The Minnesota berry variety scene

January 14, 2020

       

jim luby standing in blueberry variety trial field

       

By
Jim Luby

 

Dr. Jim Luby, Professor of Horticultural Science and long-time fruit breeder, presented on The Berry Variety Scene for Minnesota and the Upper Midwest at the 2020 Northern Growers and Marketers Conference in St. Cloud, MN.

Changes and new varieties for berry growers

Dr. Jim luby portrait
Dr. Jim Luby

Berry growing has certainly changed in the last 10 years with the arrival of Spotted Wing Drosophila and our increasingly wetter and more humid summers. Dr. Luby presented 2019 results from strawberry cultivar yield trials at Morris and Grand Rapids, MN and provided observations on recent and upcoming strawberry varieties for the region.

The floricane-fruiting raspberry and cold-hardy blueberry variety scenes have not changed much in the last 15 years. However, many new primocane-fruiting raspberry and blackberry varieties are now available, especially for high-tunnel growers. 

Check out Jim's presentation.

Berry Variety Scene Slideshow