USDA-ARS Small Fruit Breeding Program
 PI - Chad Finn, Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS, Geneticist Courtesy appointment with
Oregon State University, Department of Horticulture
1. Description of the plant(s)
a. Botany
Blackberries (Rubus sp.)
Strawberries (Fragaria sp.)
Blueberries (Vaccinium sp.)
Red raspberry (R. idaeus)
Black raspberry (R. occidentalis)
Minor crops- elderberry, hardy kiwi, schisandra, lingonberry
b. Economic and/or scientific importance to Oregon, the nation, the world.
The Pacific Northwest plays a key role in producing a diverse berry crop for both
the processed and fresh markets. In Oregon, the diverse berry crop makes up
approximately 23,000 harvested acres for a farm gate value of over $123 million.
The estimated financial impact in Oregon of new cultivars released out of the
USDA-ARS/OSU Cooperative Small Fruit Breeding Program is $11 million in
fruit sales annually.
2. Rationale and program goals
a. Why breed this plant at OSU?
In order to support the continued success of small fruit production in the Pacific
Northwest, growers need access to cultivars that are adapted to the climate, meet
the specifications of the intended processed or fresh markets, and have tolerance
to insect and disease pressures all while maintaining superior quality.
b. Summary of short, medium, long-term goals
Objectives of the USDA-ARS/OSU Cooperative Small Fruit Breeding Program
include:
1. To develop new blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry cultivars
for the Pacific Northwest commercial small fruit industry.
2. To expand germplasm available to plant breeders by collecting wild
species of Rubus, Vaccinium, and Fragaria in order to evaluate and
incorporate this material into advanced breeding material.
3. To develop and utilize molecular tools to augment the small fruit breeding
program.
4. To identify and evaluate potential new small fruit crops.
3. Current Research Projects
a. Focus
Blackberry- To develop a thornless, cold-hardy, machine harvestable berry that is
firmer than ‘Marion’ but has similar fruit quality characteristics.
Strawberry- To develop high yielding, large fruited varieties for ease of picking,
with excellent flavor and processing characteristics.
Red Raspberry- To develop primocane fruiting cultivars that have better flavor,
larger fruit, and higher yields or a different season than present cultivars. To develop
floricane cultivars that have excellent processing or fresh characteristics, raspberry
bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) tolerance, and root rot tolerance.
Black Raspberry- To develop greater plant “durability”, particularly virus tolerance,
while maintaining the intense color and flavor of current cultivars.
Blueberry- To develop cultivars with late season ripening, small fruit size or
improvements on currently available cultivars.
b. Breeding method(s)
 Evaluation and selections from seedling nurseries
 Observation plots
 Replicated trials
 Grower trials
 Taste evaluation
 Marker assisted selection
c. Sponsors
 USDA-SCRI
 Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research
 Oregon Blueberry Commission
 Washington Blueberry Commission
 Oregon Strawberry Commission
 Washington Strawberry Commission
 Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission
 Washington Red Raspberry Commission
 Fraser Valley Strawberry Growers Association
d. Collaborators
 Nahla Bassil, Geneticist, USDA-ARS
 Robert Martin, Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS
 Bernadine Strik, Professor – Berry Crops, Oregon State University
Department of Horticulture
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Gil Buller, Senior Research Assistant – Berry Crops, Oregon State
University, Department of Horticulture
Michael Qian, Professor, Oregon State University, Department of Food
Science
Brian Yorgey, Senior Research Assistant, Oregon State University,
Department of Food Science
4. Graduate student training
a. PI statement of expectations for grad students
Students are expected to be proficient and engaged in both laboratory and field
aspects of research. Students should give verbal presentations during field days in
the summer to industry, growers, and other field day participants. Students should
give PowerPoint presentations during winter meetings. Winter meetings are
hosted by various grower funded commissions, and students should avail
themselves of the opportunity to meet the members of the commission and listen
to their concerns and interests. Students write their thesis in manuscript format
and typically have multiple thesis chapters ready for future publication.
b. Past and current grad student projects
Natalia Salinas (present student) phenotyping, marker validation, & genotype by environment
interaction for the RosBREED project. The RosBREED project, supported by USDA-NIFA, has
as an overall goal to try to merge molecular markers developed in genomics labs with phenotypic
information developed by plant breeders to develop marker assisted breeding tools to speed up
the process of cherry, apple, peach, and strawberry cultivar development. GBS and Axiom(r)
will be compared to generate markers and determine their utility for Pedigree-Based Analysis
and Genome-Wide Selection. SNPs will be used to help generate genetic maps. Molecular
markers will be correlated with phenotypic traits that describe phenological, vegetative,
reproductive, and fruit chemistry traits. This project will especially focus on traits related to
remontancy (repeat flowering/fruiting) in strawberry.
Megan Mathey (present student) Megan works on strawberry genetics. Specifically, Megan has
established a standardized phenotyping protocol and phenotyped 947 genotypes for over 30 traits
in 2011 and 2012. In addition to phenotyping, a simple sequence repeat (SSR) set composed of
the Rpf1 SSR (Phytophthora fragariae resistant) marker and ARSFL007 were used to genotype
these individuals. A subset of 130 individuals from the RosBREED collection were inoculated in
bench tests to two races of Phytophthora fragariae to validate the Rpf1 SSR association.
Finally, 36 populations from the RosBREED germplasm set from crosses of Midwest adapted
parents and Pacific Northwest adapted parents were crossed with a remontant set of parents in
order asses general and specific combining ability and heritability for all of the traits that were
phenotyped.
Michael Dossett (2007-2011) Evaluation of genetic diversity in black raspberry populations.
Variation and heritability of vegetative, reproductive, and fruit chemistry traits in black
raspberry.
Rengong Meng (2000-2006) Exploration of the feasibility of developing a winter hardy
‘Marion’ blackberry through genetic engineering. Evaluation of Rubus chromosome numbers
using flow cytometry.
Angela Anderson Evaluation of variation within Rubus ursinus collected form native sites
throughout the Pacific Northwest.
5. Program structure and function
a. Staff profiles
Mary Peterson, Biological Science Technician, USDA-ARS
 Mary’s focus is on the caneberry breeding program. Her duties include
work in the field, lab, and greenhouse as well as planning and outreach.
Ted Mackey, Biological Science Technician, USDA-ARS
 Ted’s focus is on the strawberry and blueberry breeding programs. His
duties include work in the field, lab, and greenhouse as well as planning
and outreach. Ted also does some work with elderberry, lingonberry, and
hardy kiwi.
b. Infrastructure
Students have access to the significant equipment, instruments, greenhouses, and
plots available at the USDA.
6. Products
a. List of publications
hyperlink: http://www.ars.usda.gov/pandp/people/publications.htm?personid=1718
b. Cultivars Released:
Blackberry
 ORUS 1939-4 (2012)
 ‘Newberry’ (2010)
 ‘Onyx’ (2010); USPP 22,358
 ‘Wild Treasure’ (2010)
 ‘Prime-Jan’ (2005; University of Arkansas primary releasing
institution)
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‘Prime-Jim’ (2005; University of Arkansas primary releasing
institution)
‘Obsidian’ (2005)
‘Metolius’ (2005)
‘Black Pearl’ (2005)
‘Nightfall’ (2005)
‘Black Diamond’ (2005)
‘Siskiyou’ (1997)
‘Black Butte’ (1996)
‘Triple Crown’ (1996; USDA-ARS, Beltsville, primary releasing
institution)
‘Chandler’ (1994;USDA-ARS, Chatsworth, primary releasing
institution)
Strawberry
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‘Sweet Sunrise’ (ORUS 2240-1) (2012)
‘Charm’ (ORUS 2262-2) (2012)
‘Puget Crimson’ (2011; WSU primary releasing institution)
‘Sweet Bliss’ (2011)
‘Valley Red’ (2009)
‘Stolo’ (2007; Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada primary
releasing institution)
‘Pinnacle’ (2002)
‘Tillamook’ (2002)
‘Schwartz’ (‘Puget Summer’) (2002; WSU primary releasing
institution)
‘Firecracker’ (1997)
‘Independence’(1997)
Red Raspberry
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‘Vintage’ red raspberry (2011) PPAF
‘Cascade Bounty’(2006; WSU primary releasing institution)
‘Saanich’ (2006; Agric. and Agri-Food Canada primary releasing
institution)
‘Esquimalt’ (2005; Agric. and Agri-Food Canada primary
releasing institution)
‘Chinook’ (2002)
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‘Coho’ (1999)
‘Lewis’ (1998; in cooperation with HortResearch Inc. New
Zealand)
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‘Perpetua’ ornamental (2012) PPAF
‘Pink Champagne’= pink, highbush (2007)
‘Pink Lemonade’= pink rabbiteye (2007)
ARS 96-138 (2005; USDA-ARS, Chatsworth, primary releasing
institution)
G-435 (2005; USDA-ARS, Chatsworth, primary releasing
institution)
Blueberry
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