Raspberries

Abstract

All raspberry breeders are interested in improving fruit quality and\break increasing the efficiency of fruit production. The development of primocane fruiting cultivars with excellent shipping quality has allowed major raspberry industries to emerge in non-traditional areas such as California. An increased interest in fruit chemistry, particularly anthocyanins, has led to many studies determining the inheritance of these compounds. Progress towards resistance to major diseases such as Phytophthora root rot has been made through greater understanding of the inheritance of these traits, and the use of novel and traditional germplasm resources. Black raspberry breeding efforts have been greatly increased in the early 21st Century in response to increased disease pressure and raised consumer awareness of the high levels of antioxidants in their fruit. A genetic linkage map of red raspberry ('Glen Moy' × 'Latham') has been constructed and used to search for QTL associated with cane spininess, root sucker density and root sucker spread. Transformation was used to develop a red raspberry cultivar with resistance to Raspberry bushy dwarf virus, although it was not commercialized.