Blue Honeysuckle (Haskap) Production

2/14/2018

.a.k.a. Haskap; a.k.a. Honeyberry; a.k.a. Sweetberry Honeysuckle Blue Honeysuckle .Lonicera caerulea (Haskap) Production .Found across Canada . Some uptake into areas of the United States Biology and Varieties .Until recently, availability had been limited to ornamental plant selections

MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER+

Blue Honeysuckle ?? Day Neutral Fruit Uses Strawberry ??? Everbearing Strawberry ??? June Bearing .Japanese market = Haskap = many uses Strawberry Saskatoon Berry .Canadian market Floricane Raspberry . (Summerbearing) Fresh; jams or jellies; dessert ingredient; etc. Primocane Raspberry . Wines? (Fall bearing) . Dried Haskap? Sour Cherry Currant / First fruit of Gooseberry Chokecherry the season .High stability of fruit juice pigments Plum compared to Apple other prairie Hazelnuts fruit Grapes

Pears

Sea Buckthorn

Variability in fruit shape in Lonicera species History

.Grown in Japan (Hokkaido Island) for centuries . Grown in Russia for 50‐60 years .Relatively new to Canada (as a cultivated crop) . Plant samples have been found across Canada .Breeding: . Oregon (uses Japanese selections) . U of Saskatchewan Domestic Fruit Program . About a decade . Uses Russian, Kuril Island crosses

Photo by Bob Bors

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Characteristics of Different Plant Material (Germplasm) Kuril U of S SK Russia Japan Biology Islands varieties

Med to Large to Large Fruit Size Small Large small small (2x Russian) .Height (average) = 1.5‐2 m (4‐6 feet) Productivity Low High Variable Low Very High . On own roots Cold Hardy? Yes Yes Unknown Yes Yes

Fruit Shape Round Tubular Round Oval Round/Oval .No suckers Harvest Probably Unknown June July June season July

Ripening Unknown Even Uneven Even Even

Disease Unknown Variable Variable Resistant Resistant Resistance

Flavour Unknown Variable Variable Good Excellent

Individual Haskap bushes Note – opposite leaves

Photo by Sharon Faye

Biology Honeysuckle bush in flower

.Flowers . Born in pairs . Pale yellow/white flowers

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Honeysuckle flowers Biology

.Fruit . Tubular shape . Made up of 2 ovaries each (1 flower per ovary), with a sheath that covers and joins the 2 ovaries

Photo by Bob Bors

Fruiting Blue Honeysuckle Immature fruit –Note – presence of both ripe and green fruit

Photo by Sharon Faye

Another fruiting Haskap selection Fallen fruit after harvest

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Hardiness

.All plant parts are very hardy INSTA‐POLL .Dormant plants = ‐45°C “WHAT CHARACTERISTIC

.Young, active shoots = ‐18°C APPEALS TO YOU THE MOST?” .Open flowers = ‐7°C

Varieties

. Old Russian types (a.k.a. Honeyberries) . Berry Blue, Blue Belle, etc. . Typically more irregular in shape

. Japanese varieties VARIETIES . Typically later flowering and somewhat less hardy . U of Saskatchewan breeding program . Borealis; Tundra; Indigo Treat; Indigo Yum; Indigo Gem . New varieties = Boreal series (Beauty, Beast, Blizzard) . U of SK cultivars = larger fruit, more uniform, better taste, hardier, minimal Powdery Mildew

Indigo Gem (formerly 9‐15) Tundra Borealis U OF SASKATCHEWAN Blue Belle RELEASES

Berry Blue Indigo Treat Indigo Yum (formerly 9‐91) (formerly 9‐92) U of S fruit photos by Dr. Bob Bors

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Varietal Comparisons Target Avg Berry Yield Berry Shape Market Size (grams)

Russian Various Variable Variable Variable Varieties

Aurora Boreal Beast Commercial / Long, flat, bullet Boreal Tundra 1.49 Good Beauty Mechanical / oval‐shaped

Borealis Home Garden 1.62 Good Short, flat, boxy

Indigo Gem 2x other Robust, short Processing? 1.30 (9‐15) selections oval‐shaped Indigo Treat Unknown 1.41 Good Flat cylindrical Honeybee (9‐91) Indigo Yum Long flat oval‐ Boreal Blizzard Unknown 1.29 Good U of S fruit photos by Dr. Bob Bors (9‐92) shaped

Varietal Comparisons Varietal Comparisons (cont’d) Target Avg Berry Suitability for Yield Berry Shape Other Market Size (grams) Flavour mech harvest Firmness Comments Undetermined / sorting Honeybee (meant as a 1.9 Good Cylindrical ‐ Non‐uniform pollinator) Russian ripening Inferior No / No Variable Varieties ‐ Good Aurora Home Garden 1.9 Good Pointed pear pollinators Tundra Good Yes / Yes Good Surfboard – Borealis Best Tasting No / Limited Less than Tundra Boreal Fresh Market / round, narrow Indigo Gem 2.8 – 3.9 Heavy Good Yes Chewy Blizzard U‐pick ends, wide (9‐15) centre Easier to Indigo Treat Boreal Thick heart or Excellent Yes propagate than Unknown 2.6 – 3.7 Large (9‐91) Beauty thick oval 9‐92 Boreal Thick heart / Indigo Yum Hard to Processing 1.86 –2.06 Large More tangy Yes Beast Thick oval (9‐92) propagate

Varietal Comparisons (cont’d) Suitability for Other Tundra Flavour mech harvest Firmness Comments / sorting

Good Tall plant; meant Honeybee No Good (somewhat tart) as pollinator to BTI Target Avg Berry Maturity Taller plants than Yield Berry Shape Borealis; will Market Size (grams) Period Aurora Excellent Maybe / No Good pollinize other Long, flat, releases Commercial / 1.49 Good bullet / oval‐ Early Strong, upright Mechanical shaped Boreal branches; Late Excellent Yes Very good Blizzard flowering / ripening Suitability for Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments Boreal Blooms & ripens Excellent Yes Average Beauty later sorting Excellent; good Good Yes / Yes Good Boreal Well‐suited; Strong vigour; aroma & Excellent upright bush; Beast even ripening aftertaste mildew resistant

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Borealis Indigo Gem

Target Avg Berry Maturity Target Avg Berry Maturity Yield Berry Shape Yield Berry Shape Market Size (grams) Period Market Size (grams) Period

2x other Robust, short Home Garden 1.62 Good Short, flat, boxy Mid Processing? 1.30 Early selections oval‐shaped Suitability for Suitability for Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments sorting sorting Less than Best Tasting No / Limited Tundra Good Yes Chewy

Indigo Treat Indigo Yum

Target Avg Berry Maturity Target Avg Berry Maturity Yield Berry Shape Yield Berry Shape Market Size (grams) Period Market Size (grams) Period

Long flat oval‐ Unknown 1.41 Good Flat cylindrical Early Unknown 1.29 Good Early shaped

Suitability for Suitability for Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments sorting sorting Easier to propagate than 9‐ Excellent Yes 92 More tangy Yes Hard to propagate

Aurora Honeybee

Target Avg Berry Maturity Target Avg Berry Maturity Yield Berry Shape Yield Berry Shape Market Size (grams) Period Market Size (grams) Period

Undetermined Home Garden 1.9 Good Pointed pear Mid 1.9 Good Cylindrical Mid (pollinator)

Suitability for Suitability for Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments sorting sorting Taller plants than Borealis; Good (somewhat Tall plant; meant as Excellent Maybe / No Good No Good will pollinize other releases tart) pollinator to BTI

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Boreal Beauty Boreal Beast

Target Avg Berry Maturity Target Avg Berry Maturity Yield Berry Shape Yield Berry Shape Market Size (grams) Period Market Size (grams) Period

Thick heart or Thick heart / Unknown 2.6 – 3.7 Large Late Processing 1.86 –2.06 Large Late thick oval Thick oval Suitability for Suitability for Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments sorting sorting Excellent; good Well‐suited; even Strong vigour; upright Excellent Excellent Yes Average Blooms & ripens later aroma & aftertaste ripening bush; mildew resistant

Boreal Blizzard Harvest Period

Tundra Boreal Boreal Indigo Gem Beast Beauty Target Avg Berry Maturity Indigo Yum Yield Berry Shape Boreal Market Size (grams) Period Indigo Blizzard Treat Surfboard – round, Fresh Market / 2.8 – 3.9 Heavy narrow ends, wide Mid/Late U‐pick Early Late Early Early Early Late May Late July Late Aug centre June June July Aug Sept Suitability for Flavour mech harvest / Firmness Other Comments Borealis sorting Aurora Strong, upright branches; Excellent Yes Very good Honeybee Late flowering / ripening

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Photos from Spring OREGON PROGRAM) Meadow Nurseries

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Photos from Spring Meadow Nurseries

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Rob Spencer, BSA, MSc, P.Ag. Commercial Horticulture Specialist

[email protected] Alberta Ag‐Info Centre 310‐FARM