Volume 46 Number 4 Article 4
Year 1992 Month 10
Title: Floricane Fruiting Red Raspberry Cultivars in the Pacific Northwest
Author: P.P. Moore
Abstract:
The Pacific Northwest is the leading producer of red raspberries in North
America.
Production in the Pacific Northwest is primarily located west
of the Cascades concentrated in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and in
Northwestern Washington and Southwestern British Columbia.
In 1989, there were over 14,000 acres in this region producing over 90,000,000 lbs of fruit with over 90% processed.
All of the floricane fruiting cultivars of commercial importance in the Pacific Northwest were developed by programs in the region.
Floricane fruiting raspberries and red raspberries that bear fruit only on second-year canes.
There are three actiye red raspberry breeding programs in the Pacific Northwest, Agriculture Canada (Ag Canada) at Vancouver, British Columbia, Washington State University (WSU) at Puyallup, Washington, and
the Oregon State University-United States Department of Agriculture (ORUS)
program at Corvallis, Oregon.
The dominant cultivar for almost 40 years has been 'Willamette' (7). 'Willamette' was released by the OR-US breeding program in 1943 (9). 'Willamette' has dark purple-red fruit that is well suited to processing, originally developed for the canning industry, but now also used for the juice industry.
Fruit are easily hand harvested and the plant is well suited to mechanical harvest.
When it was released, 'Willamette' was considered to be a large-fruited and high yielding cultivar.
Now, in comparison to newer cultivars, 'Willamette' is considered to have medium to small fruit and low yield.
In the Pacific Northwest, 'Willamette' produces only a summer crop, and is the earliest of the major cultivars.
In California, 'Willamette' produces a small fall crop later than 'Heritage'. Although 'Willamette' often has lower yields than more recently released cultivars, because of its reliable production and relative pest resistance
'Willamette' has continued to dominate the cultivar situation in the Pacific
Northwest until recently.
However, in four of the last six winters there has
been damage to 'Willamette' that has been attributed to cold.
As a consequence, growers, particularly in British Columbia, are removing plantings of 'Willamette' and replacing them with other cultivars.
At this time, 20-25% of the acreage is 'Willamette.'
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