Program Spotlight:

Berry Crops Research Program

Bernadine Strik
Professor
strikb@hort.oregonstate.edu

The berry crops research areas of focus include study of alternative production systems, whole plant physiology, evaluation of advanced selections in the USDA-ARS & OSU Cooperative Berry Crops Breeding Program, understanding and improving plant nutrition, machine harvest efficiency in caneberries and blueberries, fresh market production, and organic production systems.

Oregon has a diverse, economically important berry crop industry with about 23,000 acres harvested for a farm gate value of over $123 million in 2011. Berry crops are grown on over 1000 family farms in Oregon. Blueberry and blackberry acreage continues to grow with new growers requiring basic information on all aspects of production. Strawberry and red and black raspberry acreage remains relatively stable. Existing growers of all berry crops struggle to remain economically viable in this global market. The berry crops research program, led by Dr. Bernadine Strik, Professor of Horticulture, focuses on applied research programs to help growers make educated decisions and improve economic viability and sustainability.

In blueberry, one of our goals is to develop organic production systems that maximize plant growth, yield, and fruit quality; facilitate weed, water and nutrient management; and provide economic benefit to growers. We have a one-acre certified organic planting at the NWREC. Other research projects in blueberry include the impact of hand-harvest frequency on yield, berry weight, and fruit quality, the effect of climate (growing degree days) on plant and berry development in various cultivars, and the impact of plant water status on berry development.

We also have a long-term study on the effect of rate of nitrogen fertilization and use of sawdust (before planting and as a mulch) on machine-harvested yield, berry size and quality and carbon sequestration in Elliott blueberry.

In blackberry, trailing cultivars are being evaluated in various organic production systems for the processed market. Treatments include: cultivar (Marion and Black Diamond); irrigation (post-harvest and no post-harvest irrigation); weed management (weed mat, hand-hoed, and non-weeded); and primocane training date (August and February).

We have a one-acre certified organic planting at the NWREC. Evaluation of advanced selections and cultivars of blueberry, blackberry, red and black raspberry, and strawberry as part of the USDA-ARS & OSU Cooperative Breeding Program (berry crop breeder, Dr. Chad Finn, USDA-ARS) is an important aspect of the berry crops research program at the NWREC. After crosses and initial seedlings are screened by Dr. Finn’s program in Corvallis, promising advanced selections are evaluated at the NWREC. Industry are invited to provide input at annual field days and on processed fruit at industry meetings.

Two Research Assistants (Gil Buller and Emily Vollmer), one Technician, four graduate students, and several under-graduate and high-school students work on projects in the berry crops research program at the NWREC.