news

July 3, 2009

New B.C. berry varieties get First Nation names

It's called Ukee and it is a very special red raspberry named for the First Nations people who reside in the small British Columbia town of Ucluelet, in Barkley Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

It's not the only berry to use the province's local First Nations names, says Chaim Kempler, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre (PARC) in Agassiz, B.C.

"All our strawberry and raspberry varieties are given First Nation names,'' he explains. "It was started by a previous breeder and the tradition continues.''

He adds that this was deemed appropriate so that each would be easily identified as originating from the B.C. programs. The naming decision is important since some of the cultivars - for example, Chilliwack, Skeena and Chilcotin raspberries and Totem strawberry - have received worldwide recognition.

More than 80 per cent of Canada's summer raspberries are grown in British Columbia, mainly in the Fraser Valley. They are grown on 1,600 hectares by 175 growers and result in 10 per cent going to the fresh market and 40 per cent for processing.

"We are the largest producer of raspberries using a machine-harvesting technology to pick the berries,'' says Kempler, who has worked as a berry breeder in Agassiz since 1978.

The native of Israel who graduated from the University of Guelph in southwestern Ontario adds that scientists like him have been developing new berries for the Pacific Northwest since the 1950s.

"We work closely with local growers and other researchers to ensure we develop new high-quality varieties.''

For example, Stolo, a strawberry plant released in 2007 from PARC, is highly valued because it resists root weevils and is very productive. This can translate into increased revenue for growers.

Kempler says productivity and resistance are important factors for a variety to be adopted and grown commercially.

"Varieties with natural resistance to diseases and pests help growers save money and help the environment by reducing the amount of pesticides and fungicides they use.''

"Each year we plant between 4,000 to 10,000 strawberry seedlings and 3,000 to 7,000 raspberry seedlings from crossed parent lines,'' says Kempler. "However, only about 0.5 per cent of these show promise with the desired characteristics for further development.''

Scientists are continually researching in hopes of introducing new sources of genetic material that will improve berries for consumers. For example, some berries may contain genes which could help overcome evolving plant diseases and create new berries with added nutritional benefits, better market appeal and high fruit quality.

Many scientists collaborate, share genetic material and turn to AAFC's Plant Gene Resources of Canada to access the national collection of genetic material for agricultural crops and livestock.

As part of this network, AAFC's Canadian Clonal Genebank in Harrow, Ont., maintains a collection of all small fruits grown in Canada. This amounts to a staggering 3,300 unique fruit plants, including more than 1,500 varieties of strawberries and 85 varieties of raspberries.

The five-week raspberry harvest season begins in early July, says Kempler, and "generally the crop is above average'' in British Columbia despite a hard winter, he said, adding that for anyone driving in the Abbotsford area "they will see raspberries growing from end to end.''