Article from Specialty Crop Growers
by Clint Thompson
Added Benefit: Florida Blackberries May Become More Nutritious in the Future
‘Kiowa’ blackberries
Blackberries are already known for their health benefits, and
someday, they might provide even more antioxidants than the ones you
buy now, say University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers.
UF/IFAS scientists are trying to
breed and grow blackberries, which ripen in April, May and June in the
Sunshine State. In a new study, scientists found metabolites that may
boost antioxidant contents and anti-inflammatory properties of the
berries.
In the study, Yu Wang led a team that compared the metabolite profiles of six blackberry varieties.
Among them, ‘Kiowa’ showed the highest ability to protect cells from damage and fight inflammation.
“This
work could provide a perspective on potential health benefits of
consuming blackberries,” said Wang, an associate professor of food
science and human nutrition at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and
Education Center. “This study deepens our understanding of the
molecular mechanisms contributing to the health benefits of
blackberries.”
‘Kiowa’ grows well and produces large berries but
has many thorns. It does not grow commercially in Florida. Zhanao Deng,
a UF/IFAS professor of environmental horticulture, has been breeding
and trying to grow blackberries at the Gulf Coast Research and
Education Center since 2015.
The major blackberry-producing
states include Oregon, California, and Washington on the west coast,
and Georgia, Texas and North Carolina in the east and south. They’re an
emerging crop in the Sunshine State.
About 130 acres of the
fruit are commercially produced in the Mayo area of North Florida, and
in Plant City and Parrish in the Tampa Bay region, Deng said.
Blackberry
cultivars on commercial farms include ‘Osage,’ ‘Ouachita,’ ‘Ponca,’
‘Prime-Ark Freedom’ and ‘Prime-Ark Traveler.’ Deng envisions adding
‘Kiowa’ to his toolkit as he breeds blackberries for Florida growers.
“’Kiowa’
was developed by James Moore and John Clark at the University of
Arkansas in the 1990s,” Deng said. “We grow them in blackberry field
trials, but it’s not grown commercially in Florida because it’s thorny.
Since it has the highest levels of antioxidants, we are using this
cultivar as a parent in breeding to develop new thornless cultivars
with high antioxidant contents as well as high yields and flavorful
berries.”
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Bibliography
Thompson, Clint. "Added Benefit: Florida Blackberries May Become More Nutritious in the Future." Specialty Crop Growers, 1 May 2024, specialtycropgrower.com/florida-uf-ifas-blackberries-kiowa/.
Accessed 1 May 2024.
Photograph
Deng, Zhanao. "‘Kiowa’ blackberries." UF/IFAS, Specialty Crop Growers, 1 May 2024, specialtycropgrower.com/florida-uf-ifas-blackberries-kiowa/.
Accessed 1 May 2024.
Published 1 May 2024 LR |