Volume 71 Number 3 Article 5 Pages: 183-191
Year 2017 Month 7
Title: Adaptability of Blackberry Cultivars to a High-Elevation Arid Climate
Authors: Brent Black, Thor Lindstorm, Tiffany Maughan, Britney Hunter and Shawn Olsen
Citation
Abstract:
Winter-hardy, high-yielding cultivars with good consumer acceptance and few production problems are
critical to the economic viability of growing blackberries for local consumption in high elevation arid climates.
A replicated experiment was planted in 2006 to evaluate 19 cultivars and 2 numbered selections of blackberry
for suitability to commercial production in the US Intermountain West.
Factors evaluated included winter
survival, yield, and fruit size.
Winter bud survival varied among cultivars and over seasons.
Semi-erect and erect
cultivars averaged the highest winter bud survival and trailing cultivars consistently had the poorest winter bud
survival.
Per plant yields were higher when bud survival was greater, with trailing types producing the lowest
average yields and semi-erect types the highest.
Production from primocane-fruiting types was slowed by cold
temperatures before full production was reached and consequently, yields were lower.
The cultivar Triple Crown
had the most consistently high overall yield (highest yield reliability index) and was among the cultivars with the
largest berry size. ‘Illini Hardy’ had the highest yield reliability index among erect types.
In general, semi-erect
types had the highest and most consistent yields for the U.S. Intermountain West.
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