Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Production data were generated for 4 varieties of blackberries both inside and outside of a high tunnel for each of the last 3 years. From this data, the economics of producing blackberries in high tunnels were determined. This information was compiled into a web site for dissemination and into a publication. In addition, many presentations at conferences were made, both within and outside of New York State. Open houses were held in which guests were able to observe the production of blackberries in high tunnels. In addition, an on-farm trial demonstrated how blackberries can be trained, laid down in winter, and covered with a protective row cover to prevent significant winter injury. Yield and temperature data were collected from protected and unprotected rows for two consecutive years. A new trellis design was evaluated within the high tunnel and in the open field. Feedback was provided to a designer at Trellis Growing Systems in order to make improvements. A budget was developed based on yield data, inputs and prices received for fruit.Initial expenses for establishing a 30 X 96 ft. tunnel were $11,983. Production did do peak until the 4th fruiting year, but costs were incurred to grow the plants. Fruit was sold for $2.25 per half-pint. At full production, expenses were approx. $7,000 per tunnel but sales were $15,000. Break even occurred in the 6th year after planting, and netted about $8,000 each year after that. This is an excellent return on investment. Cumulative net profit over an expected 10 year life is $44,400 for a single tunnel, or the equivalent of $600,000 per acre. PARTICIPANTS: Paul Martin, Sweetland Farm CSA, Trumansburg, NY - grower cooperator Richard Barnes, Manager, Trellis Growing Systems, Fort Wayne, IN - designer of a new trellis system TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for this project was potential fruit growers. Typically, blackberries have been considered to be too tender for cold climates like New York State, so few are grown. This projected demonstrated two approaches to producing blackberries in cold climates: one was to train them so they can be laid down for winter and covered for protection. The second approach was to grow them under a high tunnel. Both approaches were successful. In 2009 after a mild winter, outdoor Chester blackberries produced a similar yield regardless of training and covering, but in 2010 after a cold winter, outdoor blackberries covered for winter produced 5 times the yield of adjacent uncovered blackberries. Under a high tunnel, yields and marketable fruit were dramatically higher over each of three years compared to outdoor production. In 2010, production of blackberries inside the high tunnel approached the equivalent of more than 30,000 pounds per acre. Outside production was minimal. The percent marketable fruit was twice as high inside compared to outside and fruit size was always larger. Overall yields in 2011 were less than in 2010, likely due to extremely hot weather (38C for several days) as fruiting began. This project demonstrated to growers that production of blackberries is feasible and potentially profitable in climates where winters are particularly harsh. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
More than two hundred guests visited the high tunnels where blackberries are being grown, including dignitaries from the state and federal government. Nearly one thousand growers attended conferences and workshops to learn about growing blackberries and raspberries in high tunnels. Hundreds of people downloaded the production guide from the Cornell fruit website. Because this project was the first in the Northeast to demonstrate how to grow blackberries in cold climates, and because blackberries require three years of growth to become established, there is not yet information available on the number of acres being grown or the amount being produced. However, interest is very strong.

Publications

• Heidenreich,C., M. Pritts, M.J. Kelly, K. Demchak and E. Hanson. 2011. High tunnel raspberries and blackberries. http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/berry/production/pdfs/hightunnelsrasp201 1.pdf

Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Yields were collected from two high tunnels: one contained mature primocane-fruiting blackberries and the other mature floricane-fruiting blackberries of 4 varieties. Three sections of plants from the primocane high tunnel were covered with shade cloth, and another three were defruited to alter carbon balance. At a commercial farm, berry numbers were counted in 4 sections of row on each of two blackberry rows. One row was a control and the other was trained to a rotatable cross-arm trellis to allow canes to be covered with row cover for the winter. Results were disseminated by way of presentations, open houses, and a web site. Details of the outreach effort are included in a Smith-Lever report of the same title. PARTICIPANTS: Richard Barnes from Trellis Growing Systems (Fort Wayne, Indiana) provided the rotatable cross-arm trellis and instructions on its management and design. The trellis was installed at Sweet Land Farm in Trumansburg, NY (Paul Martin and Evangeline Sarat, owners). TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for this project is potential blackberry growers. Our approach to producing blackberries has not been tried before, so growers are at the stage of evaluating the concept. Some will likely be planting blackberries in spring, 2011, based on our findings. The ultimate beneficiary will be consumers who will have blackberries available to them at a time when they are normally not produced locally. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Results indicate that floricane-fruiting blackberries can be successfully grown in high tunnels whereas it is very difficult to produce them outdoors. In fact, yields in high tunnels were the equivalent of between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds per acre for most varieties. At a price of $2.50 per pound or more, gross returns can exceed $100,000 per acre. Primocane-fruiting blackberries produced fruit well into October, and lateral shoot performance was not impacted by the altered carbon balance (i.e. shading and defruiting). However, total yields were much less than that of the summer-fruiting blackberries, approx. 3,000 pounds per acre equivalent. It is unlikely that a higher price for fall blackberries will compensate for the lower yields of the fall-fruiting varieties. The rotatable cross-arm trellis succeeded in mitigating the coldest temperatures to which canes were exposed. However, uncovered and covered rows had approximately the same yields. The difference was that covered rows had fruit that was higher on the canes and easier to harvest, whereas uncovered plants bore most of their fruit close to the ground where it was much more difficult to harvest.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: In 2009, two high tunnels and a field plot were used to evaluate the performance of two types of blackberries - primocane (fall-fruiting)and floricane (summer fruiting) types. Each type was planted inside and outside of a high tunnel. Canes of fall-fruiting blackberries in one of the tunnels were treated in four ways: canes were pinched at 1 m height, canes were pinched at 1.25 m height, canes were bent at 1 m height, and controls. Each treatment was replicated 4 times. The tunnel was covered in late August and plants fruiting in September and October. Yield and fruit size were evaluated. A second house contained summer-fruiting thornless blackberries. During the winter, rabbits got into the tunnel and girdled every cane, resulted in no yield in 2009. However, primocanes grew vigorously and the tunnel is now protected against rabbits. We are evaluating a new trellis design that greatly aids in managing canes within a high tunnel. PARTICIPANTS: Several students from SUNY Cobleskill attended the open house to learn about high tunnel production of berries. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for this project is potential blackberry growers. Our approach to producing blackberries has not been tried before, so growers are at the stage of evaluating the concept. Some will likely be planting blackberries in spring, 2010, although we don't have a good way on knowing how many. The ultimate beneficiary will be consumers who will have blackberries available to them at a time when they are normally not produced locally. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Plants in the pinched plots performed best, while those plots with bent canes performed poorly. Plots with pinched canes fruited over a longer period of time. Colder and cloudier weather than normal in October resulted in dying fruiting laterals, but not vegetative fruiting laterals. This phenomenon did not happen with raspberries growing and fruiting in the same tunnel. We hypothesize that carbohydrate depletion from low light and heavy fruiting led to the inability of fruiting laterals to tolerate cold. An open house was held in October for growers to view our results. Several separate tours of the high tunnels were held for individual or smaller groups of growers. Several presentations were made on the results of the research. A web-based publication was produced that contains results of the current year's work.

Publications

• Heidenreich, C., M. Pritts, M.J. Kelly and K. Demchak. 2009. High tunnel raspberries and blackberries. http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/Berries/bramblepdf/hightunnelsrasp2009.p df