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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #62336
Title: AIR SHIPMENT OF 'NAVAHO' BLACKBERRY FRUIT TO EUROPE IS FEASIBLE

Author
item Perkins Veazie, Penelope
item Collins, Julie
item CLARK, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item RISSE, L - USDA-ARS, THE NETHERLANDS

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/28/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: New upright blackberry varieties have been released that show potential for shelflife exceeding 3 days. Choctaw is the earliest ripening blackberry in the United States; Shawnee has large fruit; and Navaho is the earliest ripening thornless blackberry. While storage below 2C is recommended for best storage life, temperatures between 5 and 10C are more often encountered from initial cooling to consumer purchase. Additionally, new markets for blackberries are needed. This experiment was done to compare the relative shelflife of these cultivars after 2 weeks of storage at 2 or 5C, and the ability of Navaho fruit to withstand shipment to western Europe. After storage at 2C, 50% of Shawnee and Choctaw fruit were unmarketable due to berry leakage while 75% of Navaho fruit were marketable. After storage at 5C, about 30% of Choctaw or Shawnee fruit were unmarketable compared to 78% of Navaho fruit. Following shipment to the Netherlands, 76% of Navaho fruit were marketable 7 days after harvest. However, after 2 days at 20C, only 30% of Navaho fruit were marketable. These results show that Navaho fruit can remain marketable for at least a week if held below 5C, and that Navaho may withstand overseas shipment.

Technical Abstract: The storage life of fruit of three erect blackberry cultivars commercially harvested and held at 2C or 5C was evaluated. After 2 weeks of storage at 2C, about 50% of 'Choctaw' and 'Shawnee' fruit were leaky and about 20% were decayed. At 5C, 60 to 70% of 'Choctaw' and 'Shawnee' fruit were leaky or decayed. 'Navaho', a thornless cultivar, had 5 to 22% decay and 15 to 25% leaky fruit at each temperature, respectively. In trial shipments to The Netherlands, 'Navaho' fruit were in saleable condition for 7 days if shipped at and held below 5C.