Just under 100 registrants attended UF’s first-ever Blackberry Field Day at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy, marking a major step in expanding blackberry production in the state. The event showcased current research on best practices for pruning, planting, trellising, and fertilizing to help attendees better integrate this emerging crop into their operations. Participants also explored a wide range of cultivated blackberry varieties and had the opportunity to taste-test different cultivars and value added products such as freeze dried blackberries, juice, jam, and concentrate.
Why Blackberries, and Why Now?
Florida is home to several wild blackberry species, but their small fruit size and low yields have historically made them challenging for commercial use. With targeted breeding efforts and applied research underway, blackberries are becoming a more well-adapted crop, especially in North Florida where minimal chill hour requirements can be met. Growers are able to enter the market relatively early, in mid-May through early July, compared to high-production states like Washington, who harvest mid-July through September. By entering the market ahead of peak national supply, early-season growers benefit from reduced competition and can command premium prices due to limited availability. This early market access allows producers to capture strong demand from retailers, wholesalers, and consumers seeking fresh berries at the start of summer. This presents an opportunity for Florida farmers to diversify, according to Dr. Muhammad Adnan Shahid, Assistant Professor of Horticulture Sciences in stress physiology of fruit crops.
Dr. Shahid, who hosts Blackberry Field Day, leads with a focus on environmental resilience and fruit quality. His program emphasizes the development of science-based recommendations tailored to Florida’s unique growing conditions, including responses to heat and cold stress, fertilizer use, and value-added strategies like edible coatings and shelf-life extension to bring local blackberries from field trials to the final bite.
Fueling Wellness Through Farming
There has been a notable uptick in consumer demand for berries, particularly nutrient-rich crops like strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, since the COVID-19 pandemic. As people have become more health-conscious, so has their appetite for antioxidant-packed “superfoods” like blackberries.
“Blackberries are a newly emerging industry in Southeast (Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida),” said Dr. Shahid. “There are health benefits, plus profitability. There’s a lot of interest from big growers and especially from U-pick operations.”
This trend reflects a broader shift in public health conversations. A recent article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, co-authored by UF faculty, emphasized the need to treat fruits and vegetables, specifically in high-impact crops like berries and leafy greens, as essential to public health.
The Fruit Physiology Lab, run by Dr. Shahid, who manages the Blackberry program at NFREC, directly supports this vision by improving regional access to nutrient-dense, locally grown crops. Through variety trials, nitrogen management studies, and evaluations of production systems, the program paves the way for high-impact crops like blackberries to thrive in Florida and both support grower profitability as well as a healthier food system.
Building a Blackberry Program for Florida Farmers
According to the Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture, blackberries are currently grown on 277 farms across 702 acres in the state, a foundation that researchers hope to build on through continued outreach, variety development, and grower support. Showcased at the field day were the over 30 blackberry cultivars from the University of Arkansas and the University of Florida that Dr. Shahid’s team is evaluating. These are assessed for yield, flavor, heat tolerance, and resilience in Florida’s variable climate.
“This was our first ever Blackberry Field Day at the UF/IFAS NFREC,” Dr. Shahid said. “It was a good interest, good participation.”
Many Florida blackberry growers are still relying on recommendations developed for other states, but Dr. Shahid’s team is working to fill that gap with Florida-specific guidance. The goal is to support farmers at every step, whether they’re curious about adding a new crop or already managing acreage.
Tools for Fruit Quality and Labor Efficiency
A system highlighted during the field day was the Rotating Cross Arm (RCA) trellis, which allows blackberry canes to rotate with the direction of sunlight. This design enhances sun exposure, flower formation, and fruit uniformity, while also making harvest more efficient by concentrating fruit on one side of the row. RCA trellis design provides shade for developing fruit, helping prevent sun scald and white drupe conditions primarily caused by UV exposure and high light intensity. While the benefits to fruit quality are clear, the RCA system can be expensive and labor-intensive, making it a challenging entry point for first-time or small-scale growers. Still, many field day attendees expressed interest in how this system could be integrated as they expand, and researchers continue to present it as a promising option for more established operations.
With growing consumer demand, evolving research, and a strong community of growers and scientists, blackberries are poised to become a valuable component of Florida’s fruit production system. And, for those who missed it, field tours, tastings, and conversations with researchers are expected to return next year… bigger, better, and with even more data in hand.
Noteworthy Mentions:
Dr. Shahid’s team recently published a UF/IFAS Extension article on blackberry trellising systems, which won third place in the American Society for Horticultural Science Extension Award competition. The award will be presented at the 2025 ASHS conference in New Orleans.
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