptible
19. Navaho
20. Apache
Arkansas, 1999
Thornless, erect
Large, 7-10 g; (ave. 8 g)
Ripe 25 June
Yield med.-high, 7-10,000 lb/a; among best of Ark. thornless
Flavor between Navaho and Arapaho Good! 11% SS
PH potential similar to Arapaho and near Navaho
White drupe limitation is a major concern and shippers are not recommending this variety; others comment only a minor concern for local sales
Still a good seller!
21. White Drupes
Cause? Likely an effect of sunlight and possibly worse with moisture on berries (rain or heavy dew)
Is usually worse early in season and less when more berries appear
Some still consider insect damage but not proven
22. Kiowa
Arkansas, 1996
Thorny, semi-erect
Very large, 9-14 g (ave. 12 g)
Ripe 12 June
Yield high, 7-12,000 lb/a, long season
Flavor good, similar to Shawnee, 10% SS
PH potential fair to good, exceeds Choctaw and Shawnee but not for shipping
as other thornies
Chilling 200-300 hours lowest of Ark. group
23. Chester Thornless
USDA Beltsville, MD, 1985
Thornless, semi-erect
Medium, 5-7 g
Ripe 10 July
Yield very high-25,000 lb/a (not in Arkansas)
Flavorfair to good, among best USDA thornless; 8-9% SS
PH handling excellentcommercially among the most important in the world
Hardy
Can Chester build market?
Biggest value is late-season option
24. Triple Crown
Thornless, semi-erect
Medium-large, 6-8 g
Ripe lateJuly 10 Aug.?
Yield high
Flavorprobably best among USDA thornless; local sales a key option with TC
PH handling does not appear adequate for shipping
25. Primocane-Fruiting: A Quick Review.
Blackberries are a perennial plant with biennial canes
Primocanes are the first-year canes that usually are vegetative only
Floricanes are the second-year canes and these flower, fruit and die
Primocane fruiting indicates that fruit is borne on first-year canes
Normally, the remaining buds that did not fruit on primocanes develop and fruit on floricanes the following year
26. Primocane Fruiting
Primocane terminates in flowers
Fruiting develops down the cane
Remaining buds develop flowers the next year
27. Potential Value of Primocane Blackberries
1) later-season (fall) fruiting period
2) the potential to schedule production based on primocane management
3) potential of two crops on the same plant in the same year (floricane followed by primocane)
4) reduction in pruning costs bymowing of canes (primocane crop only)
5) avoidance of winter injury
6) avoidance of rosette/double blossom occurrence
28. 29. The New Release: Prime-Ark 45
Floricane crop ripens beginning early June, with Natchez or before
Excellent flavor
Comparable to Ouachita and Natchez in storage should be shippable!
Released August 2009 with plants first marketed spring 2010 in the US
30. Prime-Ark 45
Fruit in storage:
Stay black
Stay firm
Few leaks
Little mold
Great flavor
31. Prime-Ark 45
Berry weight 6-7g (floricanes)
Very erect canes; thorny
Primocane buds and crop later than PJ and J- note this later fruiting
Has been through virus testing in Oregon
Upper FF fruit, (Ark) Lower PC fruit (Calif.)
32. Tall Canes Must Tip!!
Prime-Ark 45 - PSU
Canes grew very tall in 2010.The top of the green stake is at about 4, so many of the canes were 8 to 9 without tipping
Photo taken 11/2/10
Fruit is just starting to
ripen at the tip of the canes, which resulted in very low yields
33. Prime-Ark 45 Recommendation
Tested in Virginia?
Later ripening PC crop so note this others coming will be earlier ripening
Heat tolerance and time of ripening mustbe evaluated at your location
34. New DevelopmentsFloricane Fruiting
Early ripening continues to be a challenging trait, and nothing coming out right away in this ripening slot
Mid season a challenge due to Ouachita being so dominant but many good ones in this season under evaluation; but would you grow it?
Later season continuing to get close attention to replace Navaho, and extend the floricane crop longer
35. New Developments PrimocaneFruiting
Thornless PF types in the program and very promising
PF blackberries in coastal Calif.
36. Arkansas Fruit Breeding- More Good Things Coming!
jrclark@uark.edu