Help us help you part 2!

 

 

 

 

 

This is a follow up survey on our May 2020 grower survey (results are here). 

 

Our goal is to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on specialty crop farming operations in NC as the season progresses and crops change. We are looking to survey all fruit growers, vegetable growers, flower/hemp/herb growers. 

https://ncsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8ddK3avU2RVOunb

The survey is anonymous and will take approx. 5-8 min. The survey will be open until July 30, 2020.

Plant breeding at NCSU

The Center for Plant Breeding and Applied Genetics at NCSU recently put together a video highlighting the depth of the program and impact of plant breeding has in NC and beyond. Here is a link to the Center's website:
http://www.plantbreedingcenter.ncsu.edu/

Here is a link to a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GC9SXE76EM0

Meet 'Von', a new thornless blackberry

'Von' thornless erect blackberry.

‘Von’ is the first erect thornless floricane-fruiting blackberry to be released from the NC State University caneberry breeding program.  ‘Von’ is named after Harvey Von Underwood, who was a Researcher at NC State University. Mr. Underwood worked at NC State University muscadine and bramble breeding program in the 1950’s-70’s and was responsible for saving valuable germplasm from those programs.

'Von' was selected by Jim Ballington in 1998 as tested as NC 430. We have been evaluating 'Von'   at the Mountain Research Station in Laurel Springs, the Moutain Hort Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River and at the Piedmont Research Station in Salisbury, NC. Dr. Penny Perkins-Veazie conducted extensive post harvest evaluation of 'Von' since her arrival at NCSU in 2009.

Here are some key attributes of 'Von':

• In a replicated trial at the Piedmont Research Station in Salisbury NC, total yield of ‘Von’ was 12,017 g/plant (24063 lbs/acre).

• In that same trial, marketable yield of ‘Von’ was 10,704 g/plant (21,434 lbs/acre). 

• Fruit of ‘Von’ is medium size  (6.6 g) has smaller drupelet and seed size compared to other cultivars.

• ‘Von’ produces fruit in the late season, with average date of harvest commencing in the third week of June, peaking in the second week of July and ending the first week of August. 

• ‘Von’ has a marketable post harvest score of 90.6, which is as good or better than the leading commercial cultivars.

• Soluble sugars content of ‘Von’ was 9.4% and pH was 3.57, traits that characterize ‘Von’ as sweet with low acid. 

I will be posting a list of nurseries that will be propagating 'Von' later this year. 

For list of nurseries propagating Von go to
http://teamrubus.blogspot.com/2013/09/nursery-list-for-von-blackberry.html