SRSFC Blackberry Agent TrainingAugust 4, 2009

Gina_Fernandez@ncsu.edu

North Carolina State University

Caneberries….exciting days are here Available year round Interest in locally produced food Health benefits rival blueberry Consumption increasing Varietal improvement New types New production systems

Exciting days for SE blackberry (and raspberry) industry

What we will cover

Site selection Blackberry biology 101 Trellis systems NC yields

Site Selection

Prepare 1 year in advance Full sun, good air movement, adequate

soil moisture

Soils

– Deep well drained loamy soil– 3%OM– pH 5.5-6.5– Sandy w/irrigation– Heavy soils w/drainage and raised beds

Site Preparation

Soil tests Eliminate noxious weeds Remove barriers for good air drainage Address areas in field having poor

drainage Remove wild brambles within 600’

Blackberryology 101 Roots are perennial

– Fibrous and relatively shallow– Strong sink for carbon (store a lot)

Biennial above ground growth– Primocanes, first year growth– Floricanes, second year growth

Fruit– Aggregate fruit– Druplets (same structure as a peach)

Climate requirements

Raspberries– Cool summers, sustained cold winter

temperatures Blackberries

– High temperatures (FF types)– Tolerate fluctuating winter temperatures in

NC (don’t break dormancy)– Don’t do well below 10F (lower reports)

Growth Habit

Erect Semi-erect Trailing

Thorns

Thorny Thornless

Trellis systems

Trellis

Increase yield Facilitate harvest Easier to manage $

V trellis

T trellis

T trellis

Shift trellis

Shift trellis– Orientation of

canopy changes after bloom

– Fruiting side of canopy faces afternoon sun

Marketable yield and average berry size in Oxford and Salisbury

 Salisbury Outside

Oxford Outside

Salisbury Tunnel

Apache 3571.8 1775.7 7488.4Arapaho 2330.6 1233.7 4924.0Natchez 3119.2 3591.1 no dataNavaho 8107.9 3629.1 11272.1NC 430 4264.8 no data 8041.5Ouachita 4589.7 4144.4 6700.0

 Salisbury Outside

Oxford Outside

Salisbury Tunnel

Apache 10.1 8.4 10.9Arapaho 5.7 4.9 8.6Natchez 9.6 7.2 no dataNavaho 5.0 4.4 5.3NC 430 6.5 no data 6.8Ouachita 6.8 5.9 7.6

Primocane Fruiting Blackberries:Laurel Springs

2008 Yield Components

High TunnelsSalisbury, Mills River and Laurel Springs

Blackberry Resources

SRSFC website www.smallfruits.org– 2008 Southeast Regional Guides (IPM and Production Guides)– Newsletters (home/smallfruitnews)– Budgets, NEW Blackberry, PF raspberry soon

(crops/brambles/production)

Berry Diagnostic Tool- Google– http://www.ncsu.edu/project/berries/diagnostic_tool/blackberry_diag

nostic_tool.html

Raspberry and Blackberry Production Guide (NRAES) County agents, State Extension Specialists

Thanks!