The Culture Of Some Common Prairie Native Fruit Species

 

Article by - Richard G. St-Pierre, Ph.D.

 

(This article is a revised version of the article that was originally published in 1992 in the Bulletin of the Heritage Seed Program 5(2): pp 12-19.)

 

Part 1: Introduction

 

Most varieties of commonly cultivated fruit species, such as the strawberry, raspberry, apple, pear, plum and cherry, are not well adapted to the climatic conditions of the Canadian prairie provinces; only a few, adequately hardy varieties are available. Except for the strawberry and raspberry, commercial production of fruit on the prairies has generally not been economically feasible, although a variety of these fruits are grown in prairie gardens. However, there are a number of fruit species native to Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba that are adapted to the prairie climate, many of which have substantial horticultural potential. These native fruit species include the beaked hazelnut, blueberry, bog cranberry, buffaloberry, bunchberry, choke cherry, cloudberry, currant, elderberry, gooseberry, wild grape, hawthorn, high-bush cranberry, lingonberry, mountain ash, pin cherry, prickly pear cactus, wild raspberry, wild rose, saskatoon, and wild strawberry.

 

These fruit species are found in a variety of native habitats within the prairie, aspen parkland and boreal forest ecological zones of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and are adapted to the region's harsh winters. The warm, sunny, dry prairie summers enhance fruit quality and help decrease the incidence of disease. The City of Saskatoon lies in the south center of the province of Saskatchewan, within Canadian plant hardiness zone 2b, and is fairly representative of the prairie climate. Here, the length of the frost-free season is 108 days. The December through February average minimum temperature is -20.7oC and the extreme minimum is -50oC. The May through August average maximum temperature is 22.4oC and the extreme maximum is 41oC. For these same summer months, 63% of total daylight hours are bright sunshine, and the average total precipitation is 190.8 mm.

 

Why cultivate native fruit species?

 

In the not too distant past, the importance of wild plant species as sources of food, medicines, fibres, building materials, ornamentals, and other products was commonly recognized; wild and domesticated plants were integrated with daily life. Today, the majority of people in industrialized countries are more or less divorced from any meaningful connection with the natural world and the importance of wild plant species is hardly recognized. One consequence of this is an increasingly rapid loss of our wild botanical resources, primarily through habitat loss. A renewed interest in wild plant species is important to a re-integration of our lives with the natural world, to the preservation of natural ecosystems essential for the maintenance of healthy planet, and to the broadening of our agricultural base, which is dangerously dependent on relatively few crop species and genetic varieties. Fortunately, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of nature, and of wild plant species, to our well being. The cultivation of wild plant species, such as our native fruit species, is one way by which we can attempt to re-integrate ourselves with our natural heritage.

 

Historically, native fruit species were important to indigenous peoples and European settlers. For example, late 16th century journals of the Hudson's Bay Company indicate that large quantities of lingonberries were sent yearly to England as gifts. The horticultural potential of wild fruit species has long been recognized. The explorer David Thompson suggested in 1787-1788 that the saskatoon ought to be cultivated in Canada and England. The first professor of horticulture at the University of Saskatchewan, C.F. Patterson, includes an entire chapter in his 1936 book on such fruits as meriting cultivation. The saskatoon was first cultivated in the Peace River area of northern Alberta by W. D. Albright in 1918.

 

Ecological reasons need not be the only reasons for growing native fruit species. Native fruits are characterized by a variety of traits that allow substantial versatility of use. Their multipurpose function includes use as ornamentals for landscaping purposes, wildlife habitat improvement, shelterbelts and hedgerows, and of course, as edible fruit that help balance and diversify our diets, and make eating a delightful pleasure. The cultivation of a variety of native fruit species allows one to produce a variety of organically grown fruit over the course of a season. Some, like the saskatoon and blueberry, can be eaten fresh. All can be used in processed products including jams, jellies, sauces, syrups, juices, ice cream, yogurt, chocolates, muffins, pies, tarts, cookies, pancakes, wine and liqueurs, raisins, fruit leathers, water-reduced purees, flavour concentrates, and dyes. Many, if not most, of the native fruits are best eaten processed because the fresh fruit are often overly sour or astringent.

 

The development of native fruits as new horticultural crops

 

All of the plants we currently cultivate as crops have been derived from wild plant species. There are about 250,000 species of flowering plants in the world; of these, about 20,000 have useful edible parts, about 200 have been domesticated as crops, and only 15-20 species are crops of major importance. About 80,000 species have been used for medicinal purposes, and currently, about 80% of the world's population (primarily outside of the industrialized countries) still relies on traditional plant-based medicine. There is no reason why native fruit species cannot be developed and grown as new horticultural crops on the prairies. Widespread cultivation of native fruit species in small orchards, shelterbelts and hedgerows could significantly contribute to the diversification and health of the prairie agricultural economy by enhancing alternative agricultural production, by promoting the development of mixed farming operations, and by providing a more substantive base for a processing industry. The development of a range of unique products would allow access to local, national, and international (especially Eastern Europe, Japan, Taiwan, and China) markets. In addition, native fruit products are very amenable to the Certified Organic market.

 

The horticultural production of native fruit species appears to have significant commercial potential. Harvests of blueberries from managed wild stands in eastern Canada average 23 million kg/year and return $162 million to the economies of Quebec and the Maritime provinces. Relatively small orchards of native fruit species can produce high yields and profits. Estimates of crop yields for mature saskatoon orchards presently range from 2,600 to over 13,500 kg/ha. Average prices per 4 litre container (about 2.2 kg of berries) are $7.50 (pick-your-own operations), and $11.00 (pre-picked). Based on these yield estimates and prices, the potential return per hectare ranges from $8,860 - $67,500.

 

There is substantial interest in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta in the commercial production of native fruit species. Many small saskatoon orchards have been initiated. In 1989, Saskatchewan had about 39 ha of saskatoons in production, and an additional 53 planted. In Alberta in 1991, 330 ha of saskatoons had been established, with about 73 ha producing. Currently, the demand for saskatoon fruit exceeds the supply. In east-central Saskatchewan, the production of highbush cranberries and associated processed products has been initiated. The wild harvest of blueberries and lingonberries, primarily by native people in the northern parts of the prairie provinces, provides a limited supply of these fruits, but yields are inconsistent from year to year. The production of processed native fruit products is a viable, expanding cottage industry.

 

The development of a horticultural industry based on the culture and management of native fruit species is not without difficulty. Development costs can be high ($3,600 - $12,000/ha); the return on this investment may take 10-12 years to recoup. For many native fruit species, few if any varieties exist and it is difficult to obtain sufficient quantities of any given variety to establish a commercial plantation. Contract propagation is often not feasible because propagation companies are not willing to develop or refine the required methods unless there is a substantial market. Cultural information is almost completely lacking for most native fruit species. Effective, alternative methods of pest and disease control need to be developed. Economical methods of mechanical harvesting and grading are also not available for small orchards. Suitable methods for postharvest storage and processing, the establishment of commercial processing facilities, and major marketing efforts are required; substantial initiatives in these directions have yet to be taken.

 

Individuals interested in pursuing the commercial production of native fruit species are well advised to start small. A variety of native fruit species can be grown in small garden orchards, or incorporated into hedgerows or shelterbelts. Such an approach is low risk because of a minimal investment in time and money, and allows one to gain experience in the culture of these fruits.

 

Go To Part 2: General aspects of native fruit culture