Hargreaves Plants held a presentation and field day to focus on the development of its primocane blackberries, which it hopes will “revolutionise” the sector.
The event was attended by a wide range of growers, consultants, marketers and breeders from the UK and overseas.
Hargreaves Plants has an exclusive contract from the University of Arkansas in the US to test and commercialise what are thought to be the world’s first primocane-fruiting blackberries.
The breeder, Professor John Clark, updated the audience on the latest developments in the programme before a field visit took place to view the leading new selections.
Hargreaves Plants director Jamie Petchell said: “Primocane blackberries will revolutionise this market sector. The improved selections we have seen already offer the possibility of dramatic season extension, coupled with superb eating quality and potentially more efficient growing methods. We are close to releasing our first variety, but we already see much more improved material that will be fully tested before release in the medium term.”
Standard floricane blackberries are available in short supply windows in a number of territories. The main varieties currently grown in the UK are Loch Ness and Chester. Petchell said: “This new material offers an improved eating experience over the industry standard cultivars. Taking this higher quality fruit and coupling it with season extension means that the UK market could be grown significantly over the coming years.
"It is true to say that some of the standard UK varieties fail to deliver in the flavour stakes and as a result, the industry is probably not getting the repeat fruit purchases that it should. We have seen a rapid expansion in blackberry fruit sales in the past five years, but this might only be the start of bigger things to come.”
Hargreaves Plants has been collaborating with the University of Arkansas since 2005. Rupert Hargreaves, commercial director, said: “We are privileged and proud to be working with what is considered to be the world’s largest blackberry breeding programme. Professor Clark offers a real vision for improvements to blackberry genetics. The development of primocanes is a long-term project but one that is already yielding excellent results. In addition to the primocane material, Hargreaves Plants can also exclusively offer the best floricane cultivars from the same programme: Natchez, Ouachita and Navaho.”
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