ISHS Acta Horticulturae 112: Symposium on Breeding and Machine Harvesting of Rubus
RECENT PROGRESS IN RASPBERRY BREEDING AT EAST MALLING |
| Authors: | E. Keep, Jill H. Parker, V. H. Knight |
| Abstract:
Current aims in red raspberry breeding at East Malling include: suitability for mechanical harvesting; higher yields, particularly through increased fruit size; extending the season; and disease and pest resistance. Several wild species continue to prove useful donors. In 1980, mechanical harvesting using a New Zealand AEI harvester will be investigated on 35 raspberry clones trained into horizontal canopies. Varieties with numerous tall canes are needed for this method of machine harvesting. The large fruits of 'Malling' Delight reduce hand-picking costs by about 20%. Delight, 'Malling' Promise and Lloyd George are donors in breeding for increased size. For early ripening, BC5's from Rubus crataegifolius and BC1's from R. spectabilis are under selection. The late ripening summer-fruiting backcross derivatives of R. occidentalis, 'Malling' Leo and 'Malling' Joy, overlap in season with early ripening autumn-fruiting selections currently on trial at the National Fruit Trials. Of several disease resistance breeding lines, BC2 derivatives of R. coreanus are outstanding in combining resistance to five fungal diseases of the cane with strong resistance to Amphorophora idaei. Selected derivatives of R. occidentalis and R. crataegifolius show considerable fruit rot resistance. The ELISA test is being used to identify raspberry bushy dwarf virus infections. Most raspberry material at East Malling now carries one or more genes for resistance to the aphid virus vector, A. idaei. 'Malling' Joy and Leo are heterozygous for two resistance genes, A10 and A1. Resistance to By turus tomentosus has been identified in backcross derivatives of R. crataegifolius and R. phoenicolasius. Characters derived from wild R. idaeus include early ripening, good flavour, easy plugging, mildew resistance and ability to produce two laterals per node. | |
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