Arkansas 180: Breeding Blackberries in Arkansas
August, 2009Get the Flash Player to see this video.
Blackberries. A berry breeder from the University of Arkansas aims to make this nutritious summer fruit available all year, around the globe. Dr. James Moore began breeding blackberries in Arkansas 45 years ago. Today, John Clark continues this work in what has become the largest blackberry-breeding program in the world. It is a long, complex process from pollination - to seedling - to new variety.
John Clark: Anywhere from 10 to 15 years from the time of pollination, the seedling has to grow, it has to fruit, exhibit the traits, be selected, and then we test it for a number of years to make sure that it really is as good as it looked. Most selections fall by the wayside for any number of weaknesses, when only the select few - in this case 14 varieties out of 400,000 - yielded a named variety for growth.
Clark selects for berries that look and taste good and hold up well between the farm and the table. He aims to produce larger berries, sooner in the plant's life and for a longer growing season.
Clark: This is an example of a primocane-fruiting blackberry. Blackberries are perennial plants, have a root system that lives year after year. The first year canes that arise are called primocanes. All the blackberries that most people have seen fruit the next year when the cane is known as a floricane. This is a primocane-fruiting trait being expressed, a discovery made in 1997 by the University of Arkansas and Division of Agriculture. This trait allows fruiting on current season canes, which allows a diversification of time of ripening and management options.
Clark's berries are known worldwide for their high quality. Varieties developed to withstand the Arkansas heat and other growing conditions make it possible for farmers in more regions around the world to grow blackberries closer to their local markets.
Clark: That's our primary clientele: it's Arkansas growers, Arkansas gardeners, Arkansas nurseries to produce the plants; however, the varieties are popular across the United States. We have a number of licensed propagators across the country, but also on all continents with the exception of Antarctica.
Everyday - someone in the world contacts John Clark to learn more about producing Arkansas blackberries. And everyday - somewhere in the world - someone is enjoying a sweet, plump Arkansas blackberry.