Patent fees support breeding programs

In 1964, Dr. James N. Moore began the blackberry (rubus subgenus rubus) breeding program at the Univ. of Arkansas This program has developed varieties that are erect growing, vigorous producers.

These varieties have been established by selective breeding. There has not been any genetic modification in this program. Thorny cultivars used as parent stock include 'Darrow,' 'Brazos,' Raven,' 'Ranger,' Rosborough,' Womack,' and others. Thornless cultivars used in later years included 'Hull Thornless' and a number of other unreleased USDA thornless selections.

From 1964 to 1998, forty to sixty crosses were made each year, resulting in 230,000 seedlings for evaluation. From this work, ten improved cultivars have been released: 'Cherokee,' 'Comanche,' 'Cheyenne,' 'Shawnee,' 'Choctaw,' 'Navaho,' 'Arapaho,' 'Kiowa','Apache',and 'Chickasaw',‘Ouachita‘,and ‘Natchez’

Since the release of 'Shawnee' in 1983, Enoch's Berry Farm has been licensed by the University of Arkansas to propagate the patented varieties that are developed through their blackberry breeding program. We pay a royalty to the university for each patented plant and root cutting that we sell.

The plant breeding program at the University of Arkansas is supported in part by the royalties from the sale of plant stock developed by the program.