By Blake Jackson
The Cornell AgriTech berry breeding program has recently released two new red raspberry varieties, crimson beauty and crimson blush.
These join three previously released Cornell “crimson series” raspberries: crimson treasure, crimson giant, and crimson night.
"We've conducted extensive testing with local growers in New York and other states, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, leading us to commercialize these varieties," said Courtney Weber, professor and section head in the School of Integrative Plant Science Horticulture Section at Cornell AgriTech.
The seeds for these new varieties were developed in 2016, and plants were first grown and selected for further evaluation in 2017.
Crimson beauty is a large, vibrant red variety with a strong raspberry flavor that has tropical undertones. Unlike many raspberry varieties that fruit in the summer, this one bears in the late summer to early fall, extending the harvest season.
Weber aimed to bridge the gap between the end of summer raspberries and the start of fall fruiting varieties, and crimson beauty successfully achieves this.
Its canes are upright and open, making the cone-shaped fruit easy to spot and pick. As fresh market raspberries are typically handpicked and can be labor-intensive, the plant's architecture enhances picking efficiency.
Crimson beauty was specifically bred for growing in high tunnels, a common practice in the raspberry industry to reduce rain exposure, waste, and rotting.
This system is more productive and efficient with drip irrigation, and crimson beauty was developed and selected within this environment.
On the other hand, crimson blush was developed in a traditional open field system but can also be grown in tunnels for fall season extension.
The flavorful fruit ripens later in the year, from September to November. Its name comes from its blush pink to light, bright red color. It produces large, sweet, and juicy berries on vigorous canes and is a heavy producer.
"“It’s a nice treat for the end of the harvest season," Weber said.
Cornell is partnering with PhyllaTech, L.L.C., and North American Plants to propagate the varieties and make them available to commercial growers.
Additionally, Gurney's Seed and Nursery Co. will offer crimson blush to the retail market and homeowners.
The development of these varieties was supported by the New York State Berry Grower's Association and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Photo Credit: cornell-university
Categories: New York, Crops, Fruits and Vegetables, Education