About the Berry Crops Production, Physiology, and Breeding Program
Oregon has a diverse, economically important berry crop industry with about 23,000 acres harvested for a farm gate value of over $123 million. Berry crops are grown on over 1000 family farms in Oregon. The overall goal of the berry crops research and extension program is to help growers of blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, and kiwi fruit make educated decisions with regard to planting establishment and management to improve economic viability and sustainability.
The berry research program at the NWREC led by Dr. Strik includes: 1) production and physiology research; and 2) serving as the OSU lead on the berry crops breeding program, led by Dr. Chad Finn (USDA-ARS geneticist at the Horticultural Crops Research Unit, Corvallis) – the breeding program, a cooperative effort between the USDA-ARS and OSU that started in 1917, has the objective of developing better berry crop varieties for the Pacific Northwest.
Our program has many trials underway in any given year, with updates on completed and ongoing research projects.
