ROSE HILL AGROFORESTRY - HASKAP NEWSLETTER

September 17, 2007

Haskap -- Rooting the New Industry

Propagation Update:

            The tissue culture labs have been rapidly multiplying the new University of Saskatchewan Haskap releases in mini-propagation since last winter.  Because the demand for plants has been high, and because of the market demand for Haskap fruit, there has been a lot of pressure to produce the greatest number of plants in the shortest period of time.  For this reason, several of the propagators elected to continue sub-division of the plantlets in the labs rather than put a smaller number into the field.  It is expected the propagators will be able to fully supply the initial demand for the new Haskap varieties by the fall of 2008, though orders are being accepted by some into 2010.

Pollination:

            Haskap requires a compatible companion plant for pollination.  Haskap is dichotomous in every way.  The leaves are in pairs equal and opposite.  The flowers are in pairs.  The fruit itself is a "pair" of berries housed in a second skin to form one berry.  Pollination is a complex cross of "pair to pair" genetic material (pollen) from the stamen of one plant to the pistil (and in the case of Haskap with its twin flowers, to the pistils) of the recipient.  It is because of this dichotomic characteristic that not just any other variety of Haskap will be a compatible pollinator.  Lab tests have shown that the "9" series of U of S releases are not the best pollinators of each other, probably because they are too closely related.

            Of the older named varieties of blue honeysuckle, Berry Blue is a compatible pollinator of all of the "9" series of Haskap.  However, Berry Blue has some undesirable characteristics.  Its fruit is not the best, and it has a habit of fruiting over a long period of time which makes multiple pickings necessary.  This is definitely not an asset to commercial production because producers cannot get the full production in a short harvest window.  Blue Bell is not compatible.  No information is known about other named Russian cultivars.

            Rose Hill Agroforestry has selected a group of five cultivars of Siberian descent from the Russian fruit development program not related to the "9" series of U of S releases that should be suitable pollinators.  The group selected all are commercially viable in that they have similar fruiting qualities.  The fruit is similar in size, taste and texture from each plant and has been tested in jams, jellies, syrups and fruit recipes to be desirable.  Of course the berry size is not as large nor as desirable as that produced by the "9" series plants.  The yield  (up to 1.6 kgs the first year of production in the test site) will probably be lower than the U of S releases.  However, this group should be the best pollinators available. The "group of five" will pollinate each other, and can be pollinated by any of the "9" series varieties.  A portion of the selling price from each pollinator purchased from Rose Hill Agroforestry will be given to the University for Dr. Bors' fruit development program to be used for ongoing Haskap improvement and research.

            The fruit of the mother plant retains the characteristics of the mother plant and it is not affected by the characteristics of the male pollinator.   The fruit texture, quality and flavor of the "9" series plants will stay consistent regardless of the pollinator(s).

Related News:

            The successes and encouraging news about other fruit crops is exciting for potential Haskap producers.  It shows that as production increases past the "critical mass" level, the demand also increases.  Examples of this are the production of Health products such as the juice produced by Pure Fruit Technologies in Utah.  Their juice retails at over $1.00 per ounce.  See what they are doing at www.seabuck7.com.  There would be no better product for them to add to their line than the juice produced from Haskap berries.

            A few weeks ago, a company from Thialand was looking for a supply of Saskatoons for their health market equal to the entire current prairie production.  Now Sandy Purdy is looking for Saskatoons for his European market.  They need more growers.  Contact Sandy at www.prairieberries.com.

            Haskap are healthier, and very competitive to produce.  The scope of potential Haskap products is huge.  World wide interest in the types of products that can be made from Haskap and the prospects of international competition is keeping the Japanese very interested in building relationships in Canada.

Maxine Thompson:

            For 35 years Maxine Thompson, a sincere, dedicated scientist has been quietly working away on Haskap research in Oregon.  Dr. Bors has benefited from her work, and thus the Canadian industry as a whole owes her a lot.  Parkland Agroforestry Products Inc. with the support of Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food has proposed to fund a trip for Ms. Thompson to Saskatoon next June.  She is excited, and offered to "get up early every morning" and help harvest Haskap at the university.  Ms. Thompson (everyone calls her just "Maxine") will promote the Haskap industry, and she will work with Bob Bors during her stay in Saskatoon.  Don't miss a chance to come to her meetings.  She is a "darling", and the "mother" of the Haskap industry in North America.

Japanese Delegation:

            There are now three Haskap processors in Japan who are interested in Canadian grown Haskap.  One of the processors came to Saskatchewan last year.  Now, on September 24-26, a juice company is coming to scout out the territory.  They will be at a supper hosted by Haskap Canada Association on September 25th.  This company was one of the organizations Parkland Agroforestry Products Inc. and Eric Lefol met in Japan this past summer.  You can download Eric's full report through www.haskap.ca and click on the report heading.

Haskap Canada Association:

            Potential Haskap producers, supporters, and those who expect to be associated with the industry such as suppliers and processors are encouraged to join the association.  Go to their web site for more information.  Your membership helps to support the website as a source of valuable information, and an united front for the Canadian Haskap industry.

A Word on Bird Netting:

            In our last newsletter, we talked about the potential of song birds being a problem, especially in small production units.  One grower is using bale wrap as a cheap source of protection from birds in his orchard.  He gets the tail ends of wrap from his neighbor and lays the wrap over his Russian plants with excellent results.

The "Holding Power" of "Freshness" in Haskap:

            Some of the fruit ripe in June at the University plot was left on the plants and picked in late August.  The berries were still on the plants and had retained most of their "freshness".  That is almost like a miracle!  Haskap is known for its hardiness.  It is known for its ability to retain the quality of its fruit so that abysmal weather for a day or two, or even a week or so would not ruin the harvest.  But no one would have believed fruit left for two months would be any good.  Try that with ANY other crop!

Plant Spacing:

            Planning a Haskap orchard is still a bit of a challenge because of the unknowns associated with the fact that this is a new and budding industry and the challenges related to the pollination issue.  There is no "act to follow". Spacing between rows needs to accommodate equipment.  It takes a minimum of 15 feet for a mechanical harvester.  The harvester can go up one row and back on the next, so only every other isle needs to be that wide.  The narrower isles need to accommodate the cultivation equipment only.  Lay out five foot diameter circles centered where each plant will be to determine if there is going to be enough room.  Hand pick operations don't need a wide isle for a harvester.

            The distance between plants should be about 4 feet for mechanical picking and six feet for hand picking or u-pick operations.  It is better to be able to move freely between the plants for hand picking.

            The choosing of where to plant the various varieties is the bigger question.  New releases in the future may have a place in your orchard and need to be in the over-all plan.  Pollinators have to be placed so they can do an effective job.  In the initial planting, you may want to leave every third or fourth row empty for future cultivars if space is not a problem.  For mechanical picking, do not mix varieties within the row, so you will need a solid row of pollinators between two rows of "9" series plants.  For hand picking you could blend the "pollinator row" with a ooxoooxoooxoooxo pattern where x is the pollinator and o is a "9" series plant.  Or if you put pollinators in every row, you could put a combination of eight "9" series plants to each pollinator.  If you do this, stagger the pollinators to be opposite the center of "9" series plants of the next row.  Pollinators can be planted a year later than the regular bushes without a noticeable drop in production.

            Plan your orchard so that you will have the option to harvest individual varieties separate from the others to command top price for your product from a specialized market.

Wanted: Research Haskap:

            Olga Roy from Centre d'Expertise sur les Produits Agroforestei (CEPAF) is looking for one hundred pounds of blue honeysuckle for a research and development project.  If you have any berries, let her know, but be sure she understands what you give her will not be the same quality as the new U of S releases.  Her e-mail is olgaroy.cepaf@hotmail.com.  The website is www.cepaf.ca.

Recipes:

            Following are a couple of recipes using blue honeysuckle from experimental Russian seedlings that have been winners when samples were consumed at charity functions.  These recipes will need to be retested when the "9" series plants start producing fruit.  Frozen berries were used in every case.

                                    Blue Honeysuckle Squares 

            1 cup brown sugar

            1 1/4 cups rolled oats

            1 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose)

            1 teaspoon baking soda

            1 cup margarine

            3 cups blue honeysuckle berries

            3/4 cup sugar

            1 tablespoon lemon juice

            3 tablespoon cornstarch

 Combine honeysuckle berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice.  Cook until thickened.  Cool slightly.  Mix brown sugar, rolled oats, flour, and baking soda.  Cut in margarine until crumbly.

Spread half the crumbs in a 9 x 13" baking pan.  Evenly spread berry mixture over top.  Top with remaining crumbs.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

                                    Blue Honeysuckle & Rhubarb Jam 

            2 1/2 cups blue honeysuckle berries

            2 1/2 cups rhubarb (finely chopped)

            6 cups sugar

            1 teaspoon margarine

            1 pouch Liquid Certo

Place fruit, sugar, and margarine in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Mash all fruit (a hand blender works fine).  Boil hard for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add liquid certo.  Allow jam to sit for a 3 to 5 minutes and skim off any foamy residue.  Pour into sterilized jars and seal.  Yield 10 - 250 ml jars.

Pass It On:

            This newsletter has been produced by Rose Hill Agroforestry in support and promotion of the Haskap industry in Canada.  For more information, or to order Haskap plants, contact Elwood Wenig at the following:

            Rose Hill Agroforestry, Box 95, Weldon, Saskatchewan, S0J 3A0,

            Phone: 306-864-3231, email: haskapsales@hotmail.com

            Web site:  Rosehillagroforestry.com

Copyright 2007.  This article may be freely circulated in its entirety.  This newsletter may NOT be reproduced IN PART by any means without the express written approval of Elwood or Jean Wenig.

Premission to publish on Haskap Canada Association website granted.