What is the primary concern in the raspberry industry with respect to new varieties?
Currently, the primary concern in the raspberry industry of the Pacific Northwest is the raspberry bushy dwarf virus, a virus that is pollen transmitted. In development trials, there is no way of knowing if the variety is resistant or susceptible to this virus until the plants are exposed to the virus in field conditions. This is one of the reasons it takes 10 years to develop and test a new variety. Scientists at PARC recently released a raspberry variety resistant to the raspberry bushy dwarf virus. The variety, called Cowichan, was released in 2001 and is now extensively grown throughout the Pacific Northwest. What is the primary concern in the strawberry industry with respect to new varieties? The concerns are similar in both the strawberry and raspberry industries – resistance to disease and insects. The primary concern for strawberry varieties is resistance to viruses and soil borne diseases. What is the primary concern for berry producers when selecting what varieties to plant?
