Breeding Programs

Wild blackberries could be combined through hybridization with cultivated berries. Although Rubus bogotensis Kunth is an important wild blackberry from the Andes, few investigations have been done to use it as a source to improve other berries in breeding programs. Growth requirements and particularly phenological changes need to be studied as parts of any breeding program. Knowledge derived from its phenological stages could lead to a better understanding of how to properly hybridize and/or produce better-quality fruits in R. bogotensis. It has the potential to be domesticated and commercialized as a crop in the Andean highlands.