Berry production in Montana:

varieties and marketsDr. Zach Miller-Assistant Professor & Director at MSU-Western Ag.

Research Center, Dr. Mac Burgess, Dr. Heather Estrada, Bridgid Jarrett, Durc Setzer

MT Berry Growers’ Workshop , April 2019

Outline•Western Agricultural Research Center (WARC)

• History• Mission

•Goals, opportunities, and challenges for commercial fruit production

•Examples of what MSU-WARC does to help• Berry results• Also Apples, Grapes, and More

MSU-Western ARC•Corvallis, Montana

•Excellent Growing Conditions• Zone 5a• >120 Frost Free Days• ~2000 Growing Degree Days

•Irrigated: • 11 Inches of Precipitation/Year

•Established in 1907 during a Bitterroot Apple Boom

•Major production region• 10-15,000 ac• 750,000 trees

Mission-Specialty Crops

Goal

Growing Fruit for ProfitOpportunities:

•Growing demand

•High value per acre

•Adapted cultivars

•Favorable climates

Challenges:

•Marketing/Market access

•High start-up and labor costs

•Slow return on investment

•New and untested cultivars

•Variable climates

•Steep learning curve- less forgiving, more risk than annual crops

Growing Demand: Local Food (and Drinks)

•Supporting local-grown and sustainable practices

•Interest in eating healthy

•#2 in microbreweries per capita

Growing Demand: AgrotourismSynergizing the two largest segments of the states economy:

•in 2016:

•$4.3 billion in ag. production

•$3.0 billion from tourism

•12.4 million visitors • MT economic development report 2017

http://aeromt.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Agritourism-Manual.pdf

Marketing/Market Access

•Business-Marketing as or more important than what/how you grow

•Access to markets/consumers is your responsibility• Diversify: identify multiple markets/buyers• Explore value-added processing• Learn from peers/leaders

Adapted varieties•Many new and old options

• Often untested or being tested

•Winter temperatures

•Growing season length/heat

•Frost during bloom

•Neutral-Alkaline soils

Cold hardy: Winter Low Temperatures

Limited growing season

Adapted to neutral-alkaline soils

blueberries MT

Adapted varieties•Many new and old options

• Often untested or being tested

•Winter temperatures

•Growing season length/heat

•Frost during bloom

•Neutral-Alkaline soils

•Disease/pest resistance

•Suitable for markets, labor (mechanical harvest)

Montana-Grown Superfood Berries•Opportunity to capture growing market for Superfoods

•Dark colored=antioxidant rich

•Cold-Hardy Dark Fruit-Tolerate of Neutral to Alkaline Soils• Growing industry• Includes Dwarf sour cherries, Haskaps,

Saskatoons, Currants, Aronia, Elderberry

Antioxidant potential (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity)

0

4000

8000

12000

16000

Aronia Elderberry Haskap Black Currant Blueberry Red Currant Saskatoon

ORA

C

Fruit Type

A Team Effort

Montana-Grown Superfood BerriesApproach/Methods

•Evaluate

•~50 varieties of 6 fruit types:• Dwarf Sour Cherries, Currants, Haskaps, Aronia,

Saskatoons (serviceberries), and Elderberry

•Across varying growing condition: Orchards in Corvallis, Kalispell (Organic), Helena, and Bozeman, Planted 2015

•Winter hardiness, pests, production, and flavor

Aronia•Aronia (Photinia) melanocarpa•Commercial cultivars:

• Half native to US • hybrid between mountain ash and black chokeberry

•Pure native Aronia (black chokeberry) is not the same as commercial

•Many commercial cultivars but not much difference

•Very high in Tannins and Anthocyanin's- for processing/blending

•Not preferred by birds

•Evaluating Viking and McKenzie (and ornamental-Autumn Magic)

Aronia

Yield (Lbs./plant)Berry size

(g)Sweetness

(⁰Brix)

CultivarYr2 Yr3 Yr4 FVCC WARC FVCC WARC

Viking 0.1 3.3 15.0 0.7 0.9 25.7 17.4

McKenzie 0.2 2.9 16.8 0.6 1.1 26.3 18.9

Autumn Magic 0.1 1.8 2.4 NA 0.6 NA 24.3

Saskatoons/Serviceberries•Amelanchier alnifolia

•Native but commercial varieties are much better

•>$20 million/year industry for Canada

•Some varieties can be machine harvested with 2-3 harvests/season

•Insect pest (Saskatoon sawfly-very damaging, difficult to manage)

•Evaluating: Smoky, Martin, Northline, Lee 3, Lee 8, and JB30.

Saskatoons/Serviceberries

Yr3Yields Yr4 (lbs./plant) Appearance Texture Flavor

JB30 0.2 1.4 d 3.2 b

<3

2.5 b

Martin 0.4 3.4 c 3.6 ab 3.5 a

Lee3 0.6 4.2 c

Smoky 0.1 8.5 b 2.5 c 3.5 a

Lee8 0.5 11.5 a 3.6 ab 3.3 a

Northline 0.6 11.6 a 4.2 a 3.5 a

SCALE: 1=poor, 3=acceptable, 5=excellent

Dwarf sour cherries•Prunus cerasus X fruiticosa

•Developed by University of Saskatchewan

•Short stature-easy to harvest by hand/machine

•Great flavor/color

•Productive: up to 30 lbs/plant

•Evaluating Crimson Passion, Carmine Jewel, Romeo, and Juliet (also Lutowka Rose, Prunuscerasus)

•Requires pest management

Dwarf sour cherries

Cultivar Yields (lbs.)

Fruit size (grams) Sweetness (⁰brix) Comments

Carmine Jewel

18.0 A 3.2 C 14.8 C Very productive with smaller and more tart cherries

Romeo† 7.4 B 3.1 C 16.6 B Productive with smaller and sweet cherries

LutowkaRose

6.6 BC 5.7 A 16.1 B Productive with the largest, most red, and sweet cherries

Juliet†2.4 C 4.3 B 17.4 A Lower production with large and sweetest

cherries

CrimsonPassion

0 Very slow to bare fruit. This year total harvest= 6 cherries off one plant in Kalispell

†plants one year younger

Currants•Black (Ribes nigrum) and Red (R. rubrum)

•Productive: ~10-20 lbs/plant

•Popular in Europe, but less known in US

•Evaluating 8 types of black and 3 reds• Blacks: Titania, Blackcomb, Stikine, Tofino, Nicola

(M12), Cheakamus, Tahsis, and Whistler• Reds: Jonkeer van Tets, Rovada, HRON

•Requires pest management (mostly aphids and cane borer)

CurrantsYields (lbs./plant)

Species Variety Yr1 survival Yr2 Yr3 Yr4 Total

Black Currant Whistler 100% 0.3 5.7 12 18Black Currant Nicola (M12) 100% 0.3 6.0 10.8 17.1Black Currant Tahsis 78% 0.2 5.4 10.9 16.5Black Currant Stikine 67% 0.1 3.0 9.2 12.3Black Currant Blackcomb 56% 0.1 4.1 7.0 11.2Black Currant Cheakamus 33% 0.1 3.8 6.8 10.7Black Currant Tofino 100% 0.1 2.6 6.0 8.8Black Currant Titania 33% 0.1 2.2 5.0 7.2Red Currant Jonkeer van Tets 100% 3.5 14 17.5Red Currant Rovada 89% 1.1 7.7 8.8Red Currant HRON 0% 0.1 1.3 1.4

Haskaps/Honeyberries•Edible Honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea)

•Native to Boreal region, around the globe-Super Cold Hardy

•Traditionally grown in Russia/Japan

•Growing production in Canada/Europe

•Very diverse: variable flavor/form

•Need 2 matched varieties for pollination

•Evaluating 15+ varieties: Aurora, Borealis, Boreal Blizzard, Boreal Beauty, Blue Corn, Blue Goose, Indigo Gem, Keiko, Kawai, Solo, Taka, Tana, Wild Treasure, and 3 lines from Oregon State.

Haskaps/HoneyberriesVariety Maturity Yield (lbs. per plant) Berry weight (grams) Sweetness (⁰Brix) Comments

85-19 Late 8.6a 1.3fg 16.7b Very productive, med-sized berries, sweeter than most other cultivars.

Tana Late 7b 1.5de 13.8e Very productive –less sweet, holds larger berries tightly, some leaves remain on berries.

Solo Late 5.6bc 1.3fg 15.8bc Productive-med-sized berries, some fruit drop

Indigo Gem Early 4.8cd 1.1h 18.8a Large yields and berries. good flavor. Best of early maturing cultivars.

Keiko Late 4.7cd 1.3fg 15.8bc Held tightly to fruit (more difficult to pick quickly but less fruit drop)

Taka Late 4.6cd 1.5cd 14.8cde Productive, Fruit drop prior to full ripeness

Borealis Mid 4.6cd 1.6c 15.5bcd Large berries, excellent flavor . Easy to shake harvest.

Kawai Late 4d 1.3fg 13.6eFruit drop prior to full ripeness, harvested early (at lower brix).

79-91 Late 3.7d 1.5cde 16.4b Moderately productive, med-sized berry, sweeter than most.

Aurora Mid 3.7d 1.8b 15.6bcd Large berries, excellent flavor . Easy to shake harvest.

41-75 Late 3.6d 1.2g 13.6eFruit drop prior to full ripeness,harvested early (at lower brix)

Wild Treasure Early 0.5e 0.9i 15.4bcd Low vigor and yields. soapy taste. Cold damage in 2018

Sugar Mnt. Blue Early 0.3e 1h 16.5b Low yields. Smaller, sweet berry. Cold damage in 2018

Blue Goose Early 0.3e 0.6j 14.2de Small berries-low vigor and yields, flowers hung onto fruit. Cold damage in 2018

Boreal Blizzard Late 0.2e 2a 14.2de Largest berries, plants 1 year younger than most other plantsBlue Corn: removed from trials- small, medicinal tasting berries- replaced with Boreal Beauty

Montana-Grown Superfood BerriesFruit type Uses Pest Management Recommended Varieties

Production(lbs./ac)

Dwarf Sour Cherry

Fresh, Frozen, Processed

Must manage insects Carmine Jewel and others-NOT Crimson Passion 11,000

Currants Processed Some insect issues Red: Jonkeer Van TetsBlack: M12, Whistler+ 14,500

Haskaps Fresh, Frozen, Processed

Minimal Early- Indigo GemMid-Aurora, BorealisLate-Several

7,300

Aronia Frozen,Processed

Some insect issues Commercial VarietiesNOT ornamental 10,000

Saskatoons Fresh, Frozen, Processed

Must manage insects Northline, Lee 8, Smoky10,400

Elderberry Processed Minimal Bob Gordon, Ranch, Adams 2,400

Fruits Work Well TogetherJune July August September

Haskaps

Saskatoons

Sour cherries

Currants

Aronia

Thank you-Questions?

http://agresearch.montana.edu/warc/research_current/

High value crops (>$5,000/ac)Fruit Lbs./Plant Lbs./Acre

Haskaps 4-9 4,000-9,000

Aronia 10-15 12,000-15,000

Currants 5-10 4,500-9,000

Saskatoons 3-6 3,000-6,000

Dwarf Sour Cherries 10-20 7,000-14,000

Goal

Growing Fruit for profitOpportunities:

•Growing demand

•High value per acre

•Adapted cultivars

•Favorable climates

Challenges:

•Marketing/Market access

•High start-up and labor costs

•Slow return on investment

•New and untested cultivars

•Variable climates

•Steep learning curve- less forgiving, more risk than annual crops

Ripening Fruit: Growing Degree Days

Time

Spee

d or

Rat

e

Temperature