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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Kearneysville, West Virginia » Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory » Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #354993
Title: Blackberry propagation limitations when using floricane cuttings

Author
item DEBNER, ABIGAIL - North Dakota State University
item HATTERMAN-VALENTI, HARLENE - North Dakota State University
item Takeda, Fumiomi

Submitted to: HortTechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2019
Publication Date: 4/11/2019
Citation: Debner, A.R., Hatterman-Valenti, H., Takeda, F. 2019. Blackberry propagation limitations when using floricane cuttings. HortTechnology. 29(3):276-282. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH04266-18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH04266-18

Interpretive Summary: Outdoor production of blackberry using perennial growing systems is limited in areas with extremely low winter temperatures. A study was conducted to produce roots on mature blackberry canes so that the buds on them would develop into shoots with berries in a matter of months after roots are produced. Treating canes with root promoting hormones increased root formation and was variable on varieties tested in this research. More research is needed to develop a better technique to increase rooting success.

Technical Abstract: Outdoor production of floricane-fruiting (FF) blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus, Watson) is problematic in the Northern Plains area because of cane injury and even plant death from exposure to extremely low winter temperatures. An annual FF blackberry production system using hardwood floricane cuttings would overcome some of the existing limitations of traditional methods. Several experiments were performed to induce adventitious root formation from one-node hardwood floricane blackberry cuttings taken in winter for the purpose of subsequent growth of a floral shoot. One-node hardwood cuttings of blackberry cultivars (Apache, Arapaho, Kiowa, Osage, Ouachita, Siskiyou, and Triple Crown) were evaluated for rooting potential with and without auxin treatments. Rooting response to auxin applications (powder vs. liquid and concentrations from 0 to 8,000 ppm) was variable among cultivars. Lower concentrations and the powder formulation produced the best results among most cultivars; however, rooting success of cuttings was low regardless of rooting method used. Continued work needs to be done to find ways of increasing rooting success before recommending this method for use in an annual production system or as a means of propagation.