Since the 1920’s, Oregon State University (OSU) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit have cooperated in the public breeding and development of small fruit cultivars to support Pacific Northwest (PNW) production. Together, the PNW states of Oregon and Washington have significant berry production with 152,407 metric tons of blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), 24,494 metric tons of red and black raspberry (Rubus idaeus; R. occidentalis), 9,525 metric tons of blackberry (Rubus spp.), and 6,804 metric tons of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) in 2022. Processed berries are the primary regional market, with fresh market production a lesser but still important driver for small farms. To continue to improve regional production of high-quality fruit, cultivar development has been a top tier research priority for PNW berry commodity commissions over the past decade. The cooperative breeding program has a continual germplasm improvement cycle that includes plant material in all stages of development, from seedlings, observational and replicated field trials, grower trials, and cultivar releases. After seedling evaluation, promising advanced selections of strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, red raspberry, and black raspberry crops are assessed at the OSU North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora, Oregon. The USDA and OSU cooperative breeding program, in collaboration with Washington State University, has a uniquely strong focus on developing machine harvestable small fruit cultivars. Over 20 cultivars have been released with a value to PNW industries of over $450 million in the last ten years. ‘Tillamook’ strawberry, and ‘Black Diamond’ and ‘Columbia Star’ blackberry lead the acreage in Oregon and were developed by the program. More than 50 berry cultivars have been released since 1942 exclusively by the USDA with another 16 jointly-released with other agricultural universities and international corporations. This presentation will outline the cooperative breeding framework, discuss breeding priorities, and highlight new and upcoming cultivar releases.
