Researchers from the U.S. and Canada have made a breakthrough for black raspberry production, reporting the first finding of large raspberry aphid resistance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.

Photo: Michael Dossett

Chad Finn, a USDA horticulturist, and Michael Dossett of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada screened seedlings from 132 wild black raspberry populations for resistance to disease-spreading aphids.

They found three populations with resistance - one each from Ontario, Canada and the U.S. states of Maine and Michigan.  The Ontario and Maine varieties showed multiple resistant genes, while the Michigan variety had one dominant gene.

The finding could help breeders incorporate aphid resistance into commercial black raspberry production.

Aphids are small insects that live together in colonies on raspberry plants and feed on their leaves. Large raspberry aphids spread the plant pathogen black raspberry necrosis virus, which severely impacts fruit production.

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