PSG expands Rejoice blackberry platform with year-round focus

California-based breeder Plant Sciences Genetics (PSG) is addressing one of the blackberry industry’s biggest challenges: securing year-round production and availability. Despite healthy consumer demand, the category has long struggled with seasonal production gaps. 

While traditional floricane blackberries typically produce fruit during a six- to 12-week harvest window, the newly developed primocane cultivar allows for more uniform yields.

“Primocane varieties can produce a flatter, more consistent harvest curve through selective pruning methods or generate multiple production peaks throughout the year using different pruning techniques,” a PSG spokesperson explained to FreshFruitPortal.com.

The Rejoice variety also comes with management perks.

"This production flexibility also creates labor advantages by allowing growers to offer more consistent, year-round employment, improving labor retention, training efficiency, and overall grower economics," the representative said.

The Rejoice platform: More than just a single variety

Beyond breeding innovation, PSG is positioning Rejoice as a licensing platform rather than simply a new cultivar. The company said growers join as licensed partners through a club variety model and receive agronomic support, along with access to future selections and collaborative marketing opportunities.

The company said the blackberry performs in both warm and temperate climates because it requires no winter chill, although regions with snowfall generally require greenhouse production to achieve year-round harvests.

"Rejoice has demonstrated validated field performance across the Americas, from Colombia to Canada, and trials are now underway in multiple locations across Europe," the representative said. “Thanks to its zero chill-hour requirement, it also performs well in temperate regions such as California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, and the Southeast.”

The company also noted that the blackberry has a reported shelf life of more than 13 days. However, it noted that postharvest management remains important for maximizing fruit quality throughout the supply chain.

PSG said Rejoice is the first commercial release from its blackberry breeding program under the new platform and forms part of the company's broader berry genetics portfolio, which also includes strawberry, raspberry, and developing blueberry varieties.

“We have great confidence in Rejoice following years of validation with our trusted partners to ensure its flavor and quality,” the firm concluded.

*Main image is referential via Unsplash; other images courtesy of PSG.

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