Expanding the adaptation and production area of Rubus in Europe

The EC AIR3 PL 92-0325 project started 1 January 1993, involved 7 groups fr om six European Countries (Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Sweden and France) with the objective to increase dessert Rubus production in Europe, outside the traditional season, by growing primocane fruiting (PF) type ra spberries and developing other PF Rubus crops. The project has been divided into the following two main tasks: 1. to transfer the PF trait from raspberry into raspberry x blackberry hybr ids, and then into blackberries using conventional and non-conventional bre eding strategies. 2. to determine agronomic management of PF Rubus for winter production in s outhern regions of the EC. Conventional breeding based on inter- and intra-specific crosses was used t o produce tetraploid PF raspberry, blackberry and allo-hexaploid hybrid ber ries. Biotechnology programmes centred on protoplast fusion technology, and colchicine in vitro ploidy manipulation were used to produce further varia bility. Molecular markers analysis by RAPD and molecular cytogenetic analys is by non-isotopic in situ hybridization (GISH and FISH) were developed and applied to study the new genetic materials. Agronomic studies on several P F raspberry varieties were evaluated at several locations in the southern r egion, both in protected cultivation (plastic tunnel) and in the open field . Cultivation and management systems suitable to local conditions were test ed. The seedlings developed by conventional breeding were also evaluated in these southern locations. The final goal of the programme is to develop co mmercial Rubus material, having primocane fruiting character, which can be manipulated for out-of-season production on small family farms in rural are as. This paper summarises the research activities carried out by all the pa rticipants during the four year project.