Prospects for Blackberry Cultivation in Irkutsk Region and Its Use in Breeding

The study was conducted from 2021 to 2025 in Irkutsk to examine the economically valuable traits of blackberry plants in the region and to identify adaptive varieties for cultivation and use in breeding. Three blackberry varieties (Chester Tornless, Dima and Black Jam) were studied. Plants were planted in a 0.7 m x 2.0 m scheme. They were grown in open ground, in a greenhouse with a 6 mm polycarbonate covering, and in a phytotron, an artificial climate chamber. The seedlings were planted in spring. Everbearing blackberry plants were grown as annuals. In spring, plants were trained into 3 shoots for open ground and greenhouse cultivation, and 1-2 shoots for container crops. During the winter, 60 g/m2 spunbond cover was used in open ground. In the greenhouse, bags filled with sawdust were placed on top of the spunbond (simulating snow cover). At the end of March, the sawdust bags were removed, and in April, the cover material was removed. During the study period, the onset of vegetation in blackberry plants in closed ground conditions occurred on average 39 days earlier than in open ground. During the years of study, Chester Tornless variety did not enter the fruiting phase in open ground. The fruiting period of Dima and Black Jam varieties is short, ranging from four days to two weeks. Chester Tornless variety’s productivity under greenhouse conditions was 20.2 t/ha, Black Jam’s 15.3 t/ha and Dima’s 4.6 t/ha. The highest sugar and ascorbic acid content was recorded in Black Jam berries, which amounted to 11.39% Bx and 18.8 mg/100 g. This variety can be used in breeding for adaptability to regional conditions.