Berryfruit

Science programme: Berryfruit & hops breeding

Global publicity about the health-giving potential of dark coloured berries has made berryfruit one of the world’s ‘hottest’ crops. HortResearch has through its breeding programmes produced a range of novel and improved cultivars which meet the requirements of:

• Enhanced performance under a diversity of environmental conditions
• Superior fruit quality
• Consumers, traditional and non-traditional.

Our scientists are focusing on the health benefits of berryfruit:

• Health attributes associated with blue and red pigments in fruit have contributed significantly to the upsurge in consumer interest in berryfruit
• Studies showing the linkages between consumption of berryfruit and improvement of age-related diseases have been initiated
• New blueberry, raspberry (red and black), blackberry, Boysenberry and blackcurrant cultivars with high anti-oxidant activity are being developed
• Genetic studies are being undertaken to determine the heritability of   anti-oxidant levels and specific phenolic compounds (anthocyanins)   of Ribes, Rubus and Vaccinium species.

The team is also studying the effects of the harvesting, freezing and processing pathways on blackcurrant juice quality.

HortResearch has enhanced access to new markets for New Zealand producers by developing:

• Indexing for key viruses to ensure high health status of plant material prior to commercial propagation
• New “low chill” cultivars of raspberry, boysenberry, blackcurrant and blueberry suitable for non-traditional growing regions
• A new blackcurrant cultivar with strong flavour and colour characteristics supporting the differentiation of New Zealand blackcurrant process products
• New berryfruit crops such as cranberry and new Rubus hybridberries
• Improved strategies for control of berry fruit pests and diseases
• Sensory analysis to identify consumer preferences
• Collaborative breeding projects with overseas partners.

This research is supported by Blackcurrants NZ Limited, GlaxoSmithKline, Berryfruit Export NZ Ltd,  Blueberries NZ Ltd and New Zealand Boysenberry Council Ltd.

For a better understanding of our works we recommend the following documents:

Ghosh D, McGhie TK, Zhang J, Adaim A, Skinner M 2006. Effects of anthocyanins and other phenolics of boysenberry and blackcurrant as inhibitors of oxidative stress and damage to cellular DNA in SH-SY5Y and HL-60 cells . Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 86(5): 678-686

Connor AM, Stephens MJ, Hall HK, Alspach PA 2005. Variation and heritabilities of antioxidant activity and total phenolic content estimated from a red raspberry factorial experiment. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 130(3): 403-411

Connor AM, McGhie TK, Stephens MJ, Hall HK, Alspach PA 2005. Variation and heritability estimates of anthocyanins and their relationship to antioxidant activity in a red raspberry factorial mating design. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 130(4): 534-542.

Stanley CJ, Hall HK, McGhie T, Rowan DD, Langford G 2002. Boysenberry - a character description for commerce. Acta Horticulturae 585(1): 247-252

Contact Ron Beatson